The problem is that many of us have bitter memories of the Munich terrorists being released after a hijacking, mere months after they butchered the Israeli athletes. The precedent is there, so the incident does arouse suspicion.
But you know that Hammadi was in prison since 1989??
"This is what Germany understands as Justice. Killers are usually released after 15-18 years imprisonment, so there´s really not much behind the story other than that the victim was an American. The German government had no influence on this, nor was the release of the German hostage in Iraq an issue here.
The problem is that many of us have bitter memories of the Munich terrorists being released after a hijacking, mere months after they butchered the Israeli athletes. The precedent is there, so the incident does arouse suspicion."
The history of the Stasi after the end of the cold war is interesting. Germany spent considerable effort to capture the murderous criminals, but only put them in prison for a few years. If the shoe would have been on the other foot, the Commies would have executed the Westerners.
‘snip’
The judge, as part of his summing up, said he realised that the verdict may be received with bitterness, as a setback in the so-called war on terror, but the court had to follow legal procedures.
Mr Schulz said it showed that it was impossible to get a fair trial of a terrorist case in Germany.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3460875.stm