>>>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2012368579_bplibya16.html
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>>If we're going to hate, shouldn't we direct our hatred at the actual people who made the decision to let him go? If a parent were to shoplift an expensive new toy for a crying child would you hate the child?
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>>BP's statement Thursday repeated earlier acknowledgments that it had promoted the transfer agreement to protect a $900 million offshore oil-and-gas exploration deal off Libya's Mediterranean coast.
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>>The British justice minister at the time, Jack Straw, admitted shortly after al-Megrahi was repatriated and freed that the BP deal was a consideration in the government's review of his case.
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>>In the end, al-Megrahi was not released under the prisoner-transfer agreement. Instead, to the consternation of the Obama administration, and of many of the victims' families, the Scottish government released him under provisions in Scottish law that allow for a prisoner's sentence to be commuted on humanitarian grounds, because of al-Megrahi's cancer. That freed him from serving any further prison time in Libya, as he would have had to do under the transfer pact.
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>I agree that the actual people who let him go made a huge mistake too....and it's my understanding that this so-called 'cancer' he has is not putting him on a death-bed & that he will probably live 10 more years - although who knows what part of THAT is true.
>BUT - B.P.'s actions were driven by nothing other than pure greed. Perhaps the Scottish let him go for humanitarian reasons if they really thought he was about to die - but all BP cared about was money! The more I think about it the more pissed I am at BP than the Scott's.

I do not understand the highlighted and it is likely we're just built different. To me, it seems like a sound business decision, questionable morally, but not necessarily motivated simply by greed. BP must pursue oil where it lies. Wherever it does not secure the drilling rights, their competitiors will. Thus, not pursuing a deal is a bad business decision. So I do not see the motivator as greed but smart business.

Now, there was also a reasonable assumption that this deal would be found out and would result in bad press for the company and that was likely taken into consideration. I'd be willing to bet that BP made the business determination that the government would take the brunt of the blame, since they're the ones with the actual decision making ability.