Man convicted of Lockerbie bombing released

Platapus · 08-21-09, 02:55 PM

One would think that the people clamoring for the death penalty for this guy would be happy that he will be dying a painful death in a few months.

He will be dying sooner than he would had he been sentenced to death and the death will be painful enough to satisfy people's desire for vengeance.

A win-win situation... if you are of that mindset.

Q3ark · 08-21-09, 03:14 PM

I don't like the fact that the guy was tried without a jury. It stinks of a cover up. I'm not a conspiracy nut, I believe we went to the moon!!! I just think that it's strange.

XabbaRus · 08-21-09, 04:20 PM

Soomething wasn't right with the trial...I don't deny that Libya did it but I also dno't think this guy had anything to do with the bombing.

The release was political, partly I think to do with the second appeal as it would have required new info to be released, however I think he would be dead before it got off the ground.

Also I can't see why the US and UK are getting upset by how he was welcomed. Did they really think the Libyans wouldn't treat him like a hero, sick or not?

Platapus · 08-21-09, 04:47 PM

There may be something to this

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090820/...tain_lockerbie

Quote:

Al-Megrahi's conviction was largely based on the testimony of a shopkeeper who identified him as having bought a man's shirt in his store in Malta. Scraps of the garment were later found wrapped around a timing device discovered in the wreckage of the airliner. Critics of al-Megrahi's conviction question the reliability of the store owner's evidence.

Is this true? I hope there was more to the evidence than this.

XabbaRus · 08-21-09, 05:04 PM

This same shop keeper is reputed to have been paid betwen $1 and $4 million depending on what you read in order to testify against Megrahi

Cohaagen · 08-21-09, 05:11 PM

To hell with "evidence" and "facts"...let's just concentrate on boycotting Scottish products as suggested by all those bloggers whose views coincide with everything I believe already

Instead of Scotch, let's call it "Freedom Water". Replace the Johnnie Walker logo with a spread-wing bald eagle clutching an Arab geezer in its claws. Instead of pleasant inebriation, you experience the warm glow of self-satisfaction.

XabbaRus · 08-22-09, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cohaagen

To hell with "evidence" and "facts"...let's just concentrate on boycotting Scottish products as suggested by all those bloggers whose views coincide with everything I believe already

Instead of Scotch, let's call it "Freedom Water". Replace the Johnnie Walker logo with a spread-wing bald eagle clutching an Arab geezer in its claws. Instead of pleasant inebriation, you experience the warm glow of self-satisfaction.

Ah yes I have seen the petition. Only 26 people have signed it. Pathetic.

Cohaagen · 08-22-09, 12:43 PM

Well, at least he's avoided having to face his NHS death panel...lucky those socialist butchers didn't remove his prostate with a rusty apple corer, in fact!

It's interesting that, of the hundreds of comments I have skimmed through on the Scotsman, Herald, other general UK and US media sites, not one American has mentioned or is probably even aware that many Scots were killed when the huge burning plane crashed into their town in the middle of the night. One even asked what people meant when they referred to "Lockerbie".

Still, I wonder how the US is getting on with its military sales to Libya. Things seemed to be going well LAST WEEK:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...Le1JwD9A2NTR01

Max2147 · 08-21-09, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platapus

There may be something to this

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090820/...tain_lockerbie

Is this true? I hope there was more to the evidence than this.

The shopkeeper is the one and only link between the suitcase bomb and Meraghi. His testimony was unreliable at best. Even the guy who wrote the indictment for Meraghi back in 1991 has since said that the shopkeeper was not a reliable witness. For one thing, he had seen a picture of Meraghi in a newspaper speculating that he was behind the bombing shortly before he was asked to pick out a picture of the man he had seen buying the clothes.

The link between the bomb and the shopkeeper was also pretty weak. The link was some charred clothes found near Lockerbie that were traced to the guy's shop. But the charred clothes were mishandled and poorly labeled by the police. The judges at the trial were highly critical of the testimony surrounding the clothes.

There were a lot of strange things at the trial, and it wasn't just from the prosecution. Meraghi's defense team also acted very strangely. Reading about it reinforces my belief that there is still a lot about this crime that we don't know.

Platapus · 08-21-09, 06:08 PM

I hope it was not a case of the prosecution wanting to find just anyone to convict instead of finding the guilty party to convict.

