Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi,to be released

calamity · 13/08/09 - 09:38

So the Lockerbie Bomber Megrahi is to be released from Greenock jail soon. I for one am not happy about it, as evidence was enough to find him guilty, is this another slap in the face for the people who lost relatives, or do some think he was innocent. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Lockerbie-Bomber-To-Be-Released-On-Compassionate-Grounds---Al-Megrahi-Is-Suffering-From-Cancer/Article/200908215359848?f=rss

calamity · 13/08/09 - 09:43

vinba wrote: »

There's something very dodgy about this case. Wasn't there a rumour that Gadaffi's son was involved and this bloke was scapegoated?

just going to have a read about that, wouldnt be surprised, did you see Gadaffi laughing while being questioned, if he had sent in men to blow up that plane, he acts like a madman.

the spiz 2 · 13/08/09 - 09:44

No he shouldn't be given release. Yes, he may have a terminal illness, and yes, he probably didn't plant the bomb, but he isn't a cheeky chappy who ran away and thumbed his nose at the British establishment.

Assa2 · 13/08/09 - 09:45

The whole investigation & trial was suspect. There was an enormous amount of pressure to find the culprits and the eventual convictions were imo unsound. I'm not saying for sure that the defendents weren't guilty but from what I recall of the trail the evidence was not clear cut.

calamity · 13/08/09 - 09:45

I think this is a good will gesture to Gadaffi since his meeting with Gordon Brown and nothing more.

Shrike · 13/08/09 - 09:47

There was a huge amount of "Realpolitik" going on at the time, I'm pretty sure he didn't plant the bomb and I doubt if the Libyans were responsible either.
We'll probably never really know what the truth is...

[Deleted User] · 13/08/09 - 09:48

calamity wrote: »

So the Lockerbie Bomber Megrahi is to be released from Greenock jail soon. I for one am not happy about it, as evidence was enough to find him guilty, is this another slap in the face for the people who lost relatives, or do some think he was innocent. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Lockerbie-Bomber-To-Be-Released-On-Compassionate-Grounds---Al-Megrahi-Is-Suffering-From-Cancer/Article/200908215359848?f=rss

There is less evidence of his guilt then there was for Ronnie Biggs yet you were happy enough to see him released on compassionate grounds.

calamity · 13/08/09 - 09:51

MsMarmalade wrote: »

There is less evidence of his guilt then there was for Ronnie Biggs yet you were happy enough to see him released on compassionate grounds.

Our courts found him guilty, isnt that enough , totally different crime. This is pandering to Gadaffi.

THR · 13/08/09 - 09:52

Often these guys have valuable inside information of international terrorist organisations and and releasing that information to the secret services of the UK or the US they may have their sentenced reduced or set complete free, which is certainly an affront to the relatives of those people who died in the terrorist-attacks these people carried out. Unfortunately, that's the way how things work. Most acts of terrorism are only foiled because someone within the terrorists deceives the rest of them.

cobaltmale · 13/08/09 - 09:53

I found it a bit odd that the UK families of victims were generally seen as happy, but the US families weren't.

G

calamity · 13/08/09 - 09:55

Dont know everything about the case so having a read at different opinions..http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article6742070.ece

LostFool · 13/08/09 - 09:57

Shrike wrote: »

There was a huge amount of "Realpolitik" going on at the time, I'm pretty sure he didn't plant the bomb and I doubt if the Libyans were responsible either.
We'll probably never really know what the truth is...

Yes, the evidence against him was very suspect - but the UK, Scottish and US authorities all wanted someone convicted and Libya were happy to put foward a fall guy,

[Deleted User] · 13/08/09 - 09:58

calamity wrote: »

Our courts found him guilty, isnt that enough , totally different crime. This is pandering to Gadaffi.

So was Biggs but he ran away.

calamity · 13/08/09 - 09:59

MsMarmalade wrote: »

So was Biggs but he ran away.

yes he did escape, but you cant put them in the same category.

[Deleted User] · 13/08/09 - 10:02

calamity wrote: »

yes he did escape, but you cant put them in the same category.

Why not?

fainéant · 13/08/09 - 10:02

There is a worrying trend developing. Biggs, Megrahi - Rudolph Hess will be getting a posthumous pardon next. :rolleyes:

Deep Purple · 13/08/09 - 10:05

vinba wrote: »

That's because American media has conditioned them to think that all Libyans are terrorists.

