@Robert Gentel,
That was fascinating reading - thanks for posting it. What painstaking work that investigation entailed- again- I find that stuff interesting.
The shopkeeper's identification did seem a little tenuous but the aspect of the case that would have convinced me that, as you said, Megrahi was involved in some way, was the contact and activities between the two men accused along with the diary of the second man who was accused (even though from what it said, I gather that evidence was not admissable during the trial to determine the guilt of Megrahi).
After reading that - I don't feel that Megrahi was in prison totally without reason.
I also wondered a little about the baggage handler that put the two suitcases in after the container had been packed, and initially denied doing that. It just seems suspect that it was those two suitcases that were outstanding in that regard and that no one saw the person put them in. They weren't loaded on and then they were. What a mystery.
I'll have to read over that again.
I don't know what to think about compassionate release as a concept- but as someone alluded- that's probably because I'm an American- and that's not a clearly outlined tenet of our justice system.
I think this guy gave up his life when he packed that suitcase and conspired and participated in maneuvering it onto that plane (which after reading the link, I do believe he did- just my interpretation of what I read-but of course- that's how the court itself interpreted the evidence, so that's not surprising).
If he'd have been in less pain or more comfortable in another setting due to his disease - I can see doing that for him, a prison hospice where his wife and family could visit or something- but I don't agree with his release to his homeland at the government's request and expense and the resulting hero's welcome. Unless that's what you'd want to see for every violent, radical extremist (which he admitted he was) who subsequently gets sick.
