BP admitted on July 15th that it had lobbied the British government in 2007, prior to the to release of Lockerbie bomber, for an agreement to turn over a number of prisoners to Libya, as negotiations between the two countries over the issue were impeding a contract allowing BP to drill in Libyan offshore deep waters.

Shortly after, Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, convicted for the 1988 bombing of an airline jet over Lockerbie, Scotland that killed 270 people, mostly Americans, was released in August of 2009 on compassionate grounds after a medical diagnosis that he was unlikely to survive more than three months from cancer. Nearly a year later, he’s not only still alive, but his doctor has now declared he could live another decade.

President Obama expressed the outrage felt by Americans not only over the decision to release Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, but over the evidence the British owned petroleum company BP played an active role in obtaining the terrorist bomber’s release.

‘I think all of us here in the United States were surprised, disappointed and angry about the release of the Lockerbie bomber,’ he said, and added the diplomatic hope that ‘the key thing to understand here is that we’ve got a British prime minister who shares our anger over the decision. And so I’m fully supportive of Prime Minister Cameron’s efforts to gain a better understanding of it.’

Except David Cameron has made it as pristine clear as the water in the Gulf of Mexico used to be that he has no intention whatsoever of doing any such thing. He announced on Tuesday that while he’d consider releasing information from an earlier investigation, he would not order a fresh investigation into either the bomber’s release, or – more importantly – BP’s role in obtaining it. Further, he managed to shift any blame from the British government onto the Scottish Executive (although, last time I looked I was pretty sure Scotland is still part of the United Kingdom), and further added insult to injury by castigating the decision to – in effect – trade terrorists for oil as ‘wholly wrong and misguided decision, a bad decision, but their decision, nonetheless.’ As for BP’s role in the release of the Lockerbie bomber, Cameron has already made up his mind, insisting he has seen nothing to suggest that the Scottish government was influenced by lobbying from BP.

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So apparently punishing terrorists (assuming we had the right people in the first place) isn't quite as important as U.S. and British officials make it seem. It's all about the oil, baby!

The British government decided it was “in the overwhelming interests of the United Kingdom” to make Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, eligible for return to Libya, leaked ministerial letters reveal.

Gordon Brown’s government made the decision after discussions between Libya and BP over a multi-million-pound oil exploration deal had hit difficulties. These were resolved soon afterwards.

The letters were sent two years ago by Jack Straw, the justice secretary, to Kenny MacAskill, his counterpart in Scotland, who has been widely criticised for taking the formal decision to permit Megrahi’s release.

The correspondence makes it plain that the key decision to include Megrahi in a deal with Libya to allow prisoners to return home was, in fact, taken in London for British national interests.

Edward Davey, the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, said: “This is the strongest evidence yet that the British government has been involved for a long time in talks over al-Megrahi in which commercial considerations have been central to their thinking.”

Two letters dated five months apart show that Straw initially intended to exclude Megrahi from a prisoner transfer agreement with Colonel Muammar Gadaffi, under which British and Libyan prisoners could serve out their sentences in their home country.

Downing Street had also said Megrahi would not be included under the agreement.

Straw then switched his position as Libya used its deal with BP as a bargaining chip to insist the Lockerbie bomber was included.

The exploration deal for oil and gas, potentially worth up to £15 billion, was announced in May 2007. Six months later the agreement was still waiting to be ratified.