TWA Hijacker Released From German Prison

The Associated Press ^ | December 20

[TopQuark]

TWA Hijacker Released From German Prison

The Associated Press Tuesday, December 20, 2005; 8:51 AM

BERLIN -- A Lebanese man serving a life sentence for the 1985 hijacking of a TWA jetliner and killing of a U.S. Navy diver has been paroled after 19 years, a law enforcement official said Tuesday.

Mohammed Ali Hamadi was released from prison and has left Germany, said Doris Moeller-Scheu, spokeswoman for the Frankfurt prosecutor's office. She said she did not know his destination.

Hamadi's case came up for a court-mandated review, and he was released after an expert assessment and a hearing, she said.

TWA flight 847 from Athens, Greece, to Rome was hijacked to Beirut, Lebanon, where the hijackers shot U.S. Navy diver Robert Dean Stethem, 23, of Waldorf, Md., and dumped his body on the tarmac.

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A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Martin Jaeger, said there was no connection between Hamadi's release and the recent freeing of former hostage Susanne Osthoff, a German woman released over the weekend after spending more than three weeks as a captive in Iraq.

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Stethem, 23, was beaten and shot on June 15, 1985, while the plane was in Beirut. He was the only casualty during the hijacking ordeal, in which 39 Americans were held hostage for 17 days. He received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart decorations, and a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer is named in his honor.

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[TopQuark]

Are we still puzzled why there is terrrorism?

[TopQuark]

You probably remember both the events and the perpetrators.

[Glenn]

The balance of his sentence should be meted out by certain well-armed individuals from a rather large country in North America.

[Gay State Conservative]

You all get three guesses as to where this 9th century knucledragger was headed as he left Germany.

[Dane]

And the American mainstream media swooned with admiration.

[Dane]

You all get three guesses as to where this 9th century knucledragger was headed as he left Germany

The press report on another thread said Lebanon(but probably Syria)

[ExpatCanuck]

A message needs to be sent. This guy needs to be taken out NOW.

[kingu]

Gosh, I never knew that Germany considered parole to mean 'Go anywhere you want..'

[Uriah_lost]

As an ex-TWA'er I kinda glad that Captain Testrake isn't still around to see this. His son and many other crew members are still around and I'm sure this is still painful for them.

[SJackson]

Yes, earlier thread.

Germany Releases US Patriot's Hezbollah Murderer-Trades Terrorist Murderer for hostage in Iraq

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

..................

[MizSterious]

I'm not at all puzzled. And if this incident is not enough, just listen to the media and the DemocRATS.

[Laserman]

Clear evidence of why the death penalty is esswential!

[Tolik]

I guess Spielberg would say that it would be morally wrong to eliminate him now...

[Eric in the Ozarks]

This is how the Euros deal with terror. They surrender.

[PAR35]

It's my recollection that the pilot was a solid Christian. Didn't he die of cancer a couple of years ago?

[lilylangtree]

Hope the internat'l hit squad tracks this POS down and send him to his 72 ugly virgins. Germany sucks!

[Proud_USA_Republican]

I'm sure the Austrians are considering replacing Schwartzeneggers name on the stadium with that of the murdering hijacker.

[pepperhead]

Gosh, I never knew that Germany considered parole to mean 'Go anywhere you want..'

Scary isn't it.

[MEG33]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1543955/posts

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