Freeing of Lockerbie bomber

[noahbody]

A terrorist convicted of killing 270 people is set free on compassionate grounds after serving 8 years of a 27-year sentence? He is returned to Libya and greeted with a hero's welcome. I can only imagine the anger of the victim's families. But Oleg thinks it was a good idea.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ter...bie-bomber.html

[Riverwind]

There must have been a behind the scenes deal. i.e. Libya's cooperation on anti-terrorist efforts in return for his release.

I can't believe the Brits are really that dumb.

[GostHacked]

This was the most retarded thing I heard last week. This guy deserves no freedom at all. Let him suffer for what he has done.

[Argus]

A terrorist convicted of killing 270 people is set free on compassionate grounds after serving 8 years of a 27-year sentence? He is returned to Libya and greeted with a hero's welcome. I can only imagine the anger of the victim's families. But Oleg thinks it was a good idea.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ter...bie-bomber.html

Scotland used to be run by men. But that was before my family left. Now it's run by cringing, hand-wringing far left pansies, poofsters and wimps. If Scotland had been led by this lot in ancient times there'd never have been a need to build a wall. No Scot would dare go where he wasn't wanted, after all, for that would be rude. The Scots should put aside their kilts and wear skirts. They'd not notice the difference anyway.

[Guest American Woman]

Al-Megrahi insists he is innocent; that he didn't do it. He has expressed sympathy for the victims and their families. I wonder if someone who hates enough to kill would then express sympathy for the victims. That doesn't seem to fit the MO of terrorists.

My first reaction to his release was outrage, disbelief, really. So I did more reading, more searching, and according to this article:

Al-Megrahi's conviction was largely based on the testimony of a shopkeeper who identified him as having bought a man's shirt in his store in Malta. Scraps of the garment were later found wrapped around a timing device discovered in the wreckage of the airliner. Critics of al-Megrahi's conviction question the reliability of the store owner's evidence.

Did the scraps have his fingerprints on them? Does anyone know? Could it have simply been another shirt like the one he had bought-- if he did indeed buy it? My first impression is to think that this is pretty vague circumstantial evidence to find someone "guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."

Edited to add: In reading further, it does sound as if his release was totally a "compassionate" decision, having nothing to do with innocence or guilt, and in that respect, I'm back to my initial disbelief.

Edited August 23, 2009 by American Woman

[DogOnPorch]

The sight of this man being greeted as a hero for murdering hundreds of PanAm passengers just confirms that Libya and Libyans are still very much our enemies.

[scorpio]

But Oleg thinks it was a good idea.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ter...bie-bomber.html

Because he sees the bigger picture.

[Oleg Bach]

Because he sees the bigger picture.

It might just be that - it's not an idea that you can attatch goodness too - It's more a thing of spirit - This Scotish court that released the dying bastard who's asshole is rotting out - and in time will suffer the pains of hell and no morphine will cool the pain - no further treatment will remove what fate has placed in his body.

Sorry - If you know who the Scots are - Joesph of Aramethea - The Uncle of Jesus the Christ - the one who asked Pilate for the body for burial - visited the area we call Scotland..He had buisness concerns that and made a few trips - It has been said that Jesus as a very young man accompanied the uncle at least once - these Scots are relatives of the ancient Judeans - they are not your average chumps - they have a history of Justice that goes back almost 3000 years - Americas' goes back 300 years - who do you think is more skilled?

[Oleg Bach]

What compassion is must be described more carefully - in this case it is to take the hands of man away - and allow the hands of God to take over - what God has in store for this man is a fate worse than death - The Scots reliquished mans law and now have let natural law take over...the Scots know who is boss - the foolish American corporates think they are the boss - they think they are god. That is why they do not fair well - they over extend them selves and operate beyond their skill level - as we saw in Iraq.

[kimmy]

The sight of this man being greeted as a hero for murdering hundreds of PanAm passengers just confirms that Libya and Libyans are still very much our enemies.

For me that is what bothers me most. The man himself will be soon dead. There seems to be some question as to whether he is even the real bomber.

