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Release Of Lockerbie Bomber Angers Americans

2009_08_almegah.jpg The Scottish government released Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the man convicted in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, back to his home in Libya. Two hundred forty-three people aboard the plane—189 of them Americans, many from NY and NJ—were killed while 11 people on the ground died when the NY-bound jet exploded on December 21, 1988. al-Megrahi, sentenced to life amid his claims of innocence, is suffering from terminal prostate cancer. Scottish Justice Kenny MacAskill Secretary said, "Mr al-Megrahi did not show his victims any comfort or compassion... But that alone is not a reason for us to deny compassion to him and his family in his final days...Our justice system demands that judgement be imposed, but compassion be available." The U.S. condemned the decision; Senator John Kerrey said, "The news today from Glasgow turned the word ’compassion’ on its head." Perinton, NY resident Paul Halsch, whose 31-year-old wife was killed, let the Daily News know how he feels, "This might sound crude or blunt, but I want him returned from Scotland the same way my wife Lorraine was ... and that would be in a box."

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  • CampbellUSA

    Quoting phatak:

    "Americans have no right to question the justice system in Scotland. They are free to take their own decision. Too bad you can only get angry and outraged."

    Commenting:

    Angry? Outraged? Nope, "Disgusted" is the word. As a being of no Scottish ancestry, you can go to Heck (the realm of inadequate illumination) with your little opinion.

    I was a scotish decendant and you can look back a few posts to see what they have left of that.

    As for you, you can (as we yanks say) SHOVE IT!.

  • CampbellUSA

    Quoting Poliburo:

    "The cancer has metastasized. He will die of cancer within 6 months. That said, it's not a reason to release him, imo."

    Commenting: My mother-in-law was diagnosed with the same sort of metastasized cancer and given 6 months to live. That was in 1997 and she is visiting my brother-in-law in Florida right now (August 24, 2009), shows no signs of Cancer and leads a full and active life.

    Not everbody dies when you tell them to...which is why the US still has the death penalty.



  • CampbellUSA

    To this day, there are places in Scotland where I dare not go because people with my name did something like the Lybian bastard, over three hundred years ago.

    Well, Scotland, may you rot in hell for what you have put my family through for three centuries.

    I, a Campbell deny any ancestry from you worthless bits of excrement. I a Campbell call you out as cowards and frauds.

    I thank God for my freedom in a land where you cannot touch me and where I can express my ultimate disgust at subhumans who let this monster go free.

    Who's the shamed one now, Scotland?

    I stand proud as a Campbell who denies Scotland!

  • pushkraj phatak

    Americans have no right to question the justice system in Scotland. They are free to take their own decision. Too bad you can only get angry and outraged.

  • Snoopy

    "We begin blanket bombing Scotland's major cities at 03:40 hours just to have them taste what a real American justice system should taste like."

    PP hopefully you will be happy when the USofA stuffs a nuclear bomb up your ass and wipes out your tribe. The world needs people like you like they need a renewed bubonic plaque, which probably came from your homeland since your people like doing weird shit with sheep and goats. OOPs I forgot, and also camels.

  • Snoopy

    Simple. If he's not dead in six months he was bullshitting everyone. KILL HIM AT SIX MONTHS ONE DAY.

  • adeez

    Just because it is hard to feel compassion for someone who committed an atrocity, it doesn't mean that's not what we should strive for.

    I'll be the first to admit - I'd wanna maim anyone who hurt my loved ones too. Does that make it right? Regardless, it's actually much, much better for us to forgive. You'll torture yourself your whole life harboring that anger and hate.

    Let's assume that those who held him captive for 20-yrs are right when they state that he is not a threat to society and is dying. Why the fuck shouldn't we show the compassion that we wished he had at the time. Is murdering him too gonna make us all better?

  • babyhitler

    "The Problem with Scotland is that it's full of scots"

  • squid ink

    Releasing Abdel Basset al-Megrahi is absolutely the correct decision. Should a terrorist be freed from jail on compassionate grounds? There is no evidence that he was a terrorist! None, nada, not one iota of proof. Read this excellent Guardian article for further information:

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/mar/31/lockerbie.libya

    This is the real tragedy/outrage in this case: "In Britain, meanwhile, Thatcher, John Major and Blair obstinately turned down the bereaved families' requests for a full public inquiry into the worst mass murder in British history."

  • Promise me this al-Megrahi dude has your home address. I want a moron like you to be the victim of his next non-terrorist plane explosion, not someone who saw it coming a mile away. You should look 243 family members in the face and tell them about the compassion al-Megrahi deserves.

  • squid ink

    I think those 243 family members would like the correct person to be punished for this offense, don't you? It's clear that a deal has been struck here. Evidence of CIA and FBI corruption in this case was overwhelming, and it won't go to court now al-Megrahi has been released. If you read between the lines, his release is the perfect outcome for the U.S. government. Don't be fooled by all the mock outrage.

  • The Edge

    So I noticed you didn't even answer your own "question" properly: "Should a terrorist be freed from jail on compassionate grounds?"

  • felixthecat2

    thanks. Ollie North is an arms trafficker

  • matty

    he should have to eat haggis for in a cell for the rest of his miserable life.

  • Mr. Shankly

    Now he's out, and can be more easily, ahem, gotten to.

    If you catch my drift.

  • ckl

    Sassy.

  • Hi Scotland.

    In under a year (I bet) you are going to experience a large scale terrorist attack.

    Fuck you when you do.

  • longacre

    They had a decent attempt not too long ago, when the guy drove his flaming car/bomb into the terminal at Glasgow Airport, but it failed to blow up.

  • Clarice City

    Scotland, get some balls.

  • emilydickinson

    We have had all these supposed 'terrorists' in jail at Gitmo and elsewhere, who haven't been convicted of anything. Then we actually catch and convict a terrorist, and he's let go. He killed 243 people, he should take his medicine and die in jail.

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