... all sorts of allegations flying around after the person who was convicted of the Lockerbie bombing was released.
Wonder how long that'll take to die down.
When Mandelson is once more kicked out of Westminster for being a crook. That's when it'll die down.
But of course, now he's in the other place, can he be kicked out?
Frankly, the whole thing stinks.
seeing as how he was just a scape goat bought in to mend us/british lybian relations I thinks its quite funny. Jim Swire things he's innocent which is good enough for me.
It seems that many Americans didn't actually realise that a "life" sentence in the UK is rarely that - i.e. if the guy hadn't fallen ill, he'd have been let out in 2026 anyway. Presumably, we'd have had all of this uproar then.
Just out of interest, any of you guys read ther private eye report on this in 2001 ( avaailable as a download, but will cost you a fiver).
the basic summary is that Megrahi was convicted on the evidence of 2 witnesses provided by the CIA, both given huge pay outs by CIA..
The 1st was a chap called Abdul Giaka, paid informer and notoroius liar.
2nd wa sa maltese shop keeper who id'ed him as the man who brought the clothes that were packed around the bomb, after having his photo provided by the CIA as a visual prompt.
More stuff but can't be arsed to type it out..
Reason the appeal was dropped so that edvinence not allowed in the first trail would have come out and made the biggest protesters, UK and US gov't look like total shiteheads..
appeal dropped, we'll let you go on compassionate grounds..
we've already shown how humanitarian we are with letting Ronny Biggs out a few weeks eariler..
I'm now off to wrap my head with tin foil to stop those nasty NSA types from reading my mind.
I was particularly surprised with this :
But a Scottish government spokesman said ........... "Compassionate release is not part of the US justice system but it is part of Scotland's."
[url= http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/23/2663830.htm?section=world ]FBI, Scotland clash over Megrahi release[/url]
Are we allowed to talk to the Yanks like that ? I mean, it doesn't exactly paint them in a very positive light - especially for a country which likes to claim to be a Christian nation.
And anyways, isn't it the Yanks who have the divine right to preach morality to the world ?
Sounds to me like Scotland might be behaving above it's station 😯
Obviously letting a guy with terminal cancer go home to die with his family doesn't Gel with locking up lots of light brown people without trial eH?
I mean who the **** are they to preach to us about right and wrong ???
Que US marines running up very chilly Scottish beaches and getting their arses royally kicked !
FREEDOM !! N'all that...
Once the USA realise Scotland has loads of OIL, they'll probably try to get a resolution passed at the UN so they can invade and look for WMDs....
then again they may not bother and just invade anyway
Don't know if deep fried Mars Bar comes under that category though 🙂
Irn-Bru chemical weapon, so basically we're screwed. 😉
http://www.boycottscotland.com/
look's like big Kenny's pissed off some of our american cousins
Do you think this might reduce the amount of
americans claiming to be SCOTCH ??? 😉
"In God we Trust"
Oh aye?
The problem I have with this is that people think keeping him locked up will actually help. From what it looks like - he's not a danger to anyone else any more, he's about to die, so why keep him locked up? Will it make the victims feel better? Maybe - and this is the problem. People should not be thinking that revenge makes them feel better. Of course, it's hardly revenge in practise but I suspect that's what's on people's mind - make him pay. Well, he can't pay so you'lre going to have to deal with that (along with everything else). Focusing your energy on taking everything out on the perpetrator I don't think is healthy in this kind of impersonal crime.
So, it might not be such a hot idea for me to pack my kilt for my trip to the States next week then? Especially as in my passport photo taken in August '01, I was wearing one of those Arab scarf things (great winter neck warmers on a motor bike)
Didnt think the americans were big on irony
but after reading some of the comments on this
maybees aye
sounds like Chucks cancelled his round at Carnoustie, were all doomed
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/boycott-scotland-for-releasing-megrahi-lockerbie-bomberbomer
Focusing your energy on taking everything out on the perpetrator I don't think is healthy in this kind of impersonal crime.
