U.S. lawmaker slams BP in Megrahi probe

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- BP shouldn't get permits to drill in the United States given concerns about its action in the gulf and possible ties to the Lockerbie bomber, a lawmaker said.

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee investigated a Scottish decision in 2009 to release Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi on compassionate terms.

Lawmakers questioned whether British oil company BP was tied to the decision in order to protect a deal to drill for oil off the coast of Libya.

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., who led the meeting, expressed outrage with BP because of alleged links to Megrahi's release and the fallout from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Menendez said the response from BP to the spill was "pitiful," adding the company was acting as "bad corporate citizens."

"I frankly don't know how BP expects to continue to do business in America if this is the way they treat Americans," he said in his remarks. "I don't know why under the circumstances BP should get a single permit to do business in this country again."

BP, as well as the British and Scottish government, denies any links to the Megrahi release and oil. Menendez, nonetheless, said the decision was "manipulated."

The Scottish government has defended its action, maintaining the decision to release the former Libyan intelligence officer was based on purely medical reasons.

Megrahi was convicted in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which crashed onto the Scottish town of Lockerbie on Dec. 21, 1988. A total of 270 people died in the attack.