FBI director outraged by Lockerbie bomber's release

Sunday 23rd August, 06:25 AM JST

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smithinjapan at 01:44 AM JST - 24th August

TheQuestion: "Maybe morally or cosmically but not legaly"

Well, perhaps not LEGALLY in the US, but then, they hire special people, and always have in ANY country, to do the executing, don't they? Why is that?

SuperLib: "It's often difficult to find a point to your posts..."

Choosing to ignore the obvious is just that, a choice. You asked where Britain has shown mercy elsewhere and when given concrete examples... wait for it... you went completely off-topic and starting branding the person who gave them to you as a terrorist supporter (in essence). He was merely in the first place pointing out that your FBI's whining was interesting, and you got upset and started making all sorts of accusations about his character instead of arguing the points he made, some of which, as I said, were direct examples of the proof you requested. Look, bud, if you can't see the truth through the red haze (your anger), that's your problem. Don't go scratching your head and suggesting that because you can't understand my posts it's anything more than you don't want to.

"You're one-dimensional. Just accept it, have a beer, and get some sleep."

You best heed your own advice, my friend. You were a much better poster before you started getting so defensive about the US.
Badge213 at 02:14 AM JST - 24th August

So if some guy kills your family and the justice director of whatever country decided to let the guy free on grounds of "compassion" you'd be perfectly fine with that? Where was the guy's "compassion" when he decided to blow up the airplane with innocent men women and children on board?

This isn't a US vs UK thing though I'm sure some would like it to be that way.
smithinjapan at 02:15 AM JST - 24th August

There's something they all seem to be forgetting: we all die. I know TheQuestion made some remarks about not caring if the man in question sees some enlightenment at the end of his life or not, but that says more about TheQuestion and his crusade than anything else. When we die, regardless of what religion if any you subscribe to, our time on this earth is done. If you believe in god, and this man decides not to confess in his final moments and say some hail Marys, he's in hell for eternity. If you believe in Buddhism or similar religions the man is doomed by karma. If you believe in nothing then the man will simply cease to exist in a few months.

In any case, what comes to mind is what a number of people say after witnessing the death of (and in some cases killing themselves) someone who murdered someone else, that 'it doesn't bring back' the dead. There have been numerous posts talking about how 'the dead' have no justice afforded to them, but failing to acknowledge that regardless of the fact that this man is going to die shortly in his home that that doesn't change the fact the victims are dead. They could rip this man to shreds with their bare hands, let him rot in prison for a month, rip his eyes out, shoot him.... who knows? point is it would not be 'justice' in the least.

Only a moron would shoot somebody who shot someone else and say "It's justice" without expecting a bullet a moment later.
smithinjapan at 02:37 AM JST - 24th August

badge: "So if some guy kills your family and the justice director of whatever country decided to let the guy free on grounds of "compassion" you'd be perfectly fine with that?"

Did this guy kill your family? It's an easy enough question and ties in directly with what you asked -- for if he didn't you cannot post if not directly affected (and I mean as you say, your family) -- is moot.

"Where was the guy's "compassion" when he decided to blow up the airplane with innocent men women and children on board?"

Don't you guys ever get sick of this eye-for-an-eye Old Testament crap? First, it wasn't proven beyond a doubt the man did what he said they did, and if it were up to SOME countries he would get no trial and would simply be locked up based on suspicions. Second, if he DID do it and was justly locked up, you could beat him until the sun goes down and guess what -- the dead aren't going to come back. Does that mean anyone who has killed should be let go? No, not at all. Does it mean that anyone proven to have done what this man is alleged to have done be released if they are terminally ill and soon to die? no... though that is where the compassion comes in, and what this is about. The British government is being compassionate where this man allegedly was not -- why is that so hard for you guys to get. NO, the man was NOT compassionate to his victims (if he committed the crime), but that doesn't change the fact that the British government is being compassionate.

"This isn't a US vs UK thing though I'm sure some would like it to be that way."

Yourself included, it seems. You make a number of judgements in your post without knowing it, and they lead me to believe you are in fact American and are simply misdirecting offense taken at some of the points made by posters or the fact that the FBI have no authority here and are merely whining when they cannot get their way. I could be wrong, though.
sfjp330 at 03:09 AM JST - 24th August

This has nothing to do with release on compassion. It's an PR illusion. British traded convicted terrorist for economic oil benefit with Libya. Have you looked at British economy lately? They act like they are third world country like Samolia pirates trading for a rasom.
SuperLib at 03:19 AM JST - 24th August

northlondon: SuperLib, just debate the issue my friend.

