Don't dishonour Lockerbie victims
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/WORLD/europe/08/24/scotland.lockerbie/art.megrahi.gi.jpg caption="Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi (second from left) arrives in Tripoli, Libya."]
Brian Flynn
The Guardian
Imagine if one of the September 11 hijackers had lived, that he was fairly tried, convicted and sentenced to a lengthy jail term. Then, after just a few years, under an agreement with the Afghan government, we sent him back to serve out his term with the Taliban under Osama bin Laden.
Although it seems almost impossible, a painfully similar scenario is playing out in the Scotland. Abdelbaset al-Megrahi – the terrorist convicted in the Lockerbie bombing – may soon be released by the Scottish government and handed over to Libya, the very government that plotted this cowardly mass murder.
|
|
Filed under: Lockerbie Incident |
About this Show:
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
Questions or comments? Send an email
Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°
Subscribe to the podcast
On Twitter
Search the AC360 blog
While the airwaves have been full of the phony outrage that sells advertising and gets viewers up in arms there has been little actual coverage on CNN about the serious doubt that exists in connection with the Megrahi verdict. There are some excellent sources online particularly
Hugh Miles' London Review of Books article from June 2007, as well as documentaries by the BBC and American Public Radio. The evidence suggests that Iran was probably responsible for the bombing in retaliation for the accidental downing of Iran Air Flight 655 by the US in 1998.
The real story should be that the true bombers of Pan Am 103 have never been brought to justice and an innocent man spent years in jail.
Perhaps AC360 will do a "Keeping Them Honest" segment on that.
The people who died on this airplane. Largely due to the man who was released. This man will see the light of Day again...the victims of this horrendous crime will not. This man still lives. The victims do not.
This horrible man came home to a heros welcome. The victims did not. These victims were all loved and were apart of something special..this horrible man was not. This man is a terrorist. The victims were not.
The British did something stupid. We would not have. This man deserves to die as painful as possible. The victims did not. The hero was in no way this man. The victims should have been. This will cause people to question any of judical process in Scotland as it should be.
So this is why Scots want Freedom. Scots want freedom to set TERRORISTS FREE. Bad show my friends across the seas.
I remmeber this. I recieved a call in the middle of the night telling me my friend died. He was too young, too talented and too smart to die this way. What a waste of potential. So few years have passed. How does this man deserve a heros welcome? Why does he get to die amoung his family? My friend died alone and scared. Nothing will replace the loss. May this man never rest for killing the inocent.
The compassion shown to him for his "soon" death is ironic, given that he showed no compassion whatsoever for those who stared death in the face due to him.
Just because the victims are dead, doesn't mean that there isn't any pain left in the family. Just put yourself in their shoes. If someone murdered your mother, daughter, brother, would you ever want to see them being released from jail, because... "he's dying"?
Iran was probably involved, as were others....but the bomber, a Libyan, had access to the Air Malta flight which connected with Pan Am 103 also purchased the timer which detonated the bomb...Libya admitted guilt.....but we will never know the complete story.....and Mari yes, of couse we may judge here on earth.....do you want to dismantle the entire judicial system and let God be the judge?????.....
What is it with compassionate release these days? I had never heard of it until this year. Before it seemed, people who were sentenced to life in prison actually served it and died there. What has changed? Does it cost too much to keep them for that extended period of time? If we don't watch out by letting murderers go on compassionate release may nullify our lifetime in prison punishment – and then what do we have as a deterrent?
I'm sorry but some one who kills over 3,000 peole DOES NOT deserve compassion!
I think it is sad for the families that this guy is free but the family members are dead and the surviving ones feel trapped by his actions.
Will he attempt this again...he is already dying after all?
I have zero compassion for this mass murderer. He planned the execution of hundreds of people – where was his compassion for them and their family and friends?
How can anyone with any sense of justice think it is right to free a person who outrightly slaughtered 270 fellow human beings. As a British subject (now living in the US) I feel thoroughly ashamed of my country for making this descision. This " person" should be in jail until God takes him, not resting in the arms of his family. The families who have lost their loved ones are already grieving and this just makes it worse for them. My thoughts and prayers are with them.
It IS a BLATANT dishonor to victims and their families! None of the families got to see their loved ones(the victims) through their sicknesses and tribulations or joys of life after this tragedy. Yet this murderer gets the privilege? It's not about being in gods hands when we have a justice system here. Letting that thing out of jail was a mockery of justice.
how about the cowardly reporting about how it was really Iran that did the bombing for the revenge shooting down of flight 655 over the straigh of Hormuz by US Vincennes killing almost 300 innocent. They had to blame somebody for Lockerbie so the US blamed Libya knowing they couldn't get nothing out of Iran. They reaped billions of dollars form Libya who didn't even do nothing. Hows that for justice?
Wrong and sad it is. I haven't been following this story to know the reasons why Scotland has made this decision.
No one is dishonoring the victims, who are resting in peace by being compassionate to a dying man.
Let GOD be this man's Judge, he will not escape judgement. We are not his judge.