I was just heading out to court when this broke, so excuse the shortness of the post.

Scottish authorities have released Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the man convicted of his role in the terror bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988. The attack killed 270 people in the plane and on the ground. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said that his terminal condition (he is dying of prostate cancer) and Scottish values bound her to release him.

I have mixed views of this decision. On the one hand, the man murdered 270 people and thus deserves little or no empathy. At the same time, there is an argument that the very fact he would not show such compassion is a reason for us to do so. To demonstrate that we are better than he is.

I also wonder if perhaps there is more to this story, but that will have to wait until later today.