I was hoping for a literal strike, but this may have been even more effective.

Occam's Chainsaw: Is it rehabilitation, or is it punishment?

270 people killed. Personally, I don't think a person can be rehabed for that.

Maybe Robert Mueller should worry about what happens in his own country and STFU about Scotland.

chemical_angel: Maybe Robert Mueller should worry about what happens in his own country and STFU about Scotland.

I'm sorry, this is a bit different than your average case of some extremist asshole (or group of them) terrorizing some Europeans on European soil in a European piece of equipment... they killed many, with TWO THIRDS of the casualties from America, on an INTERNATIONAL flight that was destined for America.

chemical_angel: Maybe Robert Mueller should worry about what happens in his own country and STFU about Scotland.

FTFA: I do so because I am familiar with the facts, and the law, having been the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the investigation and indictment of Megrahi in 1991.

Close enough. (Mr. Mueller wishes you'd stop failing, too.)

chemical_angel: Maybe Robert Mueller should worry about what happens in his own country and STFU about Scotland.

This. The compassionate release clause applies to all terminally ill prisoners regardless of what they have done. Other countries may want medieval style justice but I'm glad that the Scots have decided to move into the 21st century. Even the father of one of the victims said this was the right thing to do.

Hell, the US still executes people. I don't think we'll be listening to them for tips on how to run a justice system.

Libyas reaction to his homecoming was deplorable however, but I really didn't expect anything else.

Glasgowsfinest: Other countries may want medieval style justice but I'm glad that the Scots have decided to move into the 21st century.

Wow, if the 21st century includes releasing (without any stipulations or conditions) the murderer of hundreds of people, the 21st century is going to suck.

Sorry, but his "release" should have been limited to a prison cell or hospital only.

puffy999: Wow, if the 21st century includes releasing (without any stipulations or conditions) the murderer of hundreds of people, the 21st century is going to suck.

Sorry, but his "release" should have been limited to a prison cell or hospital only.

Sorry, but no. We don't change the law just for him. Or for you.

It's also interesting to note that the same people complaining about this were the ones who were desperately trying to avoid his appeal (which was upcoming) and which would have opened all sorts of interesting questions about this whole situation.

Jim Swires (the Lockerbie activist whose daughter was killed in the bombing) has some interesting points to make on this. The appeal would have answered a few questions he has (he doesn't think Megrahi was the bomber at all) but hey, we'll never know now. The Scottish government was under more pressure to avoid an appeal than not to release him on compassionate grounds.

Occam's Chainsaw: In MacAskill's defense (not that his act is all that defensible), what exactly does constitute justice for a killer of hundreds? Rotting away from cancer and dying in a cell? Does that even come close?

All of western society needs to have a serious discussion about the purpose of prisons. Is it rehabilitation, or is it punishment? Because from where I'm sitting, they appear to be ineffective at both.

Prisons are for punishment.The rehabilitation is up to the convicted.Megrahi never admitted guilt or apologized for his actions.

I looked at this every single day that I was in college.



He was convicted of the crime. In my (worthless) opinion, he should be allowed nothing better than to rot from the inside within the confines of his cell or a prison infirmary. However, I do recognize that the law of the land states otherwise, and as such his release, though grotesque and objectionable to me, fits within that law.

it's not like he's going to enjoy dying of cancer. They got an oil deal out of too didn't they? Much better than invasion and occupation.
How many people did Cheney kill to sink his teeth into Iraq?

I'm just glad the the FBI never lets criminals go.

Hobodeluxe: it's not like he's going to enjoy dying of cancer. They got an oil deal out of too didn't they? Much better than invasion and occupation.
How many people did Cheney kill to sink his teeth into Iraq?

Godwin!

Kernel Disorder: Hobodeluxe: it's not like he's going to enjoy dying of cancer. They got an oil deal out of too didn't they? Much better than invasion and occupation.
How many people did Cheney kill to sink his teeth into Iraq?

Godwin!

Not really. Cheney is more of a monster.

Cheney did it for power and greed.

For a moment i almost believed the FBI was relevant again.

So many alphabet agencies these days.

honestly, you kill that many people for larfs
you shouldn't get 'special' treatment cuz yer sick.

he should be in jail AND dying of cancer.

