I find it hard to believe that the Scottish government has released the only person convicted in the deaths of 270 people aboard that bombed jetliner. I heard excuses such as "He wasn't the only person responsible, just the only one convicted. It isn't fair to keep him imprisoned if the others aren't punished." Such tripe!
This reminds me of Hillary Clinton's stance re illegal immigration: "We can't arrest and deport 12 million people!" (so I guess we can't arrest or deport one, huh Hillary?) Why don't we take that stance with drunk drivers: "Some get away with driving after drinking, so we can't punish those we catch!"
NO! We catch those we can . . convict those we can . . and imprison every one who deserves it!
Yes, I think it was a bad move and certainly one many disagreed with.
If someone is sentenced to life in prison- that's what it means- until the end of life.
His release sends a message that if you are going to die, then you can get a mercy release no matter what crime you comitted. Plus, in his case, he gets a hero's welcome back in Libya. It is like rewarding him at the end. I think that is a bad message to send. None of his victims got a reprieve before their violent deaths.
Yesterday on a local radio talk program, a caller and the host discussed if this guy might be a risk BECAUSE he has a terminal illness: If he's going to die soon anyway, why not carry out one more terrorist activity -- further enhance his martyrdom for the cause -- strap a bomb on himself, etc.?? What does he have to lose? . . and if he thinks this would endure him to Allah and cement his place in paradise . . . it could look all good. I'm not good at thinking like a terrorist, but this seems like a viable concern.
at one time. If I were coaching terrorists, I would send this guy to selected spiritual advisers to get him hopped up for one last mission, slip him the Muslin version of sacrificial wine, ply him with some Jihadist poontang, and then send him off for one last battle with the "Great Satan." Like the modern day version of the Japanese Kamakazi. I think he would do it.
I am not sure that the past in "was a terrorist" is the right word; for me I would say when I see this greeting and the fourty years jubilee of Khadafi, the good word is "is still potenntially a terrorist".
Also remember these guys also bombed down over the Sahara desert in the same years a french DC10 of UTA Airline; this storry is also not finished, though Lybia recognised they also were in the loop of this in flight explosion.
Iran Air Flight 655, also known as IR655, was a civilian airliner shot down by the United States Navy on Sunday 3 July 1988, over the Strait of Hormuz.
The aircraft, an Airbus A300B2 operated by Iran Air as IR655, was flying from Bandar Abbas, Iran, to Dubai, UAE, when it was destroyed by the U.S. Navy's guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes, killing all 290 passengers and crew aboard, including 66 children, ranking it the seventh among the deadliest airliner fatalities. It was the highest death toll of any aviation incident in the Indian Ocean and the highest death toll of any incident involving an Airbus A300 anywhere in the world. The Vincennes was traversing the Straits of Hormuz inside Iranian territorial waters and at the time of the attack, IR655 was within Iranian airspace.
the entire article, it confirmed some of what I recall of that incident:
1. The Vincennes was under attack by Iranian boats just prior to shoot down of the airliner.
2. Attempts were made to contact the airliner by radio to identify it. There was no response:
"Indeed both Sides and Vincennes tried contacting flight 655 on several civilian and military frequencies.[4]"
3. If poor judgment or ill intent was involved, it was that of an individual on the Vincennes and not that of the U.S. military, govt or people. That is a far cry from state-sponsored terrorism directed against civilians. I think it is prwetty lame of you to try to equate the two.
4. I still believe this was an unfortunate accident rather than the intent of any American to knowingly and deliberately destroy a civilian jetliner and its occupants.
5. Interesting to me that the totalitarian theocracy that overthrew the Shah and abused its people would charcaterize the United States as the enemy of the Iranian people. How many Iranians have been imprisoned, tortured and killed by Iran's own leaders?