Merged [Ed] Convicted Lockerbie bomber released

[scissorhands]

Yes but they did so politely and without malice of aforethought.

They politely ignored them.

They politely ignored the opinion of a country where the vast majority of the victims came from.

Sound any better?

 

[E.J.Armstrong]

CNN is all over this story. Wolf was grilling MacAskill.

And? I trust Kenny introduced CNN to the novel concept of compassion.

Go Kenny go.

 

[Jaggy Bunnet]

They politely ignored them.

They politely ignored the opinion of a country where the vast majority of the victims came from.

Sound any better?

Countries do not have opinions, individuals do.

The Scottish justice system does not allow ANY victim a right of veto over release on compassionate grounds. If that does not meet with your approval, then I am guessing we will manage to struggle on somehow.

 

[Fiona]

They didn't ignore them. They heard the representations of the US government and they also heard the views of the victims' relatives, along with other people who had an interest

The decision lay with the Scottish Justice Minister. He took that decision in full knowledge of all the relevant facts and in accord with Scottish law. That is as it should be.

If you wish to give american victims a right of decision making on a matter of scottish law then so far as I am concerned you can whistle for it

 

[scissorhands]

Countries do not have opinions, individuals do.

Oh rly?
Countries often have governments elected by their people.
Ive never heard of a government without an opinion about anything before.
Can you name one?

 

[E.J.Armstrong]

He had a trial and was found guilty of killing 270 people in cold blood.
My point is that many countries would have executed him for that.
Hes lucky that he blew up that airliner over Scotland, because not only did he avoid execution, he also gets to spend his dying days at home surrounded by his family getting quality time.
If only his victims had got some quality time with their families before they died.
Oh well.
As I said if any budding terrorists fancy a bit of "compassion" after a mass murder spree, then make sure you commit your terrorist activities in Scotland.
And preferably when the SNP are in power too.
That helps when murdering Americans.

Scottish people were murdered too. Despite that Scotland does not stoop to the level of murdering its prisoners. It is a better country than that.

Those who don't like compassion should perhaps take themselves somewhere else to live so they don't vomit over their breakfast newspapers every morning - especially as we don't kill yet another one of our prisoners. It must be tough living in the UK when death sentences supporters don't get their sick thrill of seeing people murdered by the state.

You keep forgetting the bit about getting terminal cancer but ho hum.

 

[scissorhands]

They didn't ignore them. They heard the representations of the US government and they also heard the views of the victims' relatives,

And ignored them....

 

[Yoink]

Well if it is any consolation dudalb the commentators are wrong and are being mischievous to boot. There has not been a word said against the US by the SNP on the matter. There was not even any complaint or accusation of pressure or interference.

I think Obama might have a little more to say than the decision was "a mistake" if it was some weird attempt to upset the US. FFS! the SNP spent a fair bit of effort in the first half of this year on the homecoming events and there have been lots of things put on for US citizens of Scots descent. Why on earth would the commentators make that leap?

Is there a danger that the US media is developing some kind of paranoia that every decision made abroad is designed to slight the US?

Developing?

This is the country of "freedom fries" remember. The US press went through that particular looking glass a long time ago.

 

[Yoink]

And ignored them....

Disagree and ignore have different meanings. You should try looking them up in a good dictionary.

 

[E.J.Armstrong]

Zacarias Moussaoui was convicted in the USA (where we're known for barbaristic practices like executing criminals, right?) of conspiring to murder nearly 3,000 innocent people (not all Americans) in a terrorist plot, but he also received a life sentence.

So?

Are you really trying to hold the US justice system up to Scottish people as a role model? That would be ludicrous if you were given the behaviour of your government in recent years. Ever heard of the official torture programme and how the US government, US military all US medical establishment all participated or connived to support that programme.

The USA also does indeed have the barbaric habit of murdering many of its prisoners. Scotland has better standards than that. Can I suggest you would be better off trying to make your own system more humane? We also don't actually care what the US thinks about freeing Megrahi.

 

[Yoink]

You think foreign powers should have influence over a country's legal matters?

I think you'll find that the normal position in the US is that the legal systems of every other country in the world should be profoundly swayed by the opinions of the US government, but that it would be a terrible scandal for anyone in the US legal system to even acknowledge the existence of nations other than the US.

 

[Rolfe]

Scotland is a good choice for terrorist activities.

