Libya Made Threats Over Lockerbie Bomber - WikiLeaks

Source: Reuters

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi made threats to cut trade with Britain and warned of "enormous repercussions" if the Lockerbie bomber died in jail, Britain's Guardian newspaper said on Wednesday citing U.S. diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks.

Scottish authorities freed Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, jailed for life for his part in blowing up Pan Am flight 103 in 1988, in August last year on compassionate grounds because they thought he had prostate cancer and had just months to live.
The move fuelled anger in the United States, 189 of the 270 victims were American, and his survival has led to suspicion over the reason for his release.

"The Libyans have told HMG (Her Majesty's Government) flat out that there will be 'enormous repercussions' for the UK-Libya bilateral relationship if Megrahi's early release is not handled properly," U.S. diplomat Richard LeBaron wrote in a cable to Washington in October 2008.

"Specific threats have included the immediate cessation of all UK commercial activity with Libya, a diminishment or severing of political ties, and demonstrations against official UK facilities," U.S. Ambassador Gene Cretz said.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/12/08/world/international-uk-wikileaks-megrahi.html?_r=1&ref=reuters

:kick:

the world would be if these things remained secret...

Read it. The threats were economic and diplomatic in nature.