Occam's Chainsaw Then what punishment is suitable? Ten million salted papercuts? Slow roasting? Is sitting in a concrete box sufficient punishment for something so heinous?


YOU'RE getting close....maybe combine all three and a bunch of fireants.

what medal was it that they awarded to the guy who blew up Iranair flight ?- you know the one that precipitated lockerbie... you know the one where 290 raghheads sorry, middle eastern people died

Occam's Chainsaw: In MacAskill's defense (not that his act is all that defensible), what exactly does constitute justice for a killer of hundreds? Rotting away from cancer and dying in a cell? Does that even come close?

All of western society needs to have a serious discussion about the purpose of prisons. Is it rehabilitation, or is it punishment? Because from where I'm sitting, they appear to be ineffective at both.

Rehabilitation when possible, punishment for those so low they cannot be. At the very least, isolate them from civil society.

Occam's Chainsaw: Is it rehabilitation, or is it punishment?

You left out my personal idea of the purpose of prison: keeping dangerous people separated from civilized people. Warehousing? Yes. It needs to be done. There are people who just go through life keeping mostly to themselves and then there are those who continually inflict themselves on others. That latter example of humanity needs to be confined somewhere.

If our administration had any farking balls that plane the took him home would have been shot down over the sea.

Anyway, this shows why we cannot treat terrorism as a crime, rather than an act of war. And all the indignant screams of FAIL you all scream after this post won't change that.

Occam's Chainsaw: In MacAskill's defense (not that his act is all that defensible), what exactly does constitute justice for a killer of hundreds? Rotting away from cancer and dying in a cell? Does that even come close?

All of western society needs to have a serious discussion about the purpose of prisons. Is it rehabilitation, or is it punishment? Because from where I'm sitting, they appear to be ineffective at both.

It is both, but from a pragmatic standpoint, it is also to keep these cancerous elements away from society. You can never get 'justice' for what he did, but if anyone lost their right to life or any chance of happiness, it is this guy.

Im sure this farker had a whole lot of compassion for the people falling out of the sky after the plane blew up. fark him, dying a painful death alone in prison is what should have happened.

During the Nuremberg trials the appropriate punishment was a wooden platform and rope out back. Bombing a passenger plane kind of falls under the crimes against humanity category.

So do life sentences even exist in Britain anymore. Sounds more like, prison until you aren't feeling well.

Occam's Chainsaw:

All of western society needs to have a serious discussion about the purpose of prisons. Is it rehabilitation, or is it punishment? Because from where I'm sitting, they appear to be ineffective at both.

You seem to have forgotten an very basic point of prisons, namely to protect the citizenry by removing from free society those that are unable to live within it's rules.

I guess this is the reason Europe did such a good job with Hitler during World War II.

This is the real answer: Some people can be rehabilitated. The ones that committed a crime because they were stupid, drunk, or high.

But there are some people that just need to be killed. The Charles Mansons. The Ted Bundys. The Megrahis. The guy in my hometown that killed ~9 homeless women, got released since they couldn't prove he killed any of them, even though he showed the body of one of the victims to his friend, and then killed a nurse anyway after his release from a technicality. Some people aren't capable of rehabilitation. They enjoyed what they did, and they would enjoy it again. They don't deserve to be in the human race. And they don't deserve to exist.

Glasgowsfinest: chemical_angel: Maybe Robert Mueller should worry about what happens in his own country and STFU about Scotland.

This. The compassionate release clause applies to all terminally ill prisoners regardless of what they have done. Other countries may want medieval style justice but I'm glad that the Scots have decided to move into the 21st century. Even the father of one of the victims said this was the right thing to do.

Hell, the US still executes people. I don't think we'll be listening to them for tips on how to run a justice system.

Libyas reaction to his homecoming was deplorable however, but I really didn't expect anything else.

So what if I have terminal cancer now? Does that give me a license to kill? What if I go rape your mother and then get diagnosed with cancer a year later? Should I be able to move in next door and go about my life?

I wouldn't be surprised if the bombing was a precursor to get more terror fighting money. Long kiss goodnight type of thing.

Occam's Chainsaw: In MacAskill's defense (not that his act is all that defensible), what exactly does constitute justice for a killer of hundreds? Rotting away from cancer and dying in a cell? Does that even come close?

