Posted on 08/20/2009 7:44:02 PM PDT by advance_copy
Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, convicted of murdering 270 people by blowing up Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, two decades ago was returned to his native Libya on Thursday.
Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi covers his face as he boards a plane.
"Our justice system demands that judgment be imposed but compassion available," MacAskill said. He spoke to CNN's Wolf Blitzer about the case. Here is a transcript of that interview.
Blitzer: And joining us now from Scotland, Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.
Mr. MacAskill, did Al Megrahi kill 270 people?
MacAskill: Yes. He was convicted by a Scottish court. And that's...
(Cross talk)
Blitzer: Did he do so in cold...
(Cross talk)
Blitzer: Did he do so in cold blood?
MacAskill: Absolutely.
Blitzer: Is it normal procedure that someone, a convicted mass murderer who gets cancer, is free to go home to his wife and family?
MacAskill: Well, thankfully, in Scotland, we don't have many convicted mass murderers. And this tragedy devastated our country as it did the lives of people in the United States and elsewhere...
(Cross talk)
Blitzer: Is there any precedent -- is there any precedent, Minister...
(Cross talk)
MacAskill: ... we have justice as well as compassion.
Blitzer: Is there any -- and is there any precedent...
MacAskill: Sorry?
Blitzer: Is there any precedent in Scotland where a mass murderer, someone who killed 270 people in cold blood, has been freed to go home to his wife and family because he is suffering from cancer?
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Remember that stinky POS George Galloway, a member of the British Parliament? Well, he's from Scotland. The Scots ELECTED Galloway!
I will never drink another sip of Scotch whiskey, ever. To heck with Scotland. Frankly, Scotland stinks like the armpit of the United Kingdom!
And remember Idi Amin proclaimed himself as the “Last King of Scotland.”
This mass-murderer served 11 days per innocent victim.
8X365/270
Don’t blame the Scottish people, Kenny MacAskill is an Idiot.. and George Galloway was voted out in Scotland he was voted Back in in England... he is also an Idiot...
The Scots ELECTED Galloway no the English Did Scotland Tossed his sorry @ss out...
I blame Scotland. If the Scots can take their government awayk from the idiots they put in power, that would be fine. Show me. Until then, they can kiss this American’s English arse.
George Galloway was elected originally by Glasgow Hillhead, and then for Glasgow Kelvin. The SCOTS put him in Parliament.
People like MacAskill have turned the UK into an open latrine. What an appalling outrage! Where is the compassion for the feelings of all the relatives of all the murdered people on that plane and on the ground.
This piece of human garbage should have been thrown into an oubliette with two score of hungry rats and, if common sense were ever to return to the UK, that quintessential liberal idiot, MacAskill, should by all that is sacred, suffer the same fate.
In a sick sort of way I think this has to be for the better. It’s like the mess here in the USA with the socialists in charge. It just seems that people have to see for themselves what happens when you let the idiots of the world run things. It’s a hard lesson. It’s awful for the families of the victims. But I have to believe that all of this will lead to a better understanding of things. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think common sense will rise from this stinking mess.
I support Scottish independence, but this is just another case of the Scots saying “stick it,” which is also the main reason they keep electing lefties to parliament.
If the Scots had independence and they were to pull crap like this, we could do to Edinburgh like we did to Baghdad, and to Glasgow like we did to Fallujah. And we would not have to worry about what Her Majesty thinks of it.
In fact, London wold be there to help us. Scotland has directly violated the Bush doctrine. They have aided a terrorist.
Someone needs to remind MacAskill that every man or woman on this planet including himself is under the same death sentence decreed by a "higher authority." None of us gets out of here alive. That's a bogus justification.
MacAskill also kept implying that the mothers, fathers, and siblings who had beloved family members mercilessly slaughtered by this subhuman and who disagreed with the decision to release him are evil and vengeful--unlike the good and merciful MacAskill. So, not only does he judge their cold-blooded unrepentant killer more deserving of compassion than their beloved dead family members, he judges the surviving family members as wicked for not agreeing with him.
Many Scots, especially thse who have foought in Afghanistan and Iraq, from the Scottish Regiments, are very angered about this decision.
Liberalism and its stretch to appear "non colonial" is a social disease bereft of all decency and morality.
Its called "idiot compassion" and has nothing to do with genuine compassion.
This is seen as weakness by the jihadists, not a good thing for our soldiers posted overseas.
Way to go Scotland...compassion for murderers but NONE for the victims and the victims families. Yep, that’s something to be proud of.
A little long but this is what I sent to Macaskill:
Mr. Macaskill,
I truly can’t understand how you will be able to sleep at night. What exactly is the definition of justice in Scotland? Compassion went out the window when PAN AM 103 was blown out of the sky over your country. If that human piece of excrement can walk on and off a plane it is not sick enough to be released. You said yourself that it showed no compassion by taking part in the operation to kill the innocent. The victims who were MURDERED never got the opportunity to die in peace surrounded by their families like you have so compassionately allowed it to do. You speak of it being sentenced by a higher power. It should have rotted in jail until that day came, not when some bureaucrat decided. You sir are acting like the higher power (you too will be judged by some day) and should be embarrassed to have the word Justice in your title.
You must admit its home coming in Tripoli was beautiful. I have included two paragraphs from yahoo.com for your reading pleasure. Gadhafi sending his son was an especially nice touch. No?
“...thousands of young men were on hand at a Tripoli airport where al-Megrahi’s plane touched down. Some threw flower petals as he stepped from the plane. He wore a a dark suit and a burgundy tie and appeared visibly tired.
