Lockerbie Bomber to be freed ??

[nudeyorker]

I feel a little muddled on this actually because i half feel that he should have stayed right where he was and that is health is irrelevant, it's his own fault he is there.
On the other hand i feel that compassion shown in these circumstances serves to demonstrate the difference between those who commit such acts of evil against those who are supposedly 'evil' and decent people who can show they are not.
The relationship between the UK and Libya has been improving steadily over the last decade and this decision at least continues that trend instead of giving haters of the west ammunition to attack.

Meanwhile when you watch the news coverage he got a heros welcome home when his plane landed in Lybia.

I hope all those who approve of this terrible action by the Scottish government will reflect on the pain felt by the families and the terror that must have originally been experienced by the victims over Lockerbie. I hope they will think about these things on their next flight.

Very nice post. The only thing that I can add is that I know someone who lost one of their children on that flight and they have never recovered and now are outraged again.

 

[mitchymo]

I think tbh that the right decision has been made. Thinking more about it i believe compassionate release is a good thing regardless of the crimes committed because he is not being released to live his life, he his being released to die.
He has served a minimum of 20yrs already and medical experts say he has 3 months to live, showing him compassion and showing his family...who are not guilty of anything compassion is worth that little time he has left.
How important really is it, that anger and hatred of him by those who have lost loved ones to his crime? What satisfaction is gained but vengeance?
And bare in mind that he committed an evil act by blowing up a plane packed with people but he did not target any individual on that flight or the ground where it landed, it was unfortunate to have been involved for those who died or lost someone but bitterness and anger at this decision is pointless, the most virtuous act has been made, there are some who had lost family who actually agree with the decision having moved on or simply forgiven (though unlikely) or realising what i have pointed out, it was not an attack on the victims personally, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, it would not be so forgiveable if we were talking about a serial killer who actually intends to kill a specific person and with his own hand.

I hope that Obama does not do what he says he will and try to persuade the Libyans to keep him under house arrest, the book should be closed to, and shut when his death is announced.

 

[mitchymo]

Meanwhile when you watch the news coverage he got a heros welcome home when his plane landed in Lybia.

Very nice post. The only thing that I can add is that I know someone who lost one of their children on that flight and they have never recovered and now are outraged again.

I am sorry to have to disagree NY but the coverage we have seen here shows a small group of supporters, some of whom were flying scottish flags in thanks for the decision. I think regardless of the family and friends and welcoming committee it is not a hero's welcome, i would have expected a much bigger show of support and government involvement.

 

[nudeyorker]

I am sorry to have to disagree NY but the coverage we have seen here shows a small group of supporters, some of whom were flying scottish flags in thanks for the decision. I think regardless of the family and friends and welcoming committee it is not a hero's welcome, i would have expected a much bigger show of support and government involvement.

I hope you never loose a loved one to a terrorist. Because you will be able to cling to your innocent ideology of what is right and what is wrong.

 

[2322]

Any country with a citizen aboard has a right to say what Libya should do with him.

Whether he killed one person as a serial killer or not, he intended to, with all his mental faculties and with premeditation, kill people and succeeded in killing many. I do not see the moral difference in death dealing you are making with your argument.

He will get to die in his own bed with his family beside him. What do you say to the victims of the plane crash whose last thoughts may have been of their families? Who did not have the chance to say goodbye as he will? Whose lives were just starting in the world and snuffed out by his actions while he lived on?

I believe it is just that he should suffer as they suffered only whether in prison or at home, he'll have a bed, medical care, clergy, and everything he needs to die peacefully. His victims were blown to smithereens though some lived after the plane hit the ground and burned to death or died from massive internal injuries with no care, no relief, and in horrendous pain.

 

[mitchymo]

I hope you never loose a loved one to a terrorist. Because you will be able to cling to your innocent ideology of what is right and what is wrong.

