According to Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, the dropping of that appeal had nothing to do with Megrahi's release.

VOA: standard.2009.08.21

Political analyst Masha Lipman at the Moscow Carnegie Center says President Medvedev's appeal to Islamic spiritual leaders may be an attempt to contrast ordinary with radical Islam.

VOA: standard.2010.04.01

Ms.Tymoshenko said in a televised appeal to the nation Saturday she is convinced her rival, Victor Yanukovich, who seeks closer ties with neighboring Russia, had not won the presidential election.

VOA: standard.2010.02.14

"However,what Egypt did undermine, to an extent,especially in the last two years, has been to combine its legitimate defense of national security concerns with a wider appeal to Arab interests and Palestinian interests at the core of them,".

VOA: standard.2009.11.03

Dr.Jim Swire, who lost his daughter in the bombing, says he does not believe al-Megrahi was behind the bombing but with the appeal now gone, so too is the chance to answer the big vexing questions that linger to this day.

VOA: standard.2009.08.21