US asks Libyan rebels to re-examine Lockerbie case

The United States has hoped that the new government in Libya would have a different attitude towards Abdel Basser Ali al-Megrahi, the Libyan involved in the Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people.

"This is a new day in Libya. This is a guy with blood on his hands, the lives of innocents. Libya itself, under Gaddafi, made a hero of this guy. Presumably, a new, free, democratic Libya would have a different attitude towards a convicted terrorist," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters at her daily news conference.

"So it is in that spirit that the TNC will look at this case. I cannot speak to what decisions will be made," she said in response to a question.

The Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, believes that Megrahi should still be behind bars, that the decision to release him was not the right decision to make, she said.

Nuland said the Transitional National Council of Libya has said very clearly that they are very aware of the sensitivities and the complexities around this case.

"They have assured us that they will review all aspects of the case after they assume full authority in the country, which is obviously their very first priority today and this week," she said.

"With regard to what the TNC will conclude ought to be done, I don�t think any decisions have been made in that regard. We need to let them get their feet under themselves as a governing authority, and then they have agreed that they will look at this," she said.

Noting that the TNC is committed to look at this as soon as it can, she said, the overwhelming priority is to end the violence in Libya and complete the transition to TNC governing authorities so that it can fully address the needs of the Libyan people and start turning that page towards democratic governance.

"It was under the Gaddafi regime that he was accepted back into Libya. If you have a new governing authority in Libya, they can presumably review the terms under which their predecessors accepted his return to Libya," she said.

Nuland said the pressure is growing around Sirte, Gaddafi's hometown. From the US perspective, there are no American boots on the ground.