Have to disagree. No-one was focused on him until the movement started to release him, then they focused on why is he getting out. If it really was compassionate, I'd probably disagree any way, but
Calamity Broon was on holiday, a month or so after meeting Ghadhaffi, leaving Mandelson in charge,
Mandelson, who is never going to be PM, then takes himself into hospital
MacAskill, the Scottish Justice Minister, then goes to visit Megrahi in jail - this has never happened before,
Megrahi drops his appeal
and this all happens whilst the Scottish Parliament is in recess, so there's no chance to discuss it in open parliament,
Personally I think the SNP have played a blinder here. Not much chance of Scotland being attacked by terrorists again now. How can anyone claim the moral high ground against a country that let a terrorist be released on compassionate grounds.
Personally, I'm failing to see the down-side.
Personally, I think they've got a fair point, that people convicted of terrorist offences should be locked up for a very, very long time, and those who knowingly fund terrorists should be punished equally harshly!
Whats that you say? Noraid? ANC? Mandela? Mujihadeen? Shurely schome mishtake!
Extradition warrant for Teddy Kennedy anyone 😈
How can anyone claim the moral high ground against a country that let a terrorist be released on compassionate grounds.
Good point. I've always said that there would be a lot less terrorism if instead of dealing with fundamentalist regimes by bombing the **** out of their civilians, we sent in armies of irrigation engineers and commercial agriculturalists.
And in amongst all this there's the small matter of a civilian Iranian jet getting shot down by a US warship and nobody even getting his pay docked.
Accidents and acts of terrorism are all the same then?
As in ooops I appear to have "accidently" shot down a plane full of civilians that is flying in Iranian airspace.
Civilised countries dont have that type of accident.
Accidents and acts of terrorism are all the same then?
But why give out medals to those who managed to make such a massive mistake? And never apologise or take responsibility?
oops, we seem to have accidentally forgot to mention during the trial that the baggage handling area for the Pan Am flight was broken into, giving some else the opportunity to plant a bomb
oops, someone seems to have accidentally lied about weapons of mass destruction
oops, did we really ground [b]all[/b] civilian flights in US air space in the aftermath of the World Trade Centre attacks, or was a special case made for the family of one Osama Bin Laden
oops, didn't Al Gore's vice presidential commision on the state of airline security in the US mention the possibility of commercial aircraft being used as weapons, but tit was hushed up because of the potential financial impact of beefing up security measures in US airports
wooops where, exactly, is Mr Bin Laden these days?
Isn't that why we went in to Afghanistan several months and quite a few bodybags ago?
Accidents and acts of terrorism are all the same then?
Accident? FFS!
Of course, on a US warship's defence systems, a civilian airline flying a consistent course at a consistent altitude at a consistent speed closely resembles the attack profile of an enemy fighter-bomber armed with deadly air-to-surface missiles, doesn't it? Understandable mistake.
[i]"Even if there was a mistaken identification, which Iran has not accepted, it argues that this constituted gross negligence and recklessness amounting to an international crime, not an accident."[/i]
[i]The crew of the Vincennes received combat-action ribbons. The air warfare coordinator on board, Lt. Cmdr. Scott Lustig, received a commendation medal for his ability to "quickly and precisely complete the firing procedure"--the same firing procedure that shot down Flight 655.
[b]"I will never apologize for the United States of America, ever. I don’t care what the facts are."[/b] - Vice President George H. W. Bush, Newsweek, August 15, 1988[/i]
Americam government says what it wants th e USA to believe, (and the American public belie3ve it) . They just clear up the mess later, if at all
Amazing how those guardians of democracy and the rule of law get all het up when a democratic country follows the rule of its own laws.
Just as well Scotland actually has WMDs...
Saw the Lockerbie memorial in Arlington Cemetary along with those of the Kennedy clan and the 'glorious dead', while we there there a military funeral was being conudcted complete with gun carriage, dignitaries and top brass flown in by BlackHawk.
At some point the killing has to stop and possibly the actions of the Scots could be one tiny step to bringing that about. I doubt it somehow as there seem to be too many fundementalists and zealots on both sides of the fence!
on the bright side....may be it will be the final nail in Donald's arrogant golf course plan. After all if he can no longer encourage fellow wealthy yanks to Scotland for a round then his business plan is doomed. Doomed I tells'ya! 🙂
It'd be a sight, wouldn't it, seeing crack US military squads invading Scottish beaches, only to be spanked back to the US by the lady who runs the launderette by the chippy!!
