Abdelbasset al-Megrahi. He was the Lockerbie bomber who was released from a Scottish prison because he had just a few weeks to live. As it turns out, he lived for a year and may live for many more.
The public outrage has an uncomfortable edge to it.
Clinton yesterday implied strongly that Megrahi’s release, and his continued survival long beyond the three months predicted by Scottish ministers, meant justice for the families of the dead had been denied.
Let’s get this straight. We agree on the following ranking of outcomes, from best to worst.
- Alive and in prison
- Alive 1 year after being released from prison.
- Dead 1 week after being released from prison.
But its easy to get confused because, conditional on learning that he was going to be alive 1 year later, we see that releasing him was a mistake. Because we assumed that he was going to die in a week so that 1 and 2 were not feasible. Now that we see that 1 was actually feasible we are outraged that he is alive. When we feel outraged that he is alive we start to think that means that we wish he was dead. But alive/dead is just the signal that we made a mistake. What we really wish is that we hadn’t made the mistake of setting him free.
Cheap Talk 
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September 1, 2010 at 3:22 am
Charles Norrie
Mr Magrahi had nothing to do with the destruction of Pan Am 103.
It was blown up jointly by the US and Iran as a result of a deal to give Iran its much desired revenge for the downing of IR-655 by the USS Vincennes.
Please read my story on the website on this infamous story in US history.
Currently, my story is being actively suppressed by the CIA, but it will out.
September 1, 2010 at 11:50 am
James Kelly
“Now that we see that 1 was actually feasible”
That doesn’t follow. He might well have died sooner had he not been released from prison. Indeed, one of the criteria for compassionate release in Scotland is the possibility that staying in prison might unnecessarily hasten death.
September 7, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Anthony
I would disagree with your ordering of outcomes. My rank ordering, from most preferred to least:
1. Dead.
2. Alive in prison.
3. Alive out of prison.
My compassion does not extend to the case of a mass murderer. Any mercy shown to Mr. Megrahi is for purely instrumental reasons: if the jurisdiction in which he is tried does not allow the death penalty, then we won’t execute him. If we need to make a deal with Libya to not execute him in order to get their cooperation (extradition, evidence, etc), we make that deal, rather than let him go free (if he is indeed guilty).
Furthermore, any mercy (one we’ve established guilt, and there doesn’t seem to be any question about that, comment #1 notwithstanding) *is* limiting justice. However, a 70% just solution is better than a 0% just solution.
September 7, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Charles Norrie
Dear Anthony,
Mr Magrahi did not carry out the Lockerbie bombing. You can read my reasoned argument that Iran and the USA did at adifferentviewonlockerbie.blogspot.com