RedSea4u

I’m very annoyed that the Scottish government are letting convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi go on compassionate grounds as he is said to have prostate cancer. I have the utmost sympathy with any terminally ill person but not one who should be serving a life sentence for killing 270 innocent people in one of the worst terrorist attacks in the UK.

In my opinion, there should be a death penalty for those found guilty beyond any doubt of the most heinous of crimes, this sort of attack being one of them but this guy isn’t even serving life!

I’m just so confused as to why he should be shown compassion when he obviously showed none at all, no remorse, nothing. Instead he will be returned to Libya and arguably hailed a hero in his homeland. This issue is really annoying me a lot and I wanted to ask some of you guys what you think. Am I wrong in thinking that someone who commits this sort of despicable act could or would ever be forgiven just because they are now ill?

Isn’t anyone thinking of the victims families? They have lost their loved ones and the perpetrator is now being set free. I believe in Human Rights but not when someone acts like an animal attacking anyone, they don’t deserve Human Rights as they haven’t acted like a human.

Like I said, I’m very annoyed (the politest way I can describe how I feel, don’t think Keefy would like me f’ing and blinding on here) at this decision or am I being harsh?

I am totally disgusted also, I personally have no sympathy for him whatsoever cancer or not, he deserves a long painful death as far as I am concerned. It's a pity he didnt have prostrate cancer and die before he killed the 270 innocent people.

I feel so sorry for the families of the victims hearing this now. Is Dr Jones still alive, the father of one of the victims?

Putting the guilt aspect aside and I agree that if he is guilty then he should die in prison, but do we really have the right man locked up? There would seem to be a lot of people including relatives of the some of the victims who don't believe that we do and they were hoping that at any appeal hearing more of the facts would have come out. However now that he is being released that process will end and no more facts will emerge.

To broaden the issue out slightly, what we now have is a decision taken by a Scottish assembly that is not in reality a United Kingdom foreign policy decision. So it should be understood that it is not a UK decision to free him, since devolution the decision to do so has been in the hands of the Scottish parliament.

I have no axe to grind either way regarding devolution, but incidents such as this will become more common as the UK ceases to speak with one united voice. I do find it a bit strange though that if they so desire independence and a dissolution of the United Kingdom, that the first people they upset is the United states who would probably be their best ally should they ever become independent of the union.

With any terrorist attack, we very rarely get the ringleader but in my opinion, anyone affiliated with such groups who carry out attacks like that at Lockerbie should be punished. Simplistic and idealistic maybe but that’s just me.

I don’t know much about devolution to be honest, my personal opinion is that t if its gone to public vote etc and this is what is wanted then fair enough although like you say Horus, getting on the wrong side of the US isn’t exactly sensible and beyond that, surely the US government should have some say in what happens as the victims were American citizens?

You could use the same argument in reverse what about all of the IRA members involved in the killing of UK citizens that were walking about in the USA?

Well yeah you could. If they were caught and found guilty then why shouldn’t they be punished.

Can anyone see Mr Bin Laden being allowed to walk about in the UK??Any part of it??

HAVE YOU SEEN THE PRIVATE PLANE ARRIVED TO PICK HIM UP

My God! I think it's absolutely disgusting, it's a pity someone doesn't put a bomb on it, small one so that he can fall to the ground and die slowly also!

Can anyone see Mr Bin Laden being allowed to walk about in the UK??Any part of it??

Actually, I can we have had people just as bad as him from murderers, rapists, hijackers, convicted terrorists, preachers of hate etc, all walking free in our midst as a direct result of our adherence to the Human Rights Act.

No HL, haven’t seen anything, I’m at bleeding work.

Horus, I can see what you mean. Most things like this serve more as a symbolic gesture rather than anything else therefore, Idiot Laden would be captured, put on trial and probably given lethal injection in some US state and we would all see a re-run of the Saddam capture episode. Some people have seen evidence that it was actually British troops that found Saddam but as our Human Rights Act extends to soldiers fighting abroad and would have meant that his arrest by them would see Saddam undergoing trial by British law in which the death penalty is disallowed, his location was whispered to our American allies so they could do pretty much what they wanted with him.

I’m just failing to see what is been attempting to be said by releasing this dude today though.

Don't get me wrong if this guy is really guilty then he should stay in jail until he dies My point is that there is a lot of speculation that he may not be the real guilty party and that an appeal by him would have brought out a lot more information into the public domain. I am a firm believer in making the sentence fit the crime, something that we seem to do pretty badly in the UK. For example in the UK we would give about fifteen years for armed robbery, then knock off about two thirds for 'Good Behaviour' whereas in the States they give them fifteen years, then add some on if they don't behave themselves, a lot better idea in my opinion.

No I do get that Horus, totally and as I am into conspiracy theories I understand that sometimes things are presented to us in a certain way.

However, as I understand it, this bloke was found guilty so then why has he been released??

Bring back hanging, thats what I say

I was just home from hospital with my new baby (son) when I watched the news of the Lockerbie bombing, I remember it like yesterday, cuddling my baby & crying for all who lost their lives that day, it was/is heartbreaking.
I've no sympathy for him at all & disgusted at his release from prison , hope he has a very slow painful death.

Hear hear Kiya

Interesting reception he received when he arrived home, all stage managed of course, I don't suspect there are many Scottish saltires flying in Libya, but someone managed to wave a very large one at the airport and of course the ordinary Libyan man giving his reaction to the release was actually the leader of a student union. This was typical rent a mob politics and a two fingered salute to Scotland and America. It is quite obvious that when it comes to Western sentiments being offended, it appears not to matter, something we should bear in mind the next time some Arab nation feels affronted by something reported in the Western media.
By the way, has anyone noticed that the amount of compensation ($800 million plus) paid to the American victims families by Libya, is about the same amount of money that America & Britain have paid Libya for the oil exploration rights? Call me cynical but..................

Horus, with your cynicism and my conspiracy theories, I envisage some fab conversations!!

Im also disgusted that he has been freed and to hear that he was welcomed home to a heros welcome!
I think he should have been left to die alone and suffering in prison after all no one on the flight was allowed to say goodbye to family or friends.

To this day I still remember exactly where I was when the news flash came on about this tragedy. I felt so sorry for the families of all the people involved.

About 6 hours earlier I had just driven past Lockerbie on my way home from working in Stoke.

Karen wrote:

About 6 hours earlier I had just driven past Lockerbie on my way home from working in Stoke

Karen, if you were living in Rhyl at the time, your navigation must be as bad as Mrs H's

Sorry Karen I just couldn't resist that

I am certainly not qualified to judge the specific case, but I wonder, if only as an exercise, as Christians, shouldn't compassion come into things??

I know - he showed no compassion, but is that a reason for society to do the same? I just don't know.

Also, this happened under Scottish law. Did the people of Scotland have a chance to express themselves at the time the legislation was pending?

One last thought - as I understand the law, in the case, he was NOT sentenced to the Queen's pleasure; rather he was sentenced to life, with the possibility of release starting at 27 years served.

I can surely come down on either side of this but I just csn't get out of my head the need for compassion on society's side; otherwise society is no different.

Let the slings and arrows fly!! LOL!!!

Best to all,
Scott

But showing compassion to a man who planned and carried out premeditated murder of innocent civilians??

At the very least, he should have remained in jail but I firmly believe that if someone is put on trial and found guilty of such a sadistic crime then capital punishment should be used.

Ahhhh - that's a whole separate conversation!!!!

It does cut down on recidivism!!!!!

Best,
Me