All of western society needs to have a serious discussion about the purpose of prisons. Is it rehabilitation, or is it punishment? Because from where I'm sitting, they appear to be ineffective at both.

Surely we should have rehabilitated him and set him free since keeping him incarcerated is ineffective at protecting the public, serving as punishment, and making the world smell like unicorn farts

Not just Americans. Some Canadians too. I lost a good friend on that flight. His name was Bippin Patel. Very cool guy.

I don't have a problem with this release at all. Dude is going to die anyway. Letting him die with a little dignity isn't wrong, it's not stooping to terrorist-like levels.

R.I.P. Bippin. You are still missed.

Glasgowsfinest: chemical_angel: Maybe Robert Mueller should worry about what happens in his own country and STFU about Scotland.

This. The compassionate release clause applies to all terminally ill prisoners regardless of what they have done. Other countries may want medieval style justice but I'm glad that the Scots have decided to move into the 21st century. Even the father of one of the victims said this was the right thing to do.

Hell, the US still executes people. I don't think we'll be listening to them for tips on how to run a justice system.

Libyas reaction to his homecoming was deplorable however, but I really didn't expect anything else.

Really? This coming from a country that practiced the art of Draw and Quarter for a couple hundred years? Please don't lecture us. Go talk to Saudi Arabia, who still cuts the hands off of thieves and beheads rape victims.

TorontoTonto

I don't have a problem with this release at all. Dude is going to die anyway. Letting him die with a little dignity isn't wrong, it's not stooping to terrorist-like levels.

I respectfully disagree with you. The bastard should have been sentenced to death. He deserves no dignity in death.

Glasgowsfinest: Hell, the US still executes people. I don't think we'll be listening to them for tips on how to run a justice system.

Let's not forget the state sodomy farms. And you Scots thought we were a nation of homophobes.

There may not have been any more suitable punishment but to allow him to return to a country where he is actually admired is the wrong move. Even if he didn't admit guilt, thousands believe he helped kill 200 or so americans and they love him for it. A confined hospital is where he should have gone, not back home to the thousands of people that love him.

chemical_angel: Maybe Robert Mueller should worry about what happens in his own country and STFU about Scotland.

THIS.

Leon Panetta's opinion would however be valid.

Brad_Will: I looked at this every single day that I was in college.



He was convicted of the crime. In my (worthless) opinion, he should be allowed nothing better than to rot from the inside within the confines of his cell or a prison infirmary. However, I do recognize that the law of the land states otherwise, and as such his release, though grotesque and objectionable to me, fits within that law.

Scotland is CRAP!

So does this mean only terminally ill people will be chosen to carry out future terrorist acts, since they will ultimately be released (or never arrested) out of compassion?

// just wundrin...

Imagine, for a moment, Megrahi as uninvolved in the Lockerbie bomb as he constantly claimed. Now read that letter again. It is very interesting.

Hobodeluxe: Kernel Disorder: Hobodeluxe: it's not like he's going to enjoy dying of cancer. They got an oil deal out of too didn't they? Much better than invasion and occupation.
How many people did Cheney kill to sink his teeth into Iraq?

Godwin!

Not really. Cheney is more of a monster.

Cheney did it for power and greed.

Just curious - What do you think he expected to get from invading Iraq? Other than your wrath? Since he got nothing (other than your wrath) you must think quite highly of your wrath. Power & greed .. indeed.

I don't understand people who empathize with someone who blew up people on a plane. You suck as humans

But most importantly, your action makes a mockery of ... the single sneaker belonging to a teenager; the Syracuse sweatshirt never again to be worn by a college student returning home for the holidays; the toys in a suitcase of a businessman...

Forget it, he's rolling.

The 270 people he killed couldn't die comfortably in their warm beds.

Neither should he.

Occam's Chainsaw: In MacAskill's defense (not that his act is all that defensible), what exactly does constitute justice for a killer of hundreds? Rotting away from cancer and dying in a cell? Does that even come close?




a bulllet to the back of his head

a la vietnam street justice. live on tv baby

Twinkles: Imagine, for a moment, Megrahi as uninvolved in the Lockerbie bomb as he constantly claimed. Now read that letter again. It is very interesting.

Would you like to buy a bridge?