Megrahi release was mistake: Obama

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In a live radio interview, the president said the US administration had been in contact with the Scottish Government to register its objection to the move.

The Lockerbie bomber was flown out of Britain after being freed on compassionate grounds by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.

In the build-up to the announcement, Mr MacAskill came under intense US pressure to keep Megrahi behind bars, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lobbying against a decision she said would be "absolutely wrong".

Of the 270 victims of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, 189 were American.

Mr Obama said he had contacted families of the deceased and indicated to them that the release was inappropriate.

He added: "We have been in contact with the Scottish Government indicating that we object to this. We thought it was a mistake."

The President continued: "We are now contacting the Libyan government to make sure that if this transfer has taken place, he is not welcomed back in some way but should instead be under house arrest."

But Mr Obama's request fell on deaf ears and Megrahi was met by thousands of cheering Libyans, some waving Scottish flags, at Tripoli airport.