For those of you who do not know this: when he was first arrested after the murder of Theo van Gogh it was a gigantic spectacle. What should have been a smooth operation turned into a street-war in The Hague: he and his buddies shot at the police, threw hand-grenades, special units went in, snipers were ready to take them out… we never saw something like that here in the Netherlands – we saw it all happening on TV.

This has me curious, do you have links about this gun battle?

http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Blind_sheik_s_lawyer_g

ets_28_months_10162006.html

http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Blind_sheik_s_lawyer_g

ets_28_months_10162006.html

On 30 June 2004 Azzouz was arrested again for the armed robbery of a supermarket. During a search of Azzouz’s house, police found what they believed to be evidence that Azzouz had been involved in planning several attacks on Dutch targets, such as Schiphol Airport and the nuclear power plant in Borssele. Police found maps of these targets, some chemicals used in explosives, such as fertilizer, and ammunition.

However, at trial the judge concluded there was insufficient evidence to convict Azzouz on the charge of planning terrorist attacks. He did in fact possess a home made bomb but this proved faulty since he had used the wrong type of fertilizer. He was only convicted on the charge of illegal possession of firearms and sentenced to three months in jail. After this sentence he was finally acquitted of the original terrorism charge.

LOL Why question the Democrats and US government if Dutch courts allowed an armed robbery.

Heres how US justice works:

Robber’s wish to go to prison granted

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A man who couldn’t find steady work came up with a plan to make it through the next few years until he could collect Social Security: He robbed a bank, then handed the money to a guard and waited for police.

On Wednesday, Timothy J. Bowers told a judge a three-year prison sentence would suit him, and the judge obliged.

“At my age, the jobs available to me are minimum-wage jobs. There is age discrimination out there,” Bowers, who turns 63 in a few weeks, told Judge Angela White.

US/ AARP – 3 years
Holland/ Incompetent terrorist – 3 months

Theoretically in Spain you could literally kill 100.000 people and be convicted to 3 million years in prison, and you would only serve a maximum of 30 years. The law says that’s the longest anyone can be imprisoned, and no, there are no exceptions. Of course a vast majority of people don’t even have that, since “good behaviour” (not killing/raping your fellow prisoners or maybe doing a little course in something) cuts years of your sentence. I’m fairly certain most murderers don’t do more than 20, and I’m betting most rapists do no more than 5. The population is dead set against this nonsense but as usual the political establishment is tone-deaf.

Terrorists are a whole new species of criminal. At least the US has the death penalty or actual life imprisonment. From what I know of most western European countries, there is a general cuddly feel-good tone to the justice systems that seems to consider criminals as victims themselves.

Thoughts?

MvdG – Haaretz link is a link to TMV, fixit.

I’m sorry? ‘fix it’? And who might You be?