And preferably when the SNP are in power too.
That helps when murdering Americans.

The SNP are a disgrace and should hang their heads in shame for dragging Scotlands reputation through the mud.

It was a decision motivated by oil deals and petty political posturing by the SNP.
What a disgrace to Scotland they are.

Yeah the SNP can take some pride in snubbing their noses at the relatives of the passengers in the US.
Salmond and co are class acts.

Thats true, the SNP simply ignored them.

You know what? I've debated on enough political boards to recognise the Labour party "Little red book of how to slag off the SNP" when I see it. You've never posted anywhere as "Hamish" or "Natty Dread", I don't suppose?

Knock off the stock Labour cut'n'paste, and you might be taken a bit more seriously.

Rolfe.

 

[scissorhands]

Scottish people were murdered too. Despite that Scotland does not stoop to the level of murdering its prisoners. It is a better country than that.

Those who don't like compassion should perhaps take themselves somewhere else to live so they don't vomit over their breakfast newspapers every morning - especially as we don't kill yet another one of our prisoners. It must be tough living in the UK when death sentences supporters don't get their sick thrill of seeing people murdered by the state.

You keep forgetting the bit about getting terminal cancer but ho hum.

Im all for compassion.
Compassion for the victims families tends to be forefront though, compassion for the mass murderer who killed their loved ones?
Not so much.

 

[E.J.Armstrong]

Fine that you personally think that, but have you ever been personally damaged by the actions of a terrorist?

My uncle was murdered by a terrorist bomb and his wife and children were lucky to survive. None of us demanded the death penalty. We supported the prisoner release scheme in order to try and bring peace to Northern Ireland.

Not all victims families are as bloodthirsty as many of those in the USA.

Not all victim's families believe in Usan old testament style retribution and vindictiveness.

In Scotland we have higher values than that and do not share those values with the USA. A fact that thankfully is becoming very well known around the UK as the whinging vengefulness of the USA is broadcast in our media and as the rabid US right lie about our NHS in order to stop their fellow Usans getting a decent health service.

We are simply not going to implement Usan inhumanity into our legal system. Get used to it.

 

[scissorhands]

You know what? I've debated on enough political boards to recognise the Labour party "Little red book of how to slag off the SNP" when I see it. You've never posted anywhere as "Hamish" or "Natty Dread", I don't suppose?

Knock off the stock Labour cut'n'paste, and you might be taken a bit more seriously.

Rolfe.

HAHAHA.
Now you are reduced to rambling about political smears and spooks trying to defame your precious party!

Too funny.

No I havent posted anywhere under those names.

Take it to the CT section where it belongs.

 

[E.J.Armstrong]

I see that nobody has commented on the fact that this terrorist (who just may be innocent like so many others) was given a hero's welcome in Libya.

Is it at all possible that his triumphant return may encourage others to become terrorists themselves? The propaganda value to al Qaeda must be enormous.

It is also possible that the sky will fall. The propaganda value to little green men will be enormous when that happen.

Long live good old Usan scaremongering. How blatant can you make it without everyone laughing themselves senseless?

It is offensive if the people were celebrating a crime but the USA does control what happens in other sovereign states - no matter how offensive to your sensibilities. Many people in many countries were offended by the official US torture programme but what did the USA do about it before the election?
Effectively sod all. Perhaps you could look at the beam in your own eye for once?

 

[E.J.Armstrong]

For what its worth, Im half Scottish and half English and I live in Wales.
I hate nationalists with a vengeance.
Whatever their nationality, I dont discriminate in my loathing of them.
Its good to not discriminate, after all.

You do know you are using a Usan flag in your avatar and have effectively ignored the Scottish dead at Lockerbie in some of your posts?

Can I suggest reason rather than hate? Hate is not something to be proud of.

 

[scissorhands]

We are simply not going to implement Usan inhumanity into our legal system. Get used to it.

Whats a Usan?
If you mean the USA then what kind of inhumanity do you think the USA is trying to introduce into the Scottish system?
Keeping a mass murderer in prison is fairly normal procedure worldwide.

 

[E.J.Armstrong]

Megrahi looked a lot better getting off the plane, punching the air, then he did getting on.

And?

 

[scissorhands]

Hate is not something to be proud of.

Its something you show buckets of every time you post anything about the USA.
Are you proud?