The americans wouldn't stand a chance against a country with such bad weather in which it's inhabitants go to war wearing skirts....
A lot of respect is due I think!
American chit chat on the web is calling for a boycott on Scottish goods, Scottish whisky etc.... kilts.... hmmm good luck, if people want such things they are going to buy them anyway, there's no alternative. It wont go far.
What annoys me is that all the major political criticism is one sided, there is no acknowledgment that "Compassionate Release" was a compassionate move, (publicly at least it isnt a political move, though who knows what more we'll find out). There is little acknowledgement of the mercy shown and what that means in Western Culture, (obviously doesnt mean anything in the USA going on current public comment) and I find it sad that our own UK politicians are unable to acknowledge the value of compassion whether or not they agree politically and technically with the fact that a terrorist found guilty in a court is now at home and not in prison, but that alongside their technical opinion its sad that our politicians aren't showing their belief in humanity and any understanding of Scot's law.
It seems many politicians are going with the one sided approach so as not to be accused of beating-about-the-bush by representing two sides of the debate and also so they appear to be aligned with the heavy handed sound of opinion coming from the USA, boring.
I really wish our politicians would stand up and be counted and show intelligent understand of a sensitive situation and look into understanding not only those angry victims but also the reasons of a decision based on law represented in Scotland, taking into account that the US agreed to let Scotland try the man in the Netherlands and keep him in a Scottish prison should he be found guilty, they farmed out the responsibilites to Scots Law and have to live with any of the consequences that represents.
I heard the Yanks were rebranding Scotch Eggs as Freedom Eggs.
Might cause a boost in sales with people thinking they're buying Freerange Eggs 🙂
Thought I'd go and see the US point of view on this, so when to my favourite news site to feel the pulse of American thought - [url= http://www.adn.com/ ]Anchorage Daily News[/url] .
Headline stories currently are -
Aleutian Rat Island appears to be rat-free
Talkeetna Moose Dropping festival a little too popular
calling for a boycott on Scottish goods, Scottish whisky etc.......... It wont go far.
I wouldn't be too quick to scoff, do you not remember the anti-French campaign based on renaming 'French fries' 'Freedom fries' ? It was a cunningly clever move by the Yanks, and one which dealt a devastating blow to the French economy.
In fact, it really wasn't long before there was widespread regret throughout France that they hadn't gone along with the plan to bomb the **** out of a weak and impoverished third world country over imaginary WMD.
Mark my words, Scotland will live to regret the day she refused to do what she was told. Expect Scottish whisky to be renamed 'Revenge whiskey' or maybe 'Miscarriage-of-justice-against-a-completely-innocent-man whiskey'. And if The Simpsons get on the case, well then Scotland will be truly shafted.
they never gave back the Statue of Liberty, did they, whatever they said about the French?
Scotland will forever remember the crime that has been perpetrated against our people and those from many other lands. The pain and suffering will remain forever. Some hurt can never heal. Some scars can never fade."Those who have been bereaved cannot be expected to forget, let alone forgive. Their pain runs deep and the wounds remain.
"However, Mr Al Megrahi now faces a sentence imposed by a higher power. It is one that no court, in any jurisdiction, in any land, could revoke or overrule. It is terminal, final and irrevocable. He is going to die.
"In Scotland, we are a people who pride ourselves on our humanity.
"It is viewed as a defining characteristic of Scotland and the Scottish people.
"The perpetration of an atrocity and outrage cannot and should not be a basis for losing sight of who we are, the values we seek to uphold, and the faith and beliefs by which we seek to live.
"Mr Al Megrahi did not show his victims any comfort or compassion. They were not allowed to return to the bosom of their families to see out their lives, let alone their dying days. No compassion was shown by him to them.
"But that alone is not a reason for us to deny compassion to him and his family in his final days.
"[b]Our justice system demands that judgment be imposed but compassion be available.[/b]
"[b]Our beliefs dictate that justice be served, but mercy be shown[/b].
"Compassion and mercy are about upholding the beliefs that we seek to live by, remaining true to our values as a people. No matter the severity of the provocation or the atrocity perpetrated.
