The Lockerbie Bomber

It would seem the Scottish Authorities have taken leave of their collective senses. They have announced that the man responsible for killing 270 people aboard Pan Am Flight 103 on December 21st 1988, was released today and flown back to Libya. The release has caused deep resentment in America, home to 130 of the dead passengers.

Despite all the pleas from relatives of the dead, and the American Government, the Scottish Authorities ears were closed to all but those of the defendant. It is said he is dying from prostate cancer and was therefore released from prison on compassionate grounds.

It begs the question; Where was his compassion when he placed the bomb on the aircraft, knowing it would kill all on board? It was shown during the trial that the bomb had been set to explode somewhere over the Atlantic, in which case the aircraft, and it's passengers, may never have been found. Only a defective timer forestalled the hideous plan and the plane crashed into the Scottish village of Lockerbie four days before Christmas.

It was also shown that many passengers were ejected from the aircraft by the blast at 33,000ft, and many suffered during the fall before they died from cold and lack of oxygen at altitude before hitting the ground. This was proved by the fact that bodies were found over a huge area before the impact site.

So, after such a heinous crime, why does the Law have to show compassion? Should it? I think not!

Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was sentenced to 25 years in prison for personally placing the bomb on the Pan Am aircraft in Malta. While in prison he developed prostate cancer, and because of this has been released.

His crime will be remembered as one of the worst single acts of mass murder in history. The fact that he was released on compassionate grounds because of his illness will go down as one of the great miscarriages of justice.

How can the legal system hope to redress the ever-growing crime rate when criminals from all walks of life can be treated with such 'Compassion"? Recently Ronald Biggs, the Great Train Robber was also released due to illness.

We have become too soft on criminality and all it will do is increase the crime rate. I have long been in favour of bringing back the death penalty for certain crimes like terrorism and premeditated murder where there is no doubt as to the perpetrator.

For the moment al-Megrahi, Biggs and their ilk, should die in prison, and then be buried in unmarked graves.

May Heaven forgive us our timidity.

Roy.

Postscript:

The utter stupidity of Governments and the Law has once again been demonstrated to the world with the arrival of al-Megrahi in Libya.

Righteous indignation has poured forth from the Halls of Westminster and the seat of the Scottish Administration, Holyrood. What did these idiots expect?

Perhaps they thought al-Megrahi would secretly be taken off the plane to a prison to serve the rest of his sentence. How naive can you be! As thousands marched through the streets of Tripoli at the head of the procession, tempers flew in political circles.

He was celebrated as a returning war hero instead of the perpetrator of one of the most heinous crimes in history. To make matters worse, al-Megrahi has never uttered a single word of contrition for his act of mass-murder! Thats what you get for misguided compassion, or to put it in it's real context; Sheer Stupidity!!!

As citizens, surely we have the right to expect our government, or administration, to govern in the best interests of the people? Forget it!

The situation surrounding this man proves once again that Justice is dead, along with so many human values like morality and understanding.

May God help us all!