But to see this person flown home on a presidential jet, accompanied by the son of El Presidente, and greeted with a heroe's welcome by throngs of idiots, that is extremely distasteful to me. Libya seems to be acting as if this is a victory of some sort, and what kind of people would think of this as a victory?

The Libyan government confessed to its role in this bombing in 2003, and yet just this one man has been held accountable, and now the country celebrates his release from prison. Does that seem right?

-k

[Oleg Bach]

For me that is what bothers me most. The man himself will be soon dead. There seems to be some question as to whether he is even the real bomber.

But to see this person flown home on a presidential jet, accompanied by the son of El Presidente, and greeted with a heroe's welcome by throngs of idiots, that is extremely distasteful to me. Libya seems to be acting as if this is a victory of some sort, and what kind of people would think of this as a victory?

The Libyan government confessed to its role in this bombing in 2003, and yet just this one man has been held accountable, and now the country celebrates his release from prison. Does that seem right?

-k

Come on now - what Lybian in their right mind would think of some second rate fall guy as a hero - what do they think he did - blast his way out like Rambo out of some high security Scotish prison? Maybe it's not hero worship...maybe it's the fact that good or bad a citizen that was to die abroad - now dies at home ----really - did anyone hear a Lybian come up to bomber boy and pat him on the back and say "great work - you blew up that plane and you escaped - you are my hero? People are stupid - no one is that stupid. This is a further embarassment to Lybia - and the higher ups know this...as will the common guys once it sinks in what took place - but who knows the Lybian spin doctors might spin as he grows thin.

[Guest American Woman]

Libya seems to be acting as if this is a victory of some sort, and what kind of people would think of this as a victory?

People who believe he's innocent?

[Oleg Bach]

People who believe he's innocent?

Maybe he is? Maybe the Scots know more about the man than they let out? Something odd might be going on. Who knows - could have been a western black operation that brought the plane down..anything is possible these days/

[monkeyman]

For me that is what bothers me most. The man himself will be soon dead. There seems to be some question as to whether he is even the real bomber.

But to see this person flown home on a presidential jet, accompanied by the son of El Presidente, and greeted with a heroe's welcome by throngs of idiots, that is extremely distasteful to me. Libya seems to be acting as if this is a victory of some sort, and what kind of people would think of this as a victory?

The Libyan government confessed to its role in this bombing in 2003, and yet just this one man has been held accountable, and now the country celebrates his release from prison. Does that seem right?

-k

That was my first reaction also. However, maybe they greeted him as a hero because they always believed he was innocent.

Edited August 25, 2009 by monkeyman

[Bonam]

That was my first reaction also. However, maybe they greeted him as a hero because they always believed he was innocent.

Being innocent and spending time in jail and then getting released does not make a "hero". A victim perhaps, but not a hero. Heroes are those who are perceived to have accomplished some great and admirable deed in the face of improbable odds.

[monkeyman]

Being innocent and spending time in jail and then getting released does not make a "hero". A victim perhaps, but not a hero. Heroes are those who are perceived to have accomplished some great and admirable deed in the face of improbable odds.

Yeah, well in the eyes of many, he suffered from injustice, so they were happy he was released.

[Argus]

Yeah, well in the eyes of many, he suffered from injustice, so they were happy he was released.

One would think Libyans would long since have become inured to injustice given they've been led by a vicious murdering terrorist for the last several decades.

[tango]

One would think Libyans would long since have become inured to injustice given they've been led by a vicious murdering terrorist for the last several decades.

One never gets inured to injustice.

[Melanie_]

It sounds like there are a lot of questions about whether or not this guy actually was involved in the bombing. Winnipeg Free Press

Framed, hung out, set to die

By: Gwynne Dyer

Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was an intelligence agent. Since he worked for the Libyan government, he probably did some bad things. But he probably did not do the specific bad thing for which he was sentenced to 27 years in prison in Scotland.

~~~~~~~

Soon new evidence began to appear. It pointed to al-Megrahi, who had been working as a security officer for Libyan Arab Airlines in Malta in 1988. A Maltese shopkeeper identified him as the man who bought children's clothing like that found in the suitcase that contained the bomb that brought down Pan Am 103. It was pretty flimsy evidence, but Col. Moammar Gadhafi, Libya's ruler, was desperate to end the Western trade embargo against his country. He never admitted blame in the Pan Am affair, but he handed al-Megrahi and a colleague over for trial in a Western court.

Al-Megrahi's trial took place in 2001. His colleague was freed, but he was jailed for 27 years (in Scotland, because Pan Am 103 came down in Lockerbie). As time passed, however, the case began to unravel. The Maltese shopkeeper who had identified al-Megrahi, Tony Gauci, turned out to be living in Australia, supported by several million dollars that the Americans had paid him for his evidence.

The allegation that the timer for the bomb had been supplied to Libya by the Swiss manufacturer Mebo turned out to be false. The owner of Mebo, Edwin Bollier, revealed that he had turned down an offer of $4 million from the FBI in 1991 to testify that he had sold his MST-13 timers to Libya.

And this year it was revealed that Pan Am's baggage area at London's Heathrow airport was broken into 17 hours before Pan Am 103 took off on its last flight. (The police knew that 12 years ago, but kept it secret at al-Megrahi's trial.) The theory that the fatal bag was put on a feeder flight from Malta became even less likely.

[Guest American Woman]

It sounds like there are a lot of questions about whether or not this guy actually was involved in the bombing. Winnipeg Free Press

I agree. As I said earlier, it does sound as if he were found guilty on the basis of some pretty vague circumstantial evidence. But I still find it hard to believe that he would be released on "compassionate" grounds, which has nothing to do with guilt or innocence.

He had been trying to get an appeal, which was denied, and part of the "compassionate release" terms required that he drop all attempts to get an appeal. I find that odd. If there is a good chance that he's innocent, seems to me it would have been more "compassionate" to give him an appeal and let him try to prove his innocence. Now he's lost that chance for good, and he'll always be "the Lockerbie Bomber." And if that's what Scotland truly believes, that he is guilty, they are releasing, in their minds, the actual Lockerbie bomber, which is difficult to understand.

[monkeyman]

It sounds like there are a lot of questions about whether or not this guy actually was involved in the bombing. Winnipeg Free Press

Don't say that, the guy ws Muslim, he's an animal, he's guilty-------> Argus

[kimmy]

People who believe he's innocent?

That was my first reaction also. However, maybe they greeted him as a hero because they always believed he was innocent.

What about Colonel Khadafi's son? There's Khadafi Jr up there, helping this guy off the plane like they're besties.

But here's the thing that gets me...

There's two possibilities here: either Megrahi did it, or Megrahi didn't do it. Megrahi knows the truth.

And so does Khadafi Jr. Libya admitted responsibility for this bombing. They acknowledged that it was their people who did it.

So, either Khadafi Jr is up there treating Megrahi like a national hero because he murdered 270 people.

Or, Khadafi Jr is up there treating Megrahi like a national hero because he served 8 years in prison on behalf of some other Libyan agent or agents who murdered 270 people.

Either way, those chumps at the airport don't have a whole lot to cheer about. In my opinion.

-k

[Oleg Bach]

Whether it is the bombing of Baghdad - and the destruction of the oldest civilization on earth - through American adventurism under the pretense of saving the world from weapons of mass dystruction - that took the lives of hundreds of thousands of people - directly and indirectly - or the bombing of the plane over Lokerbie - both are terrorist acts..that's a fact - There is no one without sin here - What Scotland did was what we were meant to do and be - They showed the world that we are better than the head choppers - and the hand removers..That we have grace - class and compassion...that we are soldiers of Christ...during the American revolution there was a war cry _"No King but Jesus"...

_ it meant that certain truths and concepts and modes of behaviour go beyond man made law - and that the state is not GOD...This Government in Scotland may fall because they held to their principles - They could have shown no leadership as we do and pandered by poll to the hateful part of humanity - and held office because of it - BUT they were willing to forfiet their political careers - to do what was right...THIS IS REAL LEADERSHIP AND REAL SACRAFICE - what politican in the west would do what was right and lose his job? NONE - We are willing in the west to to what is evil and wrong in order to maintain politcal power. George Bernard Shaw said "The majority is always wrong" - Because the majority is morally lazy and hate is easy.