OK, the issue is that both you and the FBI think this man shouldn't have been released.

You seem to neglect the fact that I believe that this guy should have remained in a cell until his death.

Actually I think a more accurate statement is that you're forgetting you believe this guy should have remained in a cell until his death.

You also appear to neglect the fact that the rest of the world (the non-American world) find it laughable that the FBI and the US government are crying injustice and unfairness.

I think most of the world is making their own decisions based on the case. Some think he was innocent and support the release, some think he was guilty and don't support the release, and some think he was guilty but support the release on the grounds of compassion. Some even believe the UK did it to get their hands on all that Libyan oil, but we're too busy discussing Iraqi oil to get into all of that. We'll just have to table it for a later date.

If the families of the deceased made statements condemning this release then we should all listen.

If?

But when the director of the FBI talks about injustice then it goes in one ear and comes out the other.

Great. I'm glad you feel that way. I feel that same way about European government officials. By the way, how do you feel about the government who just released a man you believe to be a mass murderer? Any outrage left for that?
TheQuestion at 08:58 AM JST - 24th August

Well, perhaps not LEGALLY in the US, but then, they hire special people, and always have in ANY country, to do the executing, don't they? Why is that?

If you phrased the question in a more straight forward manner I could take a crack at it. As it stands I can't really understand what you're asking.

I know TheQuestion made some remarks about not caring if the man in question sees some enlightenment at the end of his life or not, but that says more about TheQuestion and his crusade than anything else.

Woah woah woah, I'm just a guy giving his opinion on a news website. I'd need to make a few very persuasive phone calls before you could call it a crusade.
spudman at 09:06 AM JST - 24th August

Smith in japan

First, it wasn't proven beyond a doubt the man did what he said they did.

No it wasn't. he was found guilty on very flimsy evidence.
chotto at 09:05 AM JST - 25th August

Cat5 What a ballbag.

Everyone else... I don't know this case fully enough, but 'if' he was in on flimsy evidence, then his release seems ok to me.

I don't see why the US should throw its weight around. Hardly the beacon of justice, transparency and democracy that it claims itself to be. Scotland's blood for oil? Don't make me laugh.
Makkun70 at 02:21 PM JST - 26th August

This guy didn't do anything and the FBI should know that. He was given over by the Libiyan government as a peace offering. He is in effect a stooge and most people who well read in this case know that that is a distict possibility if not a certainty. The western world began trading with Libiya shortly after his imprisonment and all was forgotten and Libiya kept their end of the bargain by keeping her nose clean and being a responsible global citizen. What we tend to forget is that Iranian terrorists most definitely carried out this bombing and that this was at best overlooked and worse covered up at the expense of a tit-for-tat with Libiya.. Wake up people, even some of the victims believe this to be the case after extensively going through the trial evidence.
Makkun70 at 02:24 PM JST - 26th August

Still, doesn't detract from this person being convicted and then release. His innocence should not come into effect when looking at the sentence. That I agree is wrong.

But like I said, he didn't do it, so I feel less upset about this..
Makkun70 at 02:26 PM JST - 26th August

And since when did the FBI have any jurisdiction over Scottish law? Opps, just read, he only wrote a strong letter to Scotland, well woopy doo, why bother?
USARonin at 08:01 AM JST - 27th August

France ain't happy about his release either.
Badge213 at 04:50 PM JST - 27th August

Yourself included, it seems. You make a number of judgements in your post without knowing it, and they lead me to believe you are in fact American and are simply misdirecting offense taken at some of the points made by posters or the fact that the FBI have no authority here and are merely whining when they cannot get their way. I could be wrong, though.

How so, all I did was ask questions. The FBI has no authority, the guy wrote a letter expressing his opinion, is that now somehow illegal?
sfjp330 at 03:43 AM JST - 29th August

The British have extensive trade interests in Libya, and Megrahi has become an obstacle to them. As Saif Gadhafi, a son of Libya's leader said: "In all commercial contracts for oil and gas with Britian, Megrahi was always on the negotiating table". The British had been seeking to unload Megrahi for some time since Gadhafi's reunciation of terrism and his scrapping of weapons of mass destruction. Gadhafi made clear that lucrative oil deals depended on Megrahi's repatriation. British expats were threatened with similar reprisals if Megrahi died in prison, so home he went. Once Megrahi was released, it was dumb for British and the Americans to expect Gadhafi to refrain from giving him a big public reception.