Part of MacAskills statement on the release [url= http://news.scotsman.com/politics/Lockerbie--Kenny-MacAskill39s-statement.5574230.jp ]Full text[/url]
@ IanMunro
Enjoying the Anchorage Daily News.
My comments re revenge were about the general public and how they tend to bay for blood in these situations withotu being properly informed or bothering to think things through.
As usual.. *sigh*
BlockBuster Video have announced a sharp drop in Braveheart rentals
Poor Donald Trump is gonna be well peeved - all that hard work [s]and cash[/s] to get his resort accepted then his hosts go and royally peeve his home country!
[url= http://www.trumpgolfscotland.com/intro.asp ]trump golf[/url]
WTF is this all about ? 😯 :
[url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8217220.stm ]The top US military officer has joined in condemning Scotland's release of Lockerbie bomber Abdulbaset al-Megrahi[/url]
This is not issue military issue in any way whatsoever. And who the **** does Admiral Mike Mullen think he is to interfere in the juridical processes of another independent sovereign state ?
I wasn't aware that the United States was a quasi-military state where an unelected general staff interfered in civilian juridical processes. Perhaps the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff should concentrate on trying to figure out why the armed forces of his 'rich and powerful' country can't subdue poor weak third world countries, instead of interfering in civilian issues.
Still that's their problem, in the meantime, I suggest Admiral Mike Mullen ** off and minds his own **** business 8)
I wasn't aware that the United States was a quasi-military state where an unelected general staff interfered civilian juridical processes.
Well, you are now.
US military officers have a long history of being a little more 'political' than those of many other military forces. Those of the UK military for instance [i]usually[/i] keep their noses out of politics.
Its all part of the big American blend of religion, government and guns.
This is not issue military issue in any way whatsoever. And who the **** does Admiral Mike Mullen think he is to interfere in the juridical processes of another independent sovereign state ?
Not sure he's interfering. Commenting yes, but how exactly is he altering the outcome of the process? Nobody is interfering with it, not even the Scottish parliament as the decision has been made, the horse has flown the coup and spilled the milk without closing the door behind it nor counting it's chickens. Or something.
Not sure he's interfering
Well I would call it interfering. Sure he hasn't sent his troops to have the Scottish Justice Secretary arrested, but just by commenting, this would generally be regarded as interfering.
Perhaps those outraged US residents could hire some Russian teabag fondlers to tidy up this loose end?
According to the Times, when Holyrood were deciding whether to release Al-Megrahi some idiot shouted "FREEDOM" so I once again blame Mel Gibson.
Of course the Libyans could have helped out by not having a mini Notting Hill carnival at Tripoli airport on his arrival. Strange, though, that if the US were so keen to get their hands on him they didn't try the extradition because, as we all know, the British government requires almost no paperwork from the US to get someone sent over there.
[i]"Compassion and mercy are about upholding the beliefs that we seek to live by, remaining true to our values as a people. No matter the severity of the provocation or the atrocity perpetrated."[/i]
McAskill's statement is rather good. I agree with most of it without reservation. The entire situation is tragic, but McAskill has certainly not done the wrong thing.
Scotland is not part of England and we have nothing to do with them. 👿
That is until a Scotish athlete wins a gold medal or Wimbledon then they are British/English again. 😀
Unless Obama says something on tv with Sanctions I wouldn't worry about it but they are not going to tell us the real reason for release.
If I was Gordon Brown I'd stay quiet and neutral. 😆
The Scotish Parliment issued their right. End of. 😉
Gaddafi is not going to give him back anyway. 😈
Of course the Libyans could have helped out by not having a mini Notting Hill carnival at Tripoli airport on his arrival.
Ture, but look at it this way: if a Scottish/British citizen was imprisoned in a Libyan jail, for a crime that no one in the UK believed he committed, then do you not think there would be a few Saltire/Jacks waved at the Prestwick airport if Libya set him free?
McAskill's statement is rather good. I agree with most of it without reservation. The entire situation is tragic, but McAskill has certainly not done the wrong thing.
+1 to that. An excellent, well-worded statement that did a good job of explaining a difficult decision. Sadly most folk won't bother reading it and he'll probably be forced to resign.
