The fascinating planetary split on whether or not it was correct to release Lockerbie bombing convict Abdul Basset Ali Al-Megrahi continues with this article by columnist Joao Pereira Coutinho who writes for the Brazilian newspaper Folha.
For Folha, Coutinho writes in a sarcastic rejoinder to the release:
“For ‘compassionate’ reasons, the Scottish government – which is sovereign in judicial matters – decided to release him. The terrorist is ill with terminal cancer, said the Scottish minister of justice. At best he has three months to live. Let us be humane. … I too, am humane. But my humanity normally lies with the victims, not the executioners. I admit that it’s a deformation of character that makes me a true Torquemada: upon seeing Al-Megrahi received as a hero in Libya, I thought immediately of how the 270 families would feel seeing their relatives pulverized in midair in December, 1988. Yes, I am a monster.”
Then, after lambasting the apparent commercial arrangements that now appear to lie behind Megrahi’s release, Coutinho writes of the likely consequences:
“The release of one criminal will be seen by enemies of the West, not as a gesture of ‘humanity’ and ‘compassion,’ but as a manifestation of greed, an act of betrayal of the victims and a posture of surrender before its attackers.”
By João Pereira Coutinho*
Translated By Brandi Miller
August 24, 2009
Brazil – Folha – Original Article (Portuguese)
LISBON: It’s always touching to see a terrorist returning home. A few days ago I watched a spectacle on the BBC: Abdul Basset Ali Al-Megrahi was saluted as a hero by the crazed population of Tripoli, capital of Libya. I understand the enthusiasm. Al-Megrahi was condemned to life in prison for his involvement in the Lockerbie terrorist attack (one plane, 270 victims). The judgment was internationally recognized as fair and conclusive. Al-Megrahi fulfilled eight years of his punishment.
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