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| Obama tackles UK PM on Lockerbie | Obama tackles UK PM on Lockerbie |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| US President Barack Obama has voiced his disappointment directly to UK PM Gordon Brown over the release of the Lockerbie bomber, the White House says. | US President Barack Obama has voiced his disappointment directly to UK PM Gordon Brown over the release of the Lockerbie bomber, the White House says. |
| It says Mr Obama made his remarks in a telephone call to Mr Brown. | It says Mr Obama made his remarks in a telephone call to Mr Brown. |
| The decision to release Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was taken by the Scottish government and the British government insists it did not intervene at all. | The decision to release Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was taken by the Scottish government and the British government insists it did not intervene at all. |
| Megrahi was jailed for the 1988 attack which claimed 270 lives. He was freed on compassionate grounds last month. | Megrahi was jailed for the 1988 attack which claimed 270 lives. He was freed on compassionate grounds last month. |
| "The president expressed his disappointment over the Scottish Executive's decision to release convicted Pan Am 103 Bomber al-Megrahi back to Libya," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement. | |
| Downing Street confirmed that the issue was raised during Mr Brown's 40-minute telephone conversation with Mr Obama on Thursday. | Downing Street confirmed that the issue was raised during Mr Brown's 40-minute telephone conversation with Mr Obama on Thursday. |
| A spokesman in London said the issue "came up" but refused to say who raised it first. | A spokesman in London said the issue "came up" but refused to say who raised it first. |
| The spokesman also declined to confirm if Mr Obama had expressed his disappointment over the release of Megrahi, who has terminal prostate cancer. | The spokesman also declined to confirm if Mr Obama had expressed his disappointment over the release of Megrahi, who has terminal prostate cancer. |
| Last month, Mr Obama said the release of the bomber was "a mistake", but had not expressed this personally to Mr Brown. | |
| One hundred and eighty nine Americans were among those who died in the explosion, and some US victims' families have reacted angrily to Megrahi's release. |