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Libyan intelligence agent Abdel Basset al-Megrahi after stepping

onto the Libyan plane that would whisk him away to Libya.

 

 

Die Welt, Germany

Retrial of Lockerbie Bomber Would Have Been Preferable

 

"Doubts have emerged over the circumstances of this act of grace, which reeks of a deal. … Is this noble act of humanity just a footnote to a business transaction?"

 

By Thorsten Jungholt

 

Translated By Jonathan Lobsien

 

August 21, 2009

 

Germany - Die Welt - Original Article (German)

Judged by the standards of Scottish law, the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi is hardly objectionable. Apparently terminally ill with prostate cancer, the Libyan has been shown an act of mercy after eight years in prison and should spend the last weeks of life at home. That he showed no mercy in carrying out his crime, the mass murder of 270 passengers on board a Pan Am aircraft in 1988, is no argument [against showing mercy to him] in a humane constitutional state: justice was done when he received a life sentence and in the words of Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, Megrahi must now answer “to a higher power ... he will soon die [video below].”

 

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

 

However, doubts have emerged over the circumstances of this act of grace, which reeks of a deal. Is it a coincidence that for weeks, senior British officials have been touring Libya to secure contracts for the exploitation of the huge gas and oil reserves off the coast of that north African country? Is this noble act of humanity therefore just a footnote to a business transaction?

 

SEE ALSO ON THIS:  

Le Figaro, France: Persuasive Leads in Favor of Lockerbie Convict Were Overlooked

Le Quotidien d’Oran, Algeria: West's 'Profound Hypocrisy' Over Lockerbie Release

Trouw, The Netherlands: Lockerbie 'Suspect's' Release Reflects Strength of Civilization  

Guardian Unlimited, U.K.: Scotland's 'Brave and Principled' Release
Irish Examiner, Ireland: Angry Over Lockerbie, U.S. Tourists Snub Scotland for Ireland

 

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This question will likely not be answered - like so many others connected with the one of the most spectacular cases of terrorism in the 20th century. Because despite his sentence, there have always been doubts about whether the evidence presented at Megrahi's trial really justified conviction. Voices that must be taken seriously have spoken of a "miscarriage of justice." It would therefore have been desirable earlier for Scottish justice to have considered a retrial. Now it's too late.

 

CLICK HERE FOR GERMAN VERSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US August 29, 8:15pm]

 







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