[quote=CNN]The only man ever convicted in the Lockerbie bombing has been released and allowed to return to Libya on compassionate grounds because he is terminally ill, Scotland's justice minister said today. Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi was serving a life sentence for bombing Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 270 people.[/quote]
[quote=CNN] GREENOCK, Scotland (CNN) -- The only man ever convicted over the Lockerbie passenger plane bombing was Thursday released and allowed to return to Libya on compassionate grounds because he is terminally ill.
Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, now 57, is suffering from terminal prostate cancer.
Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi was serving a life sentence for bombing Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, resulting in the deaths of 270 people.
The White House, which has urged Britain to keep al Megrahi behind bars, said it "deeply regrets" the decision.
Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill told a news conference that the prisoner, who doctors say has three months to live, was "going home to die" and would be put on a plane later Thursday.
"Our justice system demands that judgment be imposed but compassion available," MacAskill said. "Our beliefs dictate that justice be served but mercy be shown."
The justice secretary said he declined to allow al Megrahi to be transferred to Libya to serve out his sentence, even though a prisoner transfer agreement exists between the United Kingdom and Libya.
The Pan Am flight exploded December 21, 1988, as it flew over Lockerbie, Scotland on its way from London to New York. All 259 people aboard the plane died, along with 11 Scots on the ground.
Families of the victims have been divided on whether al Megrahi should be ever be released.
The United States has made clear to the British government and others that it believes al Megrahi should spend the rest of his time in jail.
In a statement released shortly after Thursday's announcement, the White House said it "deeply regrets the decision".
"As we have expressed repeatedly to officials of the government of the United Kingdom and to Scottish authorities, we continue to believe that al Megrahi should serve out his sentence in Scotland," it said.
MacAskill said he believed the United States government and American families of the victims were led to expect before al Megrahi's trial that whoever was convicted would serve out their entire sentence in Scotland.
"They did so on the basis of agreements they said had been made prior to trial regarding the place of imprisonment of anyone convicted," MacAskill said.
"The U.S. attorney general, Eric Holder, was in fact deputy attorney general to Janet Reno at the time of the pre-trial negotiations. He was adamant that assurances had been given to the U.S. government that any person convicted would serve his sentence in Scotland."
The United Kingdom declined to back up those claims, leading MacAskill to side with the American position, he said.
Al Megrahi was convicted in 2001 after the prosecution argued he had placed the bomb, hidden in a suitcase, on a flight from Malta to Frankfurt, Germany. There, prosecutors said, the bomb was transferred onto the Pan Am plane that went first to London's Heathrow Airport and then took off for New York.
Another man -- Al-Amin Khalifa Fahima -- was also tried in the bombing but was acquitted.
The prosecution maintained al Megrahi, who worked at Malta's Luqa Airport, was an agent for the Libyan intelligence services and had been seen buying clothes that were in the suitcase that contained the bomb.
Libya has formally accepted responsibility for the bombing and has compensated the families, though Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi later denied any culpability. [/quote]
[url]http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/08/20/scotland.lockerbie.bomber/index.html[/url]
All I can say is, you Scot justices are fucking idiots
A little kindness now and then doesn't hurt.
Gee whiz.
[QUOTE=Levithan II;16813865]A little kindness now and then doesn't hurt.[/QUOTE]
Unless that kindness is sending 270 innocent people to your god via a Bomb
Kill 270 people, only serve 8 years, what a deal, now he'll get a hero's welcome and still have some time to bomb something else if he'd like
He killed 270 people? Then when he is dieing they release him? It makes no sense.
Why should we stoop to his level and leave him to die in prison?
Hell all the same what difference would it make if he's in or out hes going to die anyway?
I would probably want him dead either way if I any relatives of mine were a victim of his doing.
If he was in America and being released he'd probably be shot, Oswald style, how come politicians and the like have no sacks anymore
And to Chrisordie, Suicide Bombers are going to die anyway, should they be allowed to run around freely?
[QUOTE=Levithan II;16813865]A little kindness now and then doesn't hurt.[/QUOTE]
He killed over 200 people you moron.
Now he has an excuse to kill more people, since he is going to die anyway.