I have no shadow of a doubt that if i did i would feel the exact same way as those who have, but that does not mean it is right to honour my feelings above those of this man's family, two wrongs do not make a right and i believe with all sincerety that humanity is bettered with values such as compassion. I would never expect for one moment that forgiveness should be given to this man because what he did was evil and thus unforgiveable in my eyes but wanting this man to die in prison after serving 21yrs already bearing in mind he has always pleaded his innocence is spiteful and i know how harsh that sounds but it is the truth, this man has served time and more time than most of those put on death row might i add and now in 3 months or so he is going to be dead. There have been too many victims because of the lockerbie bombing so is it really fair for this man's family to suffer without saying goodbye just because HIS victims did not.
I am not a forgiving person but i am a compassionate one and so i support the decision that has been made.

Any country with a citizen aboard has a right to say what Libya should do with him.

Whether he killed one person as a serial killer or not, he intended to, with all his mental faculties and with premeditation, kill people and succeeded in killing many. I do not see the moral difference in death dealing you are making with your argument.

He will get to die in his own bed with his family beside him. What do you say to the victims of the plane crash whose last thoughts may have been of their families? Who did not have the chance to say goodbye as he will? Whose lives were just starting in the world and snuffed out by his actions while he lived on?

I believe it is just that he should suffer as they suffered only whether in prison or at home, he'll have a bed, medical care, clergy, and everything he needs to die peacefully. His victims were blown to smithereens though some lived after the plane hit the ground and burned to death or died from massive internal injuries with no care, no relief, and in horrendous pain.

I have answered mostly how i would to this in the response to NY but to add that i was merely pointing out a difference in the evil that men do when i cited the difference between a bomber and a serial killer, regardless of numbers killed there is inherently a greater one of the two which is more evil and thus worth less of my compassion.

 

[2322]

Then take up a charity to fly the man's family to visit him in prison if you're so worried about them.

There are a lot of people in prison who swear they didn't do anything to be there.

Compassion is a good thing. It can also be a double-edged sword. There are thousands of people out there who now know that the person who killed their loved one(s) is out walking around a free man after a heroic welcome home. He gets three months of freedom. The dead won't get even a split second because he took even that from them. And the families have to live with that until the day this man dies. Where is the compassion for those left behind?

 

[mitchymo]

Then take up a charity to fly the man's family to visit him in prison if you're so worried about them.

There are a lot of people in prison who swear they didn't do anything to be there.

Compassion is a good thing. It can also be a double-edged sword. There are thousands of people out there who now know that the person who killed their loved one(s) is out walking around a free man after a heroic welcome home. He gets three months of freedom. The dead won't get even a split second because he took even that from them. And the families have to live with that until the day this man dies. Where is the compassion for those left behind?

Sadly the living victims are going to be living with their loss for until they die not when he does. There needs be no compassion for those left behind, they have our sympathy and we feel their loss, they are not in a situation that calls for compassion.
There is no denying of the injustice, the pain and the anger but a decision had to be made and was made in conjunction with the terms of the appeal, that he be released on compassionate grounds and whilst Mr Mcaskill could have said no he chose to do what he felt was the most compassionate thing and it despite the distasteful scenes shown of celebrations (which were predominantly down to a youth group celebrating a side issue which is considered a step forward for a modern Libya rather than the return of a hero as is being made out) has almost certainly improved relations between Libya and the west.

As Mr MacKaskill said, there are going to be people who are upset by my decision whatever i choose.

I saw an american woman on the news who had lost her daughter in Lockerbie and she said how this man was a monster and had murdered so many people and he was being released "on compassionate grounds?" and it almost seemed like compassion was a pathetic or ludicrous reason to her and of course it would be, she was directly affected and so it is understandable the way she felt. This decision i'm sure would never have been taken lightly and great consideration would have been made and ultimately it has happened, he has been released so now it is time to turn a page.

 

[B_Marius567]

whats wrong with a dieing man spending is last weeks with his wife?

 

[Drifterwood]

It's politics, D'uh. It always has been.

 

[D_Relentless Original]

Any country with a citizen aboard has a right to say what Libya should do with him.

Whether he killed one person as a serial killer or not, he intended to, with all his mental faculties and with premeditation, kill people and succeeded in killing many. I do not see the moral difference in death dealing you are making with your argument.

He will get to die in his own bed with his family beside him. What do you say to the victims of the plane crash whose last thoughts may have been of their families? Who did not have the chance to say goodbye as he will? Whose lives were just starting in the world and snuffed out by his actions while he lived on?

