The story last week blamed BP for its reportedly major role in the release of Lockerbie Bomber, Abdel Baset al-Megrahi. First to the bogus BP responsibility claim:

"I can say unequivocally that the Scottish government has never ... received any representations from BP in relation to al Megrahi," Salmond said. "That is to say we had no submissions or lobbying of any kind from BP, either oral or written, and, to my knowledge, the subject of al Megrahi was never raised by any BP representative to any Scottish government minister."

Salmond noted, however, that BP has "admitted that it played a role ... in encouraging the U.K. Government to conclude a prisoner transfer agreement with the Libyan government."

and now to the new claim by The Australian regarding the US Obama Administration:

The US has tried to keep the letter secret, refusing to give permission to the Scottish authorities to publish it on the grounds it would prevent future "frank and open communications" with other governments.

In the letter, sent on August 12 last year to Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and justice officials, Mr LeBaron wrote that the US wanted Megrahi to remain imprisoned in view of the nature of the crime.

The note added: "Nevertheless, if Scottish authorities come to the conclusion that Megrahi must be released from Scottish custody, the US position is that conditional release on compassionate grounds would be a far preferable alternative to prisoner transfer, which we strongly oppose."

So much for Barack Hussein Obama's claim that Americans were surprised, disappointed and angry. Well, the average American was - but the Obama administration appears not to have been surprised at all.