• Britain accused of breaking promise to US over Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi
    79 replies, posted
[img]http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00606/MEGRAHI_385x185_606471a.jpg[/img] [quote]Britain was accused last night of reneging on a promise to the United States that the Lockerbie bomber would serve his sentence in Scotland. According to confidential correspondence obtained by The Times, ministers urged the Scottish government to consider returning Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi to Libya under a prisoner transfer deal in an apparent breach of a decade-old pledge. A former Cabinet minister and two sources close to talks over the handover of suspects in 1999 told The Times that Robin Cook, then Foreign Secretary, promised Madeleine Albright, US Secretary of State at the time, that anyone found guilty would serve their sentence in Scotland, where the airliner exploded with the loss of 270 lives. A senior US official said: “There was a clear understanding at the time of the trial that al-Megrahi would serve his sentence in Scotland. In the 1990s the UK had the same view. It is up to them to explain what changed.” Cook, who brokered the unusual deal by which two Libyan suspects, including al-Megrahi, would be tried by a specially convened Scottish court in the Netherlands, later described how Britain and the US had resisted pressure from Colonel Muammar Gaddafi for those convicted to be allowed to serve their sentence in Libya. The Times has obtained correspondence showing how Gordon Brown’s administration tried to wriggle out of the transatlantic commitment. Lord Falconer of Thoroton, the Lord Chancellor, made reference to the deal — to which Libya also agreed — in a letter to Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister, in June 2007. “Libya agreed prior to al-Megrahi’s trial that anyone convicted of the Lockerbie bombing would serve their sentence in Scotland,” he wrote. Britain had reminded Libya of this through diplomatic channels, he said. The position was reversed two years later when the Libyans applied for al-Megrahi’s transfer. Ivan Lewis, the Foreign Office minister, told the Scottish government that Britain had never provided a “definitive commitment” to the US because it had not wanted to “tie the hands of future governments”. The disclosure casts doubt on Britain’s insistence that it did not interfere in the devolved Scottish government’s decision last week to let al-Megrahi return to Libya. It also explains the Obama Administration’s anger. Kenny MacAskill, Scotland’s Justice Minister, said last week that Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, and Eric Holder, the Attorney-General, had told him Britain had given firm assurances that the sentence would be served in Scotland. By contrast, British ministers said they “gave no assurances to the US Government at the time”. A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We were clear with the US from Day 1 that this was always a matter exclusively for Scottish ministers." [/quote]
The guy has three months to live, why is this a problem?
[quote]“We were clear with the US from Day 1 that this was always a matter exclusively for Scottish ministers."[/quote] Before America shits this thread up with English VS America bullshit, read that.
[QUOTE=smurfy;16989694]The guy has three months to live, why is this a problem?[/QUOTE] Because he killed over a hundred people and should be spending his last days in prison.
[QUOTE=SnakeHead;16989722]Because he killed over a hundred people and should be spending his last days in prison.[/QUOTE] Not him Personally.
I really don't get this whole situation. Do people who serve a life sentence usually get let out? I mean, it seems pretty stupid. The point of a life sentence is a life sentence.
[QUOTE=Rofl my Waff;16989750]I really don't get this whole situation. Do people who serve a life sentence usually get let out? I mean, it seems pretty stupid. The point of a life sentence is a life sentence.[/QUOTE] We let them out when they are too old to cause any more harm.
[QUOTE=radioactive;16989700]Before America shits this thread up with English VS America bullshit, read that.[/QUOTE] Well you didn't really help that last thread either.
[QUOTE=radioactive;16989741]Not him Personally.[/QUOTE] Your right he just contributed directly to the demise of over 200 innocent people.
[QUOTE=smurfy;16989694]The guy has three months to live, why is this a problem?[/QUOTE] Because life in prison means life in prison, not most of your life except for the last few months because we feel bad. You kill two hundred people, you lose your right to die content.
[QUOTE=Lankist;16989803]Because life in prison means life in prison, not most of your life except for the last few months because we feel bad. You kill two hundred people, you lose your right to die content.[/QUOTE] Not in this country, we have a different set of rules.
The incident occured above/on Scottish ground, therefore it is under Scottish jurisdiction. Also, when did this appear, and where's the source?
[QUOTE=radioactive;16989775]We let them out when they are too old to cause any more harm.[/QUOTE] What about that 88-year-old guy that shot up the Jewish Museum.
[QUOTE=radioactive;16989817]Not in this country, we have a different set of rules.[/QUOTE] Quote the rule which grants exception to mass murderers.
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;16989840]What about that 88-year-old guy that shot up the Jewish Museum.[/QUOTE] What 88 year old guy?
I only have one thing to say. [B]Shit Happens.[/B]
[QUOTE=radioactive;16989853]What 88 year old guy?[/QUOTE] The 88 year old who shot up a Holocaust museum here stateside.
[QUOTE=Lankist;16989847]Quote the rule which grants exception to mass murderers.[/QUOTE] To be honest, the people we should kill are people that have too many children. Murderers fix this.
[QUOTE=radioactive;16989853]What 88 year old guy?[/QUOTE] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Holocaust_Memorial_Museum_shooting[/url]
[QUOTE=Lankist;16989869]The 88 year old who shot up a Holocaust museum here stateside.[/QUOTE] Oh right. American land, American Rules, whatever.
[QUOTE=radioactive;16989875]To be honest, the people we should kill are people that have too many children. Murderers fix this.[/QUOTE] Are you fucking retarded? Stop dodging the question. You referenced a different ruleset in terms of mass murderers. Quote it.
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;16989840]What about that 88-year-old guy that shot up the Jewish Museum.[/QUOTE] i was just about to say that
Jesus fuck so much for your facade of compassion.
[QUOTE=radioactive;16989875]To be honest, the people we should kill are people that have too many children. Murderers fix this.[/QUOTE] Blurp
[QUOTE=Lankist;16989886]Are you fucking retarded? Stop dodging the question. You referenced a different ruleset in terms of mass murderers. Quote it.[/QUOTE] I am not "fucking" retarded. Ok. Quote what?
[QUOTE=radioactive;16989927]I am not "fucking" retarded. Ok. Quote what?[/QUOTE] For the third time. You said "we go by different rules." Quote the rule that grants exception to dying mass murderers.
[QUOTE=Lankist;16989803]Because life in prison means life in prison, not most of your life except for the last few months because we feel bad. You kill two hundred people, you lose your right to die content.[/QUOTE] He was never sentenced to a whole life tariff, so that point is null and void. Secondly, his conviction was iffy at best.
[url]http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/[/url] It's all public, buddy. Can't claim ignorance.
[QUOTE=Lankist;16989947]For the third time. You said "we go by different rules." Quote the rule that grants exception to dying mass murderers.[/QUOTE] Oh right. I'll get back to you. There we go: [quote]Unlike a prisoner with a determinate sentence who must be released at the end of that sentence, those sentenced to life imprisonment or an indeterminate sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) have no automatic right to be released. Instead, such prisoners must serve a minimum period of imprisonment to meet the needs of retribution and deterrence. This punitive period is announced by the trial judge in open court and is known commonly as the “tariff” period.[/quote] Tariff :eng101:
[QUOTE=radioactive;16989927]I am not "fucking" retarded. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=radioactive;16989875]To be honest, the people we should kill are people that have too many children. Murderers fix this.[/QUOTE] Stop contradicting yourself.
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