Reaction to release of Lockerbie bomber al-Megrahi

LONDON (Reuters) - Former Libyan intelligence agent Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, the only man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people, was released on Thursday on compassionate grounds as he is dying of cancer.

Following are some reactions from people involved with the case over the years, including diplomatic officials who have dealt with the Libyan authorities.

YOUSSEF SAWANI, DIRECTOR OF THE GADDAFI INTERNATIONAL

CHARITY AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

"It shows justice can be done and that the issue is not one of revenge.

"He has always maintained his innocence as did many other stakeholders.

"I think the news is being warmly received in Tripoli by everyone and it shows that the confidence Libya had in the Scottish judicial system was well placed."

SHOKRI GHANEM, HEAD OF LIBYA'S NATIONAL OIL COMPANY

"Of course we are happy and we appreciate the act of the minister for justice. It is not a political decision; it is basically a humanitarian action.

"The man deserves to spend his last few days with his family."

JIM SWIRE, WHOSE DAUGHTER FLORA WAS KILLED IN THE BOMBING

AND WHO HAS ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT MEGRAHI WAS NOT INVOLVED

"I am delighted. I don't think he had anything to do with it and I think he was effectively framed.

"I think the whole process was a political stitch up from start to finish, which is something that needs to be gotten to the bottom of. Iran's involvement has never been properly laid out.

"The one thing I'm pleased about today is that he was transferred under the compassionate grounds provision, which means he can return home immediately to his family, as is right. I think Gaddafi and Libya will celebrate his return, and I don't begrudge them that because I don't think they had anything to do with Lockerbie."

Will they ever get to the bottom of who carried out the bombing?

"I'd be astonished, but delighted, if we ever get to the bottom of the political implications behind the bombing and who carried it out."

PROFESSOR ROBERT BLACK, SCOTTISH BARRISTER WHO HELPED DEVISE

THE ORIGINAL TRIAL FORMAT AND HAS CRITICISED THE GUILTY VERDICT

"It gets him home to die which is what has been his primary objective and I'm pleased -- but I am saddened that he will die a convicted man and that the appeal which might have cleared his name was abandoned unnecessarily.

"The evidence wasn't sufficient to convict him. No reasonable tribunal on that evidence could or should have convicted him.

"Certainly, the length of this process in my view merits justified criticism. Not just the length of time it's taken the Minister of Justice -- he had a very very difficult decision to make -- but the time it's taken to grant his appeal and the funereal, snail-like place that the Scottish court adopted over his appeal is a disgrace."

FRANK DUGGAN, PRESIDENT OF VICTIMS OF PAN AM 103, A GROUP

THAT REPRESENTS THE FAMILIES OF THE AMERICAN VICTIMS

"I heard from the White House yesterday that President Obama, via a senior White House official, had made a last-minute attempt to show their dismay to the Scottish government at this decision.

"My understanding is that the man (Megrahi) really is within three months of dying, which is one of the issues we wanted cleared up. At the same time, we have always maintained that he should remain in prison in Scotland and die there if it comes to that.

"I understand though that the Libyan government has given assurances that there will be no celebratory reactions on the part of the Libyans when Megrahi gets back. We were all afraid that this guy would go back to a hero's welcome. But there's going to be no dancing in the end-zone, as the expression goes."

OLIVER MILES, FORMER BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO LIBYA

What does the release mean for British-Libyan ties and business opportunities:

"I don't think it has got any great wider significance in terms of ... business and the economy.

"It removes an irritant, but it wasn't a great irritant, I don't think it is going to give us lots of lovely new business and I don't think the problem as it stood was stopping us getting lots of lovely new business.

"If he died in prison that would be a very serious matter. The process of normalization has been going since the mid-1990s. It is a long, long process and this is just one part of it."

On the U.S. government, which had been pressuring Scotland not to release Megrahi, Miles said: "I am dismayed to see them behaving like this."

CHRISTINE GRAHAME, MEMBER OF SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT WHO HAS

CAMPAIGNED FOR MEGRAHI'S RELEASE

"I have made no secret of my firm view that Mr Megrahi is innocent of this atrocity. I reaffirm my belief that Mr Megrahi came under undue, external pressure to drop his appeal, believing this was the only way he could secure his release today.

"It is imperative that a full public inquiry is established at the earliest opportunity. I would call on the Crown Office to secure all the evidential material it holds to be used in that inquiry if and when it is established.

"Sadly the full truth behind the bombing of that flight has still not been revealed. I expect that in time history will reveal who really carried out that attack and why, and that finally some closure can be brought on this case."

(Reporting by Luke Baker, Peter Griffiths, Matt Falloon and Alex Lawler in London and Tom Pfeiffer in Rabat; Editing by Janet Lawrence)