[QUOTE=TheTalon;16813917]And to Chrisordie, Suicide Bombers are going to die anyway, should they be allowed to run around freely?[/QUOTE]
Well for a start this wasn't a suicide bomb attack, the bombs where placed on the plane and detonated in flight and in honesty this man has terminal prostate cancer, so I doubt he'll be doing much running around.
This pisses me off to no end, it's like slapping the justice system in the face.
Why the fuck should 'compassion' be regarded in politics? I mean, emotion is one thing, but letting a killer go free for his remaining months, (Even then, his cancer could be fixed, or held back), is retarded. He was in jail two weeks for every death on that flight, I can't fathom why any respectable justice system would do this, it's fucking retarded.
[B]EDIT:[/B] How is he any more 'special' than every death-row inmate, or terminally ill prison inmate?
Well, the UK has been sucking up to them Muslims lately.
[QUOTE=Boba_Fett;16814331]Well, the UK has been sucking up to them Muslims lately.[/QUOTE]
uk has always sucked up for muslims
[QUOTE=Re-Con;16814568]UK has always sucked up.[/QUOTE]
Fixed.
In otherwords, The jet carrying Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi [i]mysteriously[/i] exploded in mid flight to Libya, Luckily the pilots were able to escape before the explosion.
The majority of the British relatives are fine with him being released. Plus his conviction was on iffy grounds.
All prisoners can get access to release on compassionate grounds, generally when they are dying from an untreatable illness (as Magrahi is - his cancer is not responding to treatment) and they have family.
[QUOTE=Canuhearme?;16814611]Fixed.[/QUOTE]
that is very true now that you mention it
Only in the UK.
[editline]03:32PM[/editline]
He only served 8 years of his "life sentence." Fuck Scotland. I hate Euro trash.
Read the story before saying our justice system is shit, he has cancer and has 3 months to live so he is being sent there to die and also to CONTINUE his sentence in Libya. The Scots have done nothing wrong there.
[editline]04:35PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=Boba_Fett;16814331]Well, the UK has been sucking up to them Muslims lately.[/QUOTE]
Uh, Muslims are a religion, not a terrorist cult. You can't target him just for being a Muslim.
[QUOTE=Kondor;16814814]Read the story before saying our justice system is shit, he has cancer and has 3 months to live so he is being sent there to die and also to CONTINUE his sentence in Libya. The Scots have done nothing wrong there.[/QUOTE]
Your justice system is shit.
[QUOTE=Chrisordie;16813900]Why should we stoop to his level and leave him to die in prison?
Hell all the same what difference would it make if he's in or out hes going to die anyway?[/QUOTE]
because he might do it again tardass
He should've been executed. I mean come on; he killed 270 innocent people. But that's the UK for you.. they're full of pussies who don't believe in the death sentence.
[QUOTE=LOLturtle;16814895]He should've been executed. I mean come on; he killed 270 innocent people. But that's the UK for you.. they're full of pussies who don't believe in the death sentence.[/QUOTE]
Yeah that'll bring them back
I'll rape him every day until he dies. That'll show him.
[QUOTE=Christarp4;16814836]because he might do it again tardass[/QUOTE]
He's expected to die within three monthes from terminal cancer. I don't think he'll be doing much at all.
Karma bites.
[QUOTE=TheTalon;16813885]Unless that kindness is sending 270 innocent people to your god via a Bomb
Kill 270 people, only serve 8 years, what a deal, now he'll get a hero's welcome and still have some time to bomb something else if he'd like[/QUOTE]
For a start he has terminal cancer and doesn't have long to live. Secondly, while he is in prison he is living off the taxpayer. I don't particularly want my money to go on support for prisoners, especially those that aren't even part of the country.
[QUOTE=IronPhoenix;16815750]For a start he has terminal cancer and doesn't have long to live. Secondly, while he is in prison he is living off the taxpayer. I don't particularly want my money to go on support for prisoners, especially those that aren't even part of the country.[/QUOTE]
Don't pay your taxes then.
[QUOTE=Occlusion;16813893]He killed 270 people? Then when he is dieing they release him? It makes no sense.[/QUOTE]
He isn't being released, read the story.
[editline]05:24PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=TheTalon;16813885]Unless that kindness is sending 270 innocent people to your god via a Bomb
Kill 270 people, only serve 8 years, what a deal, now he'll get a hero's welcome and still have some time to bomb something else if he'd like[/QUOTE]
He's dying and hasn't been released, read the story.
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