"(...any tiny country receiving such advice from the most powerful nation on earth needs a degree of nerve and a spirit bordering on reckless to ignore it. I believe the US has bombed about 50 countries since WW2 so adding Scotland to the list would be no big deal.)"

*sigh* Such a comment is implicitly embedded with unwarranted suppositions and personal biases. (and I wonder whose count of 'bombed countries' is referenced) I cannot conceive of any matter that might warrant such an act.

My impression is that Scotland has/had no problem at all in shrugging and doing exactly what they wish in the matter. Many Americans were disappointed that such a convicted killer was so easily released when it 'appears' that his medical assessment was possibly negatively exaggerated.

We can agree to disagree on exactly how the case should have been handled, and we can also disagree on the 'righteousness' of allowing or forbidding capital punishment, but I hate to see exaggerated rhetoric that tries to turn 'gray areas' into black & white comparisons that unfairly represent certain views.

Ok... I guess I've done about all I can do to inject relevant explanations and qualifications about the US position and attitudes.
Living here, I SEE why others who take a strong position against capital punishment would be unhappy that we can't easily adapt to the more common position...but I still think it was irresponsibly inserted by the cardinal into the issue of Megrahi's release.