As Libya was behind the bombing, and a court found this bloke guilty, I believe they have good grounds to be upset over this decision. I know I would be. In fact, I am!!

calamity · 13/08/09 - 10:10

vinba I was listening to the sky news and it looked at if he can still hope for a pardon, but not really sure.

Stiffy78 · 13/08/09 - 10:11

calamity wrote: »

yes he did escape, but you cant put them in the same category.

What's that I hear? Oh, it's just the hypocrisy alarm.

blueblade · 13/08/09 - 10:14

There will always be fors and againsts in a situation like this.

fainéant · 13/08/09 - 10:22

vinba wrote: »

You do realise that this is all part of some new prisoner transfer agreement that was signed in Libya. My feelings are that if he does go back he won't last very long one way or the other. The other things is that as part of this prisoner transfer he is required to drop his appeal which negates any pardon. I don't think Biggs was pardoned either?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8198603.stm

'Medical evidence'
A prisoner transfer cannot take place if criminal proceedings are active, meaning Megrahi would have to drop his latest appeal against his conviction in order to be sent home.
Scottish Liberal Democrat Justice spokesman Robert Brown said: "If this decision is confirmed then it is wrong in principle, wrong in practice and sets the wrong precedent.
"This is a man who was convicted in a Scottish court under the eyes of the world of the worst atrocity in Scotland in modern times.
"In a case like this it is difficult to see why the Scottish Government seems to have weighted the balance of compassion in favour of the criminal and against the interests of the victims, their families and the general public."
Megrahi was ordered to remain in prison for a minimum of 27 years, having been found guilty of the bombing - the UK's worst terrorist atrocity.
Megrahi's legal team had also made a request for him to released from prison on compassionate grounds.
An earlier request, made in October 2008, was rejected by Appeal Court judges after they heard medical evidence that with adequate palliative care, Megrahi could live for several years.
The court heard that such requests are normally only granted where a prisoner has fewer than three months to live.

Is it now to be suggested that he has fewer than three months to live? What if he does get adequate palliative care and lives for several years?

Could it be that his current appeal might just be successful and it would be seen to be better not to let that particular can of worms be opened?

Deep Purple · 13/08/09 - 10:29

vinba wrote: »

Perhaps his condition has deteriorated. But you're right. Whatever happens this has brought the whole Lockerbie and what was going on in that region back into public focus. There were some very dirty acts carried out by all sides then.

Including the Libyans shooting WPC Fletcher, and getting away with it.

cobaltmale · 13/08/09 - 10:47

vinba wrote: »

That's because American media has conditioned them to think that all Libyans are terrorists.

Yeah, I did think it must be more to do with the media. I'm undecided on the whole thing but the UK media (well more so the Scottish media) has brought up the whole problem with the conviction.

G

ayrshireman · 13/08/09 - 11:06

Should we be surprised at this development?.

Given that the Justice Minister is Kenny McAskill, a clown who makes Frank Spencer look competent. I have SNP supporting friends who think the man should be nowhere near a govt post...

System · 13/08/09 - 11:18

fainéant wrote: »

There is a worrying trend developing. Biggs, Megrahi - Rudolph Hess will be getting a posthumous pardon next. :rolleyes:

But not until every other ill person currently living in one of our prisons has been released on 'compassionate grounds'. They'll get rid of the ones still costing them money first, then start dishing out the posthumous pardons to all and sundry :rolleyes:

Binnman · 13/08/09 - 11:44

vinba wrote: »

There is that and also Captain William Rogers III getting away with murdering 290 people on Iran Air 655. They are all at it back then. Nobody had clean hands and who's to say that the person who shot WPC Fletcher would have been the same one who stood trial. They'd probably pay of some nobody to stand trail whilst the real perpetrator got away with it.

You cannot compare the two incidents.

Pan Am 103 was deliberately blown out of the skies.

Iran Air 655 took off from Bandar Abbas Airport, which also serves as an Iranian Air Force base.

As the Airbus was taking off, an Iranian F-14 was also holding for departure.

The Aegis targetting system mistakenly identified the Airbus as the F-14.

Binnman

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Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi,to be released

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