We need to know what this oil deal is all about and whether there was a compromise to the judicial system for commercial gainSenator Ben Cardin
Not sure if ive taken this out of context, but is an american really becoming indignant over commercially beneficial oil deals and compromises in a judicial system????? Pot, Kettle, etc etc.
As a Scot I find the comments on this thread quite heartening after most of the rabid mainstream coverage. 🙂
Wha's like us?
Gaddafi is not going to give him back anyway.
Quite. It must still be slow news time given how much coverage this is getting - he's back in Libya, end of. What exactly is the point in debating this now? Are there lots more terrorists in Scottish jails who's fate depends on what everybody eventually decides should have happened?
For that matter, aren't the septics calling for a boycott somewhat missing the point of such action? Exactly what is it they're asking Scotland to do now in order to call off the boycott? Bring him back from Libya and lock him up again? Or just apologise for getting it wrong?
You're making the classic mistake of assuming there needs to be a logical purpose to a knee-jerk reaction aracer.
The need to do "something" far outweighs any considerations concerning whether or not it is [i]actually[/i] appropriate. After the destruction of the Twin Towers a country [i]had[/i] to be attacked and bombed; after the bombing to Pan Am Flight 103 [i]someone had[/i] to be convicted; and so on ..... such is the nature of knee-jerk reactions.
The difference being that's there's pretty much nothing that anybody can do. The knee-jerk reaction simply consists of lots of bleating, and a bit of tiresome political points scoring.
Anyone care to remember the Yanks shooting down an Iranian airline in Iranian airspace and never apologising for it? They did pay up but "The payment of compensation was explicitly characterised by the US as being on an ex gratia basis, and the U.S. denied having any responsibility or liability for what happened."
Yeah I know it's not the same but where as there is some doubt over Megrahi's involvement in PanAm 103, of Iran 665 there is no doubt.
See [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655 ]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655[/url] (yeah not 100% reliable I know but a useful start point).
Yeah scuttler, Iran Air Flight 655 has already been mentioned on this thread ...... I think that double standards by US governments is generally accepted as a given.
justice is seen to be done and the USA is pi55ed off a win win situation then.
Thankfully our justice is somewhat [morally] superior to that of Terrorists, Sharia lawists and the US of A ists.
Ooops sorry I didn't see it mentioned as a searched the threads for 665 and not 655.
MacAskills statement
A politician with spine. He wont last (pity).
Following up my natural pleasure in reading what average americans think i clicked on the link to boycottscotland above to find that the pettiton with it's numerous posts from articulate and witty scotts has been purged and replaced with a non interactive propaganda piece. Land of Democracy indeed.
From the "boycottscotland" page:
...there have been a few British and Scottish individuals who have sent threatening and extremely defamatory messages towards American relatives and friends of the Lockerbie victims.
I guess they don't do "articulate and witty".
(mr MC posting)
I dont have a strong opinion either way on whether he should be released, but a few observations/comments on the wider situation;
I listened to macaskill's speech in its entirety on 5live when he gave it, and it came across as self-aggrandising, pro-devolution rhetoric. He clearly relished his 15 minutes (well closer to 25) of fame, and not releasing megrahi on the british-libyan negotiated Prisoner Release agreement sounded like a deliberate slight to the british (ie English) government. It will be interesting to see how many murderers, rapists and paedophiles are released on compassionate grounds, (and how many have been since devolution), or is the Megrahi release unique?
The US critics and families are clearly of the opinion that Megrahi serving his full sentence in Scotland had been guaranteed as part of the pre-trial organisation.
trade secretary and unelected power behind the throne Lord Mandelson meeting Gaddafi Junior on holiday shortly before the release stinks to high heaven, is impossible to write off or justify despite Mandy's indignant protestations as anything other then part of a trade/release negotiation. Which Gaddafi Junior has embarrassingly announced. We want their oil. We want to sell them everything else they need, now they are no longer a pariah state.
Mandelson seems to accidently meet a lot of powerful people on yachts shortly before government legislation or action occurs (David Geffen and illegal downloaders being punished, Oleg Deripaska and aluminium import tax reductions...)