He was accompanied by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s son, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, who was dressed in a traditional white robe and golden embroidered vest. The son pledged last year to bring al-Megrahi home and raised his hand victoriously to the crowd as he exited the plane. They then sped off in a convoy of white sedans.”
Libya has made a mockary of you and your compassion. If this wasn’t such a sad, sad miscarriage of justice you would be the laughing stock of the world. Congratulations. I guess that is truly impressive. I will take solace in the fact that your name will always be linked to an animal that killed 270 men, women, and children in cold blood. That is 265 more than Jack the Ripper. Bravo.
BOS12345
Melrose, MA UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(home to the late Gary Colasanti, 20 yrs old, who was MURDERED Dec. 21, 1988 and killed again August 20, 2009)
Kenny MacAskill.
Is he a Muslim convert or is his wife? OR was he paid off?
There are just no words for this act. It is a disgrace.
Eric Holder COULD HAVE had the terrorist extradited...he dropped the ball. I thought he was the head of the Department of Justice, but I guess he thinks he’s the head of the Department of Foolsih Mercy.
That is an outstanding letter. Thank you for telling him the truth, something of which we can tell he has known far too little.
I always used to consider myself an Anglophile. No more. I'm totally done with these people and I wouldn't go there if you paid me a million bucks. F*ck Great Britain.
“The Scots ELECTED Galloway!”
And the Americans elected Obama, and Clinton, TWICE.
Poor old Scotland. A sad and empty country.
She was taken down by Sheep. and is now run by the Pigs.
Lets just hope that Socialism never comes to The USA.
I’ll take care of your Scotch,as long as it’s single malt
Highland Whisky.
I've heard old men die with prostate cancer, they don't die from it. I think Secretary MacAskill has been conned. How can one man make a decision like this, anyway? The convict is now free to get treatment.
(Maybe the British health service turned him down ... maybe he couldn't qualify under the NHS rules of comparative cost effectiveness).
I really hope that when he meets his 72 virgins, his junk still doesn't work.
Although this terrorist’s release is utterly appalling, consider the possibility that we are blaming the wrong guy.
Kaddafi’s evil nature is well known. IIRC, this man is an Intel agent for Libya, who Kaddafi was forced to give up. What if Kaddafi threatened to execute 220 Nigerians, unkess his man was returned? He would have also threatened the rxecutations, if the threat was made public.
http://www.africanews.com/site/Libya_220_Nigerians_face_execution/list_messages/26361
http://allafrica.com/stories/200908140168.html
Just posed as a possible reason for something otherwise inexplecable.
DG
He did more jail time than the captain of USS Vincennes did.
Suprised that people are failing to see the obvious correlations here.
Last week Megrahi drops his appeal, this week he gets released. Documents pertinent to the affair which were seen by the prosecution, but not the defence, at the original trial are now sealed by order of the UK government, so the likelihood is it will be a very long time before we find out what really happened.
I suspect both the UK and US governments were involved in the deal to free him and avoid any danger of the truth getting out as to who was really behind the bombing and who else was involved. The way the transfer was handled allow both governments to keep their fingerprints off however and the US government to go through the public appearance of objection.
‘MacAskill: Well, thankfully, in Scotland, we don’t have many convicted mass murderers’
Aye, we dont, thanks to your joke of a Justice Ministry which isnt convicting people!.
I understand your anger and can only apologise and ask forgiveness of behalf of Scotland. This idiot did not speak for Scotland or the Scots people.
Please remember that in the 80s’ and early 90’s, American judges refused to extradite IRA men back to Britain. Yet dont/didnt blame all America for that.
I know, he was voted out in hillhead and ran on the outskirts of London where he was reelected.. I lived Near his Glasgow District.. he is still an ar@e
I would not kiss what I could Kick...
Very well said...
I’ll take Glaswegians any time.. The SNP is a disaster much like zero.. I voted for bush 4 times tell me what did he do for Scotland? GWB might have been Tony’s pal but they done Nothing for Scotland . Tony is all shortbread and tartan an other eejit...
Paid off probably
I think the first thing Americans who are outraged at the release of Megrahi is that Scots do not live under American Law or the American Justice system. You can be proud of your legal system as we are proud of ours, and you would do well to read up on who it was that crafted the legal system you now live by.
We live under Scots Law. Scots law required that Megrahi be released, it was not a political decision but one based on the requirements of our legal system and done so on the recommendation of the Prison Service, the Police, church leaders and indeed some of the families. Are you suggesting that the head of our Justice system break our laws or are you seeking to undemocratically impose your laws on us Scots?
Compassion is a fundamental component of our legal system, if you don’t like it, then don’t live in Scotland, but don’t try and throw your weight around and be telling us what to do.
Are you aware that many Scots believe Megrahi to be innocent and that indeed your own CIA blamed Iran as the culprits, as a resposnse to the US Navy shooting down an Iranian passenger plane 6 months before. Incidentally, no one went to jail for the murder of those 290 innocents.
Are you aware that as well as many of the relatives believing him to be incocent that the independent UN observer also believed him to be innocent?
Are you aware that the British Government covered up for 12 years a break into to the Pan Am luggage holding area at Heathrow the day before the Pan Am 103 was blown up?
If you want justice you must first have the truth and in many peoples view neither have been returned. If you want justice for Pan Am 103, forget Libya and Megrahi, start looking at Iran and Syria.
ps Whiskey is spelt “whisky” in Scotland, the Irish put an “e” in, we don’t.
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