WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released the following statement on Thursday on the release of al-Megrahi, the dying man convicted of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988 which killed nearly 300 people.

“The United States is deeply disappointed by the decision of the Scottish Executive to release Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for his part in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which took the lives of 270 persons, including 189 Americans. We have continued to communicate our long-standing position to UK government officials and Scottish authorities that Megrahi should serve out the entirety of his sentence in Scotland. Today, we remember those whose lives were lost on December 21, 1988 and we extend our deepest sympathies to the families who live each day with the loss of their loved ones due to this heinous crime,” U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.