For those who disagreed with the release; do you realise he would have been released in 2026 anyway? This seems to have escaped the attention of the most rabid Americans who assumed that a "life" sentence meant "until he dies".
And to Mr FC - Megrahis release on compassionate grounds is NOT unique. Previous administrations have made similar orders for less notorious (but potentially more dangerous) offenders such as child molesters. In addition, the Americans made it clear that they did not support the UK-Libyan Prisoner release scheme.
Munqe-chick - MemberIt will be interesting to see how many murderers, rapists and paedophiles are released on compassionate grounds, (and how many have been since devolution), or is the Megrahi release unique?
30 applications for release on compassionate grounds, 23 granted. I think some fairly nasty people as well. Murders and sex offenders.
The criteria are less than 3 months to live and no risk of reoffending
druidh, Mr FC? Funk Chick? thats so good, I've told her to change it!
In all the debate Ive heard the question asked about other compassionate releases (been off sick, listen to 5live throughout the day) but I havent heard anyone say that it has been done before, and/or give examples, which is why I asked. Not doubting you*, just highlighting it would be a pretty obvious argument for a spokesperson of the scottish parliament to use to stress their humanitarian credentials, and silence the critics. Seems like an opportunity missed.
*edited for TJ's post: an opportunity which educated STW'ers seem able to take, but professional politicians with hoards of press officers, researchers etc missed again and again.
The US didnt agree with the the prisoner release scheme as they didnt want him releasing. When we negotiated it, who else did it or could it apply to (I'm sure it was negotiated for future political/economic gain with him in mind)? I was also highlighting the fact that macaskill's releasing megrahi, but categorically [i]not[/i] on the release scheme (not even "as well as") sounded like politicking when I listened to his speech live. If it's possible to hear gloat and relish, a feeble AM signal was enough to transmit it.
I dont have and havent offered a strong opinion on the rights or wrongs of his release, but sadly I am cynical enough to think that the motives and machinations behind it were driven more by politics than humanity or medicine. If Macaskill is simply a humane, honourable man, then he has been undermined by the actions of others (do you get the impression I'm not a big fan of Mandelson for instance...)
From Mac Askills statement
Prisoner Transfer......................................Therefore it appears to me that the American families and Government either had an expectation, or were led to believe, that there would be no prisoner transfer and the sentence would be served in Scotland.
“It is for that reason that the Libyan Government’s application for prisoner transfer for Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi I accordingly reject.
Seems pretty clear. Prisoner transfer was the wrong method to release him.
The stuff about other compassionate releases was in one of the papers - I can't find it now but I'll keep looking
Just found this on CBS news site :
But, as CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen notes, al Megrahi "was in a Scottish prison subject to Scottish law and that means that Scotland gets to make the final call. [b]Remember, many Europeans don’t care for the way the U.S. dispenses justice, especially when it comes to capital cases[/b]. So this is a situation where the tables are turned." 😯
One of the 23 freed on compassionate grounds was a child killer
TJ, the quote you found is what I was getting at,the first sentence sounded like a clear swipe at the UK government for both the policy and implicit promises to the US (dont read this as me being a defender of the government or the policy, just an obverver).
Being used to sitting listening to barristers summing up and jurors decisions maybe I over-interpret speeches, but there was a lot in his style of speech which sounded positively smug, regardless of the words used. Maybe my jaundiced ear but listening to him that was exactly how I interpreted his words, and pictured him with a barely restrained grin as he said them.
Some of the US critics made the point that he should have been compassionately released but kept in Scotland, not sent home. They argue this would have been consistent with the spirit of the quote you highlighted, though there are lots of arguments against it (family, security etc). Its a bit churlish of Gordon Brown to come out all indignant about the nature of Megrahi's return when he himself is happy to provide photo opportunities for a former despot, and he's predictably completely avoided making reference to the release itself.
Its good to hear CBS offering some balance (I can imagine half the Fox network exploding with rage), and thanks for researching the other releases-it is something significant that has been missed in the wider debate. I heard Alex Salmond interviewed and the only evidence he offered for Scotland's heritage of humanity was that they didnt have the death penalty. He could have stopped his critics in their tracks.
For someone with no opinion I appear to be writing essays...
