Tories seek Brown's role in release

LONDON, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Tories in Parliament demanded Saturday official records of conversations between British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Brown and Gadhafi met privately at the Group of Eight summit in Italy and discussed conditions for the release of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, The Guardian reported.

In addition, Brown wrote a letter to Gadhafi urging him to keep al-Megrahi's return to Libya low key and a private family occasion.

The homecoming was jubilant and featured some Libyans waving Scottish flags as they met al-Megrahi at the airport. Making things worse, Tory leaders said, was Gadhafi's references to his friendship with Brown and to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Andrew playing a role in the release.

Labor Party leaders in Scotland denounced the release of al-Megrahi by Kenny MacAskill, the justice minister, as making their country an economic target for those, especially Americans, who might boycott Scottish goods.