British PM's visit to U.S. clouded by BP worries

BP Plc's role in the U.S. Gulf Coast oil spill and speculation about any influence the British oil giant may have had over the release of the Lockerbie bomber from a Scottish prison last year has complicated relations ahead of Tuesday's talks.

Cameron's office has tried to play down the concern, saying the U.S. debate over how the terminally ill Libyan convicted of the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight was allowed to return home "may come up" but is not a "major issue."

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said the matter would likely be raised, but Afghanistan was expected to top the agenda.

Asked in an interview with BBC television whether the oil giant lobbied to have Libyan intelligence officer Abdel Basset al-Megrahi released, Cameron replied: "I've no idea what BP did. I'm not responsible for BP."

BP has confirmed it lobbied the British government in late 2007 over a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya, but said it was not involved in talks on the release of al-Megrahi, which was strongly opposed by the Obama administration.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said last week there is no evidence BP was involved in the release or that the decision to free him was made to facilitate oil deals for BP.

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