About the Lockerbie dude and Sen. Cardin

I know this is going to make me unpopular with somebody (most likely a lot of somebdies) no matter how emotional I make it, so I am tempted to really get on my high horse and rant, but that won't serve any good point, so I will present this as an objective foriegn policy observation.

1.The Libyan dude was convicted and sentenced to 27 years, but still maintains his innocence and his appeals are not finished. He served 5 years.

2.Sen. Cardin is mad as blazes about the whole thing and says that our relations with Lybia (not Scotland or GB) should be adjusted to reflect his righteous indignation and that of the victims' families because of this guy's welcome home in Libya.

3.If someone from the U.S. was convicted in Libya or some other Arab country on what he/she maintained was a trumped up charge and was release prior to his/her appeals running out, that person would recieve a welcome complete with yellow ribbons covering every overpass, fence, and tree within 500 miles of the homecoming.

4. The reasonable (and legitimate) response from Libya that I would recommend if I was lobbying for Libya, (like some of our distinguished Republican ex-reps):

"Our Libyan son was wrongfully convicted, but convicted none the less and actually served 5 years of the sentence. He is libya's son and deserves to be welcomed home (do not your JudeoChristian scriptures say as much?)

What about your terrorists? Where are their convictions? Where are their sentences. Where are their trials?

There were none. They only get medals of freedom and secret service protection.

You are outraged about the innocents who died on the flight? But you use the whole force of your military might and mercenaries to murder thousands of Iraqi and Afghan innocents. Many more thousands than have been killed in all of the terrorist attacks on your country.

President Obama, Secretary Clinton: Where are your terrorists?"

I rec this thread. Your view is as logical and reasonable as any.

if anybody from this country is going to complain, they should consider the ramifications.

:kick:

Ya think??? ;-)

the kneejerk reactions so far and just don't see how letting this guy go home to die will be the end of civilization. It's not just one Senator, but our entire political establishment has jumped on this out of tune bandwagon.

There's a lot of negative reaction in the UK about this, too, expecially after the cheering crownds in Libya, but I don't find cheering crowds in Libya to be relevant to anything at all.

The demands that he rot in jail forever, along with so many other bloodthirsty demands for "justice" don't appear to me to be justice at all, but fear and loathing mixed with a smattering of mean-spirited vengeance.

To let him die at home does not foster terrorism, deny justice, or anything else so dreadful. What it does is show that we are better than the terrorists.

(But, perhaps we're showing that we're not so much better, just the Scots.)

victims families have to say before they decide they can speak for all of them.

The contrast between the reaction of Americans and Britains is amazing. Americans are angry, they want revenge, but they do not question whether or not this guy was just a scapegoat. They don't question authority.

In Britain however, the reaction is very diffferent. They want answers. They have many questions, and the reaction to his release among the victims' families ranges from approval that an 'innocent man will die at home' to not being sure he was guilty and to some who are angry.

In this interview, the mother of one of the victims shows no anger, just disappointment that with his release, his appeal will not go forward:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8212290.stm

And the father of one of the victims and spokesperson for victims' families explains why he's happy with the decision:

However, British relatives' spokesman Dr Jim Swire, who lost his daughter Flora in the atrocity, said he believed Megrahi had "nothing to do with" the bombing.

"I don't believe for a moment that this man was involved in the way that he was found to have been involved," he said.

"I feel despondent that the west and Scotland didn't have the guts to allow this man's second appeal to continue because I am convinced had they done so it would have overturned the verdict against him.

"It's a blow to those of us who seek the truth but it is not an ending. I think it is a splitting of the ways."

They wanted justice, not revenge. So many believe that there was a government cover-up of this crime and that Megrahi was just a scapegoat especially after his first appeal was cancelled.

And while American Politicians are pretending to be outraged, there is speculation that the agreement made with Megrahi, (he was offered a choice of going home, or staying for his second appeal) caused a collectivsigh of relief by those who, as the families claim, know more than they want the public to know.

The quotes from the American family members are filled with anger and no doubt, or concern about whether or not this was the person who actually committed the crime.

I liked also the statement from the Scottish Minister. So different from what we hear here from politicians who mistake screaming for revenge for strength. And increasingly her guilt or innocence doesn't seem to matter (see our SC justice Scalia and the detainees in our gulags).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/south_of_scotland/8197370.stm

Mr MacAskill had been under intense pressure from the US government to keep Megrahi behind bars, with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying his release would be "absolutely wrong".

"Compassion and mercy are about upholding the beliefs the we seek to live by, remaining true to our values as a people - no matter the severity of the provocation or the atrocity perpetrated," he added.

This country could use that kind of strength in its leaders, the strength to be compassionate and to show mercy rather than always take the weak, cowardly route of demanding revenge even against someone whose guilt is in doubt and who is terminally ill anyhow.

I agree with the OP and btw, so do many around the world. That the world will not end as a result of this man's release, and who knows, the compassion shown by the Scottish government in this case, may pay off in ways that cruelty would not.

I do think that American politicians are just posturing and did not really want a trial where evidence of what really happened might have been revealed. The Scots claim they were in constant negotiations with the US the whole time, and Ghadafi is our new best friend although the average American probably doesn't know that thanks to our media.

reactions that you mentioned re: compassion - which are heartening.

I just wanted to put forth some considerations about what we could be setting our selves up for, re: Libyan, Arab, and world reaction. We were so proud of the change in perception of our country when we elected Obama, but I am concerned that we are slipping back.

:shrug:
:cry: