LEADERS in the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church have backed the Scottish govern\u00c2\u00adment\u2019s decision to release the Locker\u00c2\u00adbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, from prison last week on the grounds of ill health. He has advanced prostate cancer.<\/p>\n
In the United States, anger was expressed at the decision taken by the Scottish Justice Minister, Kenny MacAskill. The US President, Barack Obama, called the release a \u201cmistake\u201d\u009d. The director of the FBI, Robert Mueller, said that it gave \u201ccomfort to terrorists\u201d\u009d.<\/p>\n
But the Primus of the Scottish Epis\u00c2\u00adcopal Church, the Most Revd David Chillingworth, said that the decision sent the world \u201can important and positive message about our values\u201d\u009d, and was \u201ca brave political choice taken in the face of strong pressure from outside Scotland.<\/p>\n