Cameron says Lockerbie bomber Al Megrahi should have been left in jail to die

London, July 21 (ANI): British Prime Minister David Cameron, during his three-hour-long talk with the US President Barack Obama in Washington, has said that the decision to release Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Al Megrahi was wrong, and insisted that he should have been left in jail to die rather than setting him free.

"Releasing the Lockerbie bomber, a mass murderer, was completely wrong. He showed his victims no compassion. They were not allowed to die in their beds at home," The Sun quoted Cameron as saying.

Although, during their meeting in the Oval Office, the duo discussed issues related to Afghanistan, Iran and the economy, the row over the release of Megrahi last year, was the focus in Cameron's historic first visit to the White House.

Cameron agreed to Obama's demands to push for the release of secret government documents.

"I'm asking the Cabinet Secretary to go back over all the paperwork and see if there's anything else that should be released, so there is the clearest possible picture out there of what decisions were taken," Cameron said.

Before al-Megrahi's release, BP had asked Labour Justice Secretary Jack Straw for his help in releasing Libyan prisoners in UK prisons, the report said.

Obama said that al-Megrahi's release has hurt the US, and left it "surprised, disappointed and angry".

"The decision ran contrary to how we should be treating terrorists.I have confidence that Prime Minister Cameron's government will be co-operative.

The key thing to understand here is we've got a British Prime Minister who shares our anger and who also objects to how it played out," he said.

Meanwhile, Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has said that he does not regret the decision to free al-Megrahi.

According to the report, the troubled oil giant British Petroleum has been accused of pushing for his freedom in exchange for lucrative drilling contracts from Libyan ruler Colonel Gaddafi.

Megrahi was released on compassionate grounds amid huge controversy by Scottish officials in August 2010 and allowed to fly home to a hero's welcome in Libya after the doctor declared that he would die of cancer in three months, but later apologized saying that he would live for 10-20 years more.

Both leaders insisted that the row should not overshadow the joint fight against terror or wreck the transatlantic partnership. (ANI)