Lockerbie bomber released

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Supervox

At the risk of de-railing this thread somewhat, to those of you who have stated that life should mean life for a convicted terrorist & that he should be left to die in jail - do you also feel the same way about Nelson Mandela ?

History is written by the winners.
Do people call mugabe the hero of Rhodesia? I struggle to empathise with terrorists responsible for the starvation of their own people as well as the dead on the other side.

Originally Posted by timwilky

I appreciate your point, However I am devoid of compassion.

I put myself in his position, and unfortunately the position of many innocent men. If I am innocent I would fight to clear my name. I would rather die proclaiming my innocence than shut up, do my stir and get an early parole for having repented of my crime. Even if that means I die protesting.

Perhaps he does not think the same way and would rather give up the appeal in exchange for spending the last part of his life free.

Originally Posted by svdemon

Typical British justice in action, prisoner convicted of mass murder falls ill so gets a private plane to fly him home scot free. Well they do say its difficult to play the playstation when you're not feeling too hot.

This sounds like random quotes from the Daily Sport stuck together with sticky tape and bogeys. Without the tits.

I live in the region in which this artrocity occurred. I am sickened.

McAskill went through his speech, talking about how he had listened to all of the families, both from Lockerbie and America but he chose to kick them in the teeth instead. One final insult to the memory of their loved ones who died on that night. I work with a man who saw the fusalage (sp) land on the house (and family) he was staying with, wiping them out. He was due to be home for his dinner but got tied up and was half an hour late. As he was driving towards Lockerbie he saw it happen.

I also saw his face today when this news was announced and I feel for him.

I am angry. I am saddened.

I grit my teeth and feel sick to the stomach when I think about it.

[Stingo]

Originally Posted by svdemon

...scot free. ..

Thought this was clever irony.

FWIW I'm with Sid Squid on this. Abhorrent tho the event was, did he really do it? I mean really...did he really do it?

Edit: I believe this course of action, whilst appearing to be negative to many, will have a positive political and humanitarian effect on those north of the border.

[Bri w]

The compassionate angle just doesn't work for me. Next thing it will be let the mugger out a month early coz he's got flu, or the paedophile out a year early coz he's got a broken arm.

I don't agree with its right to let him out coz the conviction was unsafe. If the conviction was unsafe then retrial/appeal should have been the way to resolve it.

As MBK said, its a kick in the gut to the families, and also all the professionals who worked so hard on the case.

I think this is a, "you drop your appeal, and we'll let you out on compassionate grounds. *aside to the powers that be* Then we won't embarrass ourselves with the previous dodgy conviction."

[Supervox]

Some interesting answers - for what it's worth, my opinion is as follows - both Mandela & Megrahi were convicted terrorists & should have been allowed to die in prison for their crimes - as should anyone convicted of a terrorist act.

Regarding Mandela, the fact that people don't agree with the regime that was in place in SA at the time is irrelevant - it was the legitimate government like it or otherwise.

As has already been said, it is the victors who write the history books & equally true is the old adage 'one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter' - I wonder if the replies would have been the same if I'd offered the name of a convicted IRA / INLA terrorist instead of Mandela ?

This is a "we'll let you tap into our oil if you free Al-Megrahi" - "OK, we'l free him if he drops the appeal."

Oil. Thats all it is.

And I don't buy that he was "totally innocent". He may not have masterminded it but he played a part. He's dying anyway, if he was innocent, why not carry his appeal to the end, be cleared if he was so innocent.

We now have the situation where every person locked up in Scotland, no matter what their crime, will be able to say "I have cancer and I am going to die, can I get out now please?"

And how, pray tell, can they possibly, possibly be refused when a man who is convicted of the mass murder of 270 innocent people has been released. Short answer? That cannot.

Complete and utter joke.

Originally Posted by Milky Bar Kid

Oil. Thats all it is.

Eh? Where did that come from?

I think Sid Squid echoed my sentiments on this rather well

Originally Posted by MiniMatt

We hold ourselves to a higher moral standard than to the morals of terrorists.

+1

Originally Posted by lukemillar

Eh? Where did that come from?

I think Sid Squid echoed my sentiments on this rather well

All the Oil giants, Shell, BP and the like have recently been in talks with the Libiyan govt.

Coincidence? I think not.

The west are running out of oil. Libya has oil. We want it, they want Al-Megrahi. Deal.

Whilst I agree that an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind, I think a mass murderer freed for oil is obscene.