What does Hillary know?

[hectormac]

So it looks like Abdelbaset Ali al_Magrahi is to be freed before the weekend. Compassionate grounds - he has less than 12 weeks to live. In Scotland, as elsewhere, the decision by Scottish Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill will be greeted with a mixture of outrage and "not before time".

We should not conflate the release on compassionate grounds

Comments

[julietvalcouer]

Not blowing up airliners or driving car bombs into embassies is what separates us from the terrorist. Compassion shouldn't enter into it when it comes to dealing with the guilty.

The problem in THIS case (which I have not studied in legal detail) is the question of guilt. He might very well be innocent of this crime, meaning he should not have been in jail in the first place. Even though he's going to die, it would behoove the justice system to continue investigating the matter.

That makes his case considerably different from Manson Family member Susan Atkins, who is dying of a brain tumor and who is petitioning for compassionate release from her life sentence for her participation in the Tate-La Bianca murders. I've seen the unedited, uncensored crime scene and autopsy photos. Not only should she not be released, she should be denied palliative care. She already got one reprieve when California abolished the death penalty she was sentenced to. Someone capable of doing what she did must ask God for mercy because they deserve none from other people.

[hectormac]

It's interesting to watch that widely-circulating soundbite of Hillary Clinton on the issue. The body language and verbal fluency changes subtly from hesitant empathy and outrage when talking about the Syracuse families, to considered legalese precision when she mentions the criminal process. Not too much should be read into this, since there are diplomatic niceties to be observed, but you can see her gratefully falling back on a carefully prepared form of words.