08-21-09, 06:59 PM

Quote:

I hope it was not a case of the prosecution wanting to find just anyone to convict instead of finding the guilty party to convict

It wouldn't be the first time Britain has screwed up on a terrorism case

AVGWarhawk · 08-21-09, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platapus

One would think that the people clamoring for the death penalty for this guy would be happy that he will be dying a painful death in a few months.

He will be dying sooner than he would had he been sentenced to death and the death will be painful enough to satisfy people's desire for vengeance.

A win-win situation... if you are of that mindset.

Why would you think his dying of cancer would be painful?

Platapus · 08-21-09, 07:33 PM

Prostrate cancer is not the most pleasant way to go.

AVGWarhawk · 08-21-09, 08:02 PM

That is what Hospice care is for.

Max2147 · 08-21-09, 08:16 PM

The end of life care for a prisoner in Scotland is probably better than the end of life care that your average Libyan gets. Of course, since Meraghi has become such a big deal, he'll probably get the best care Ghadaffi can buy.

08-21-09, 02:55 PM	#1
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,362 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	One would think that the people clamoring for the death penalty for this guy would be happy that he will be dying a painful death in a few months. He will be dying sooner than he would had he been sentenced to death and the death will be painful enough to satisfy people's desire for vengeance. A win-win situation... if you are of that mindset. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

08-21-09, 03:14 PM	#2
Q3ark Watch Officer Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: York, England Posts: 346 Downloads: 47 Uploads: 0	I don't like the fact that the guy was tried without a jury. It stinks of a cover up. I'm not a conspiracy nut, I believe we went to the moon!!! I just think that it's strange. __________________ Johnny was a chemist's son, But Johnny is no more. What Johnny thought was H20 was H2SO4.

08-21-09, 04:20 PM	#3
XabbaRus Navy Seal Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 5,330 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Soomething wasn't right with the trial...I don't deny that Libya did it but I also dno't think this guy had anything to do with the bombing. The release was political, partly I think to do with the second appeal as it would have required new info to be released, however I think he would be dead before it got off the ground. Also I can't see why the US and UK are getting upset by how he was welcomed. Did they really think the Libyans wouldn't treat him like a hero, sick or not? __________________

08-21-09, 05:04 PM	#5
XabbaRus Navy Seal Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 5,330 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	This same shop keeper is reputed to have been paid betwen $1 and $4 million depending on what you read in order to testify against Megrahi __________________

08-21-09, 06:08 PM	#10
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,362 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	I hope it was not a case of the prosecution wanting to find just anyone to convict instead of finding the guilty party to convict. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

08-21-09, 05:11 PM	#6
Cohaagen Frogman Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: UK Posts: 296 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	To hell with "evidence" and "facts"...let's just concentrate on boycotting Scottish products as suggested by all those bloggers whose views coincide with everything I believe already Instead of Scotch, let's call it "Freedom Water". Replace the Johnnie Walker logo with a spread-wing bald eagle clutching an Arab geezer in its claws. Instead of pleasant inebriation, you experience the warm glow of self-satisfaction.

08-22-09, 12:43 PM	#8
Cohaagen Frogman Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: UK Posts: 296 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	Well, at least he's avoided having to face his NHS death panel...lucky those socialist butchers didn't remove his prostate with a rusty apple corer, in fact! It's interesting that, of the hundreds of comments I have skimmed through on the Scotsman, Herald, other general UK and US media sites, not one American has mentioned or is probably even aware that many Scots were killed when the huge burning plane crashed into their town in the middle of the night. One even asked what people meant when they referred to "Lockerbie". Still, I wonder how the US is getting on with its military sales to Libya. Things seemed to be going well LAST WEEK: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...Le1JwD9A2NTR01

08-21-09, 07:33 PM	#13
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,362 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	Prostrate cancer is not the most pleasant way to go. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

08-21-09, 08:02 PM	#14
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,256 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	That is what Hospice care is for. __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

08-21-09, 08:16 PM	#15
Max2147 Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 714 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	The end of life care for a prisoner in Scotland is probably better than the end of life care that your average Libyan gets. Of course, since Meraghi has become such a big deal, he'll probably get the best care Ghadaffi can buy.