I havent heard anyone say that it has been done before, and/or give examples, which is why I asked
Well Fox News have reported it, so I guess quite a few Yanks must know about it.
Quote from Fox News :
[i]"Compassionate release is an established feature of the British judicial system when a prisoner is near death. According to officials, there have been 30 requests for release on compassionate grounds in Scotland over the last decade, 23 of which were approved."[/i]
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,540967,00.html
About two thirds of the way down.
BTW as I understand it the 7 who were not approved, were only not approved because the authorities were unconvinced that they within 3 months of death, there were no other reasons as far as I know.
MrMC - then its about how we hear it. I didn't hear the whole speeach just bits- but I take that quote as meaning that because the USA had an expectation he would complete his sentence in Scotland then the prisoner transfer was the wrong thing to do as it would be going against that exectation. remember the trial was pre devolution. However releasing him on compassionate grounds means his sentence is complete and has been completed in Scotland.
Try this site for some hilarious frothing at the mouth by ignorant Americans equating Libya's anti-Islamist relatively secular state and Scotland's independent judicial system with the Taliban et.al.
http://www.topix.net/forum/world/T98VKANS0N3L4A4IG
Muddy dwarf - I don't know whether to thank you or not for that link
Congrats, you Scottish Muslims! Your elected representative just sold your great warrior culture (aka William Wallace)down the drain to kiss face with the Islamofacists in LIBYA, for goodness sakes! How dare you post on an AMERICAN website? Go live under the rock of Socialist appeasement, and hope for forgiveness for YOUR SINS!
How many ignorant errors in one short rant?
I particularly liked this one muddydwarf :
Pit Bull owner
Bethpage, NYRemember the next time the Luftwaffe is bombing London
you might be on your own
Fu**UK too
Obviously the daft redneck doesn't realise that Britain [i]was indeed[/i] on her own, when the Luftwaffe was bombing London.
Because despite it being our darkest hour, our 'great friend and ally' stood back and refused to come to our assistance. Britain very nearly fell, no thanks to the United States.
By the time the Americans themselves were bombed at Pearl Habor, the Blitz was over and the Battle of Britain had been won.
.
I also liked the punter who asked if we would support the release of "IRA bombers, and other assorted terrorists who have murdered your fellow citizens?" Clearly someone who follows events in the UK very carefully 😯
Heather Proud ScotJudish - Away and boil yir heid - mind tae pull it oot yir erse first though ya skanky thick bawbag!
A rather erudite comment from one of the Scots on there.
I have done my bit for anglo usa relations - pointing out on a couple of blogs like that the Christian thing to do is " turn the other cheek" - all good fun seeing as they invoke christ all the time.
Guys - you wouldn't believe the idiocy displayed on that website, it really does try very hard to confirm that most Americans are ignorant to the point of moronity when it comes to thinking.
Seriously, have a trawl through the site - it keeps me occupied for hours sometimes (i need a life!)
it really does try very hard to confirm that most Americans are ignorant to the point of moronity when it comes to thinking
The thing is that if the same was happening the other way round, there'd be just as many stupid comments from people from the UK - let's not fool ourselves here...
Clubber, it's not just about the McAskill decision though.
Have a trawl through that site, it's full of thousands upon thousands of threads - most of which are populated by some really ignorant and stupid people from the US and beyond.
I started on that site in the run up to the US election as a way of finding out how Americans were thinking. The fanaticism from some parts is astounding, there are people on there CONVINCED that Pres.Obama is an African-born Muslim dictator?????
I started on that site in the run up to the US election as a way of finding out how Americans were thinking.
Yeah, but don't get carried away believing that's how all Yanks think.
Because whilst there might well be [i]"people on there CONVINCED that Pres.Obama is an African-born Muslim dictator"[/i]" don't forget that the guy won the presidential elections - so a fair few Americans liked him then.
Perhaps it should also be remembered that whilst there are undoubtedly a great deal of ignorant religious right-wing fanatics in the US, who are always inevitably baying for blood and revenge, the opposite is also true. For example roughly a third of the US states have no death sentence, and of those who have, I believe the majority do not carry out the execution, eg. iirc California has some 600 plus on death row, but only about a dozen have been executed in the last 30 years.