Please do the world a favor and vote of out office that cunt of yours that allowed the release of the Lockerbie bomber. Any individual who doesn't have an understanding of the implications of releasing this fuck has no business holding political office.

He was most likely innocent to start off with, and will be dead in a few months from cancer, soooo.....

I'm gonna have to see proof of purchase on this one...

Don't worry- these clowns have put the final nail in their political coffins.

Whilst I am against his release, the outrage at it is slightly misplaced. Was locking this one man up ever real justice for the Lockerbie victims? He's merley a patsy put up by the Libyans. The real perpetrators have been walking free ever since.

There are numerous questions about his conviction as well as holes in the prosecutions case in his conviction apparently. Even one of the victims families have come forward to say they believe him to be a scape goat. It's still wrong though. He should have served his full term and the manner in which he was welcomed back was revolting.

Apparently the Scottish PM was simply refusing to be bullied or spoken down to by the British PM & US pressure. Admirable usually but certainly not in this instance.

The thing I'm mainly concerned about is that whilst the relatives of the Scottish victims publicly question the initial conviction - some believe he's innocent, some don't, others are asking for the truth, some have understanding of the compassionate release - all I've heard from the relatives of the American victims is 'It's disgusting, throw away the key!'. The anger is understandable, but there is a notable difference.

I agree that 'technically' he was tried and convicted so should serve the full term. But that doesn't make it anymore true, and it doesn't remove the possibility of deals between certain governments.

Regarding the 'hero's welcome'. Do not put blame on the Scottish government for this. Criticism should be aimed at Libya for blatant insensitivity. The release was almost stopped at the last minute simply for fear of the hero's welcome, but I admire the courage of the Scottish justice minister for going through with what he felt was the correct action.

The impression I get from the reaction of the American families is that they believe the conviction of Megrahi was the end game. Justice done. Perhaps the US media never conveyed the questions surrounding the original conviction.

Dipping back into this thread to try to explain a bit further what prompted my initial over-the-top outrage about this event. I was having a shit day to begin with and reading about this on CNN just really set me off, not that the outrage isn't justified to a degree but I don't want to get into every single aspect of what pissed me off about it right now. Anyway, someone earlier pointed out that the Scot Justice Secretary seemed to be politicizing the release and that was probably the biggest thing that pissed me off about it. I watched his press conference announcing the release and after about the 20th time he said the word "compassionate" I stopped watching. If someone feels the need to so emphatically proclaim their intentions then their explanation probably has little to nothing to do with their true motivations. The other thing that pissed me off about this is that fanaticism in any form is hugely driven by imagery. You don't think that the image of a convicted terrorist receiving a hero's welcome at the airport doesn't provide a useful image for some terrorist group somewhere to latch on to? I just think the Scot Justice Sec. was pretty fucking cavalier in his actions. P.S. to any Scots reading this; vote for who-ever you want. My country allowed Fuckstick W. Cockstain to hold office for 8 yrs and bring the whole world to a grinding halt so what authority do I have to piss on your leaders...


(Consider this thread my rousing return to N&D after a long break. I may not be seen or heard from again for quite awhile)

It wasn't the Justice Secretary who released the guy, it was a judge. And how can you on one hand berate the Scots for politicizing the decision and on the other hand say that it shouldn't have been done because it produces the wrong image?

Bart D., regarding your first point, I'm just going by what CNN reported. And I quote:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The cheering, flag-waving welcome that the convicted Lockerbie bomber received in Libya after being released from a life sentence was "highly objectionable," President Barack Obama said Friday.

His spokesman, Robert Gibbs, also criticized the bomber's reception as "tremendously offensive," echoing a sense of outrage that senior British leaders also have expressed.

Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi had been serving a life sentence for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. The bombing killed 270 people, including 189 Americans.

Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill freed al Megrahi after doctors concluded he has terminal prostate cancer and estimated he has three months to live. A plane returned the 57-year-old to Libya, and video of his reception Thursday at the airport drew harsh responses in the United States and Britain.


Regarding your second question: I don't completely understand what you are asking me. It would have been a horrible decision whether it was politicized or not. The fact that it was politicized just gives me two things to be pissed off about instead of only one.

Yes it does. But, right or wrong, this shouldn't affect the justification of the decision.

- On one hand you criticise for politicising.
- You then say part of the reason the decision is wrong is because of the political implications.

Maybe I'm wrong on that, I could've sworn it was a judge or a panel. Still, the basic point stands. Also, from what I've read, much of the welcome he got in Libya was due to the fact that they consider him a scapegoat. So do many people in Britain.

You know what? When you're right, you're right. I absolutely concur with your statement. Justice and due-process can not be beholden to what may or may not be the outcomes of their application. Now I'm off to mow the lawn....

i'm afraid that there is a lot that is 'off' about this whole thing.

Hey Mr. newsman, how 'bout some links?



http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/world/europe/22lockerbie.html?ref=world

FBI boss attacks Megrahi release.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8216122.stm

Same old stuff.

I understand this, 'Your action in releasing Megrahi is as inexplicable as it is detrimental to the cause of justice', comment.

This, 'Your action gives comfort to terrorists around the world.', is sensationalist rubbish.

This, 'You have given Megrahi a 'jubilant welcome' in Tripoli', isn't relevant.

The above link simpleschoolboy posted is the most worrying thing about the whole ordeal.

Yeah, well its pretty much in the same realm as Merkel buddying up with Putin for gas and whatnot. Whats a few dead journalists between friends?

Hasn't Europe learned anything? You don't need to be friends with unsavory characters to get oil, you can just pre-emptively invade them and claim their reserves for yourself.

That's rich! 'Detrimental to the cause of justice'?? No, the indefinite imprisonment and torture of people without trial or due process. THAT'S detrimental to the cause of justice, not the release of one terminally ill suspect who's never been conclusively proved to have committed the crime.