Al Megrahi: the terrorist who didn’t die
Ah, how time flies. It seems it was only yesterday that Lockerbie terrorist Al Megrahi was released by Scottish authorities on compassionate grounds and sent home to Libya to die.
It may seem only yesterday, but in fact it’s been three months—exactly. And three months, you may recall, was the amount of time Al Megrahi had left to live, in the best estimates of his Scottish doctors. But it should come as no surprise whatsoever that Al Megrahi is still alive.
I’m not asking that Al Megrahi die. I’m merely asking that he be returned to prison, where he belongs—and where he should have stayed in the first place, even if the three months’ prediction had been correct. I’m joined in this position by none other than New York’s Senator Charles Schumer, who says he’s written a letter to Gordon Brown asking for Al Megrahi’s immediate return to prison.
A spokeswoman for Scottish Justice Minister Kenny Macaskill gave this answer:
For Megrahi to be recalled, he would need to breech one or more conditions of his license. Not dying withing three months is not one of those conditions.
Here’s the best report I could find on Al Megrahi’s medical progress since leaving the UK three months ago. It seems that after his hero’s welcome he entered a Tripoli hospital, where the Libyans somehow found a more effective way to treat his cancer than the Scottish medical system could offer:
[Al Megrahi] entered [a] Tripoli hospital to undergo an aggressive chemotherapy programme just days after Libyans celebrated his triumphal return.
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s regime publicly declared its hope that “a miracle from God” would preserve his life…Under the terms of the medical parole arrangement made with the Scottish government, Megrahi was supposed to communicate with officials weekly via a videolink installed in his family home.
Megrahi has now been sent back to the family’s villa in central Tripoli where a police guard keeps unauthorised visitors at bay. The family has been ordered to sever contacts with journalists.
Here’s an article whereby we learn some background; “only prisoners with three months or less to survive are eligible for release on compassionate grounds.” No doubt it’s a complete coincidence that Al Megrahi was found to have about three months to live, that he was then released, and that he’s still alive three months later.
The only real question seems to be: were the Scottish and/or other UK authorities played by al Megrahi, or were they in cahoots with him in order to get rid of him?
. . .or was his release UK payback for the Obama Uigher debacle in the Bahamas?
Just another victim of government run health care?
There’s some reason to believe this was not unrelated to an oil deal. And yet the BBC recently had an hour program(me) on the nefarious influence of Jews in Great Britain.
One of the claims, of course, was that Jews control the media. If so, we are doing a damn poor job of it, especially in Britain, as somehow the BBC and pretty much all the newspapers have managed to avoid the Zionist noose.
If only Neo-neocon, who cannot spell would venture forth from her American Nirvana. For a long time now decent observers in the UK have known that Mr Megrahi’s conviction is a fraud, and only the fact he was on Malta on the morning of 21 December 1988 supports it. Mr Fhimah, after all, was acquitted.
The chip evidence is blown, the Toshiba manual evidence a confection; there was no Toshiba cassette in a suitcase. Agents from your CIA manufactured evidence and blamed an innocent businessman.
Why do you think Mr Megrahi was sent home? His conviction would not have lasted a second look by the Scottish Appeal Court.
Alex Bensky, you misunderstand. They want Jews to have no influence whatsoever, so any influence is perceived, in narcissistic injury, as far too much.
Charles Norre might be listened to, as there are indeed many questions about the trial and original guilt of Al Megrahi. Do not, however, attempt to discuss matters with those who write as he does. They are unable to reason, only advocate for a position regardless of the facts and arguments. Evidence: claiming that all decent observers agree with him, trying to claim a moral high ground by sneering; the hyperbole of statements that the appeal would not have lasted a second look (when it has already lasted several second looks), use of words such as “fraud,” “manufactured,” and “blown,” which are opinions not supported by evidence; gratuitous references to spelling and American Nirvana, which have no purpose beyond the attempt to sneer and condescend. It is a typical leftist argument, where the energy has gone into the cleverness of the insult, rather than the reasoning.
Nah, I’m feeling expansive this morning. I won’t discourage others from engaging Mr. Norre. Anytime, Charles. You have no idea how badly outgunned you are here by people who are not cowed simply because you adopt a superior tone. We’re more likely to find that buffoonish here. Please, have a go at it. We’re begging, actually.
I tend to think that A.V.I. had it right the first time — there’s no point in engaging somebody who sneers instead of speaking. However, I do wish to note that if a commenter chooses to criticize a blogger’s spelling, it helps if 1) the commenter can use commas correctly and 2) the blogger has actually misspelled something. The only incorrectly spelled word in the post appears in quoted language, accurately reproducing the original author’s misspelling.
Well put, Mrs. Whatsit (and AVI).
Personally, I’m bemused by the reference to the Toshiba manual evidence as “a confection”. No doubt that usage looks reasonable in Britain… but among Americans it looks ridiculous, as here the word means “candy”.
Certainly, I have no objections whatsoever to Englishmen using British spelling, and so forth. But it’s amusing to see such patronizing usage by someone who accuses others of parochialism.
cheers,
Daniel in Brookline
There was a deal, for convoluted reasons we will never know. Indeed, he may not have been guilty, the trail goes back many years.
Amusing to consider the excellent longevity arising from the superior Libyan medical establishment. Victor Davis Hanson would appreciate that irony, given his own experiences there with a burst appendix.
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The question of innocence does not apply. He was convicted. Has nil to do with his release, putatively to Libyan equivalent of hospice. I cannot recall seeing any medical details reported in MSM to support his “terminal” diagnosis. That he is viewed by Libyans as a hero is grounds aplenty to suspect his guilt, not his innocence.
Oh, eff eff ess.
We know, I’m sure, that all this was done very cynically by Whitehall to get some quid pro quo from Libya.
How are the mighty fallen . . .
BTW, the “eff eff ess” is a comment on the State of Things, not Neo’s post.
Ta, all.
I’m well aware, AVI, that these folks don’t want Jews to have any influence, except Jews who take their side–there’s a group over here called J Street which claims to be pro-Israel. However, it couldn’t decide which side to support during Operation Cast Lead, opposes any sanctions on Iran, and not only accepts contributions from people closely tied to anti-Israel groups but places them on advisory boards and committees. And of course it identifies the settlements as the major obstacle to peace.
These Jews, it is agreed, should have influence.
I am just bemused by the claim that the Zionist conspiracy controls the media and suppresses dissent when the claim is asserted by people who have outlets like The Guardian and the BBC and whose vicious and false anti-Israel slanders do not bring the harsh hand of suppression from the all-seeing Zionists.
Or, to show off my classical education, it’s like shouting at the top of your lungs, “Help, help! I’m being repressed!”
Alex, I am similarly bemused, especially when semi-reasonable people like my brother express the view. But I work in an acute psychiatric hospital, and am reminded frequently how narcissism knows no reasonable bounds.
The most educated, sophisticated, and culturally grounded nation in the world went completely mad in the 1930’s, driven by three factors: historical anti-semitism, recent pagan-nihilism, and personal narcissism. Modern progressives are well along on the latter two, and are rediscovering the first.
Anyone heard from Charles lately?