I believe it is just that he should suffer as they suffered only whether in prison or at home, he'll have a bed, medical care, clergy, and everything he needs to die peacefully. His victims were blown to smithereens though some lived after the plane hit the ground and burned to death or died from massive internal injuries with no care, no relief, and in horrendous pain.

I Agree fully with this post.

whats wrong with a dieing man spending is last weeks with his wife?

Not even going to give an answer to this.

 

[B_Artful Dodger]

I think that releasing that animal on grounds of "compassion" is laughable. Where the fuck was his compassion 21 years ago

 

[mitchymo]

I am not a christian but i agree with the saying 'do unto others as you would have done unto you'. I do not believe in do unto others as they have done unto others.

He does not deserve compassion nobody is disagreeing with that but compassion is a virtue given of good men.

 

[warren84]

Update - Lockerbie bomber drops appeal - Yahoo! News UK

He had to drop his appeal in order to be returned to Libya under the prisoner transfer agreement.

Given the unease that the Scottish judiciary had over the safety of his conviction and their concern that he suffered a serious miscarriage of justice in the original trial, it is likely that had his appeal gone ahead we would have been absolved of any guilt and released.

The main prosecution witness was PAID US$2m in response for his testimony: he was an unreliable witness and that alone is grounds for his evidence to be discounted. If that happened the case would fall apart.

Unfortunately all of this is conjecture as the appeal process has been abandoned.

For a full account of all the dealings between London and Tripoli over Lockerbie and the court process see this article:

‘Deal in the desert’ put Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi on path to freedom - Times Online

 

[D_Relentless Original]

I am not a christian but i agree with the saying 'do unto others as you would have done unto you'. I do not believe in do unto others as they have done unto others.

No, he would have been executed years ago if that was the case, he should have remained in prison till he died and should have died away from his loved ones and family like alot of the people he Murdered on that flight.

He does not deserve compassion nobody is disagreeing with that but compassion is a virtue given of good men.

Compassion for murderers ????.

 

[MASSIVEPKGO_CHUCK]

Lockerbie bomber 'to be freed on health grounds' - Yahoo! News UK

Can i ask what you people think of this?, i am quite appalled

I, for one have gone through half a bottle of PEPTO just reading about it in the news.uke:

Shocked and horrified is more like it. I think they were totally wrong to allow his release.

Compassionate grounds?! Why show him any compassion? :261: Did he show compassion when he viciously murderd almost 300 people, 21 years ago? No, he did not. Did those people get to say good-bye to their loved ones and pass away peacefully at home? No, they did not. This is wrong.

Dig it; this motherfucker wants freedom? He'll have it in three months when he dies. Right now, this is plain disgusting, and quite frankly, I hope when he dies he burns in hell.

 

[nudeyorker]

This is going to be aired again tonight at 9:00 pm EST on the National Geographic Channel. I saw it a few years ago and it was very compelling.
Lockerbie Bombing, 1988 | Air Crash Investigation | National Geographic Channel

 

[Skull Mason]

Has anyone actually taken the time to look at the evidence that ended up convicting him?

 

[PrincessBlueEyez]

Shocked and horrified is more like it. I think they were totally wrong to allow his release.

Compassionate grounds?! Why show him any compassion? :261: Did he show compassion when he viciously murderd almost 300 people, 21 years ago? No, he did not. Did those people get to say good-bye to their loved ones and pass away peacefully at home? No, they did not. This is wrong.

Why should we show compassion to a guy that like Nj said murdered 300 innocent people in cold blood. Personally I think sitting in prison till he dies is too good a punishment, but he shouldnt get out because he's got cancer or w/e.

And heres a thought, he knows he's dying, so what if he decides to go out with a bang instead of dying a slow death, how many people are gonna die in that?

 

[koval]

Has anyone actually taken the time to look at the evidence that ended up convicting him?

I doubt many people would bother to look at the evidence when they can believe the mass produced hype surrounding him instead (some believe him to be guilty, some believe him to be innocent).

The only thing I do know is that if his retrial came about a lot of information that both the UK and US government would prefer to be kept secret would come out into the open. Whether this exonorates or convicts him we will now never know.