Posted on 12/21/2005 11:18:35 AM PST by JZelle
The Lebanese killer of a U.S. Navy diver was in custody in Beirut yesterday, according to U.S. officials who decried his release from a German prison last week and pledged to bring him to the United States for trial. Relatives of the victim -- Waldorf, Md., native Robert Dean Stethem -- said yesterday they were "devastated" to learn of the killer's release and urged the Bush administration to demand an explanation from Germany. "Just to see him free slays us," said Richard Stethem, father of the seaman whose beaten body was thrown onto a Beirut runway in 1985. Mohammad Ali Hamadi, a member of the Hezbollah guerrilla group, received a life sentence in Germany for hijacking a TWA plane to Beirut and fatally shooting Petty Officer 2nd Class Stethem, but was paroled after 18 years and freed on Thursday. The United States, which has been seeking Hamadi's extradition since his 1987 capture in Frankfurt, privately expressed anger at his early release, but officials said they were determined to "get our hands on him." "We are going to make every effort to see that he stands trial here in the United States," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. "We are disappointed now that he has been released before the end of his full sentence."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
""Just to see him free slays us,"
Unfortunate choice of words, I would think.
Unless, of course, the Lebanese are willing to expedite the process on their own soil.
I don't know if they'll extradite under those circumstances. And although it might be worth it to guarantee no death penalty just to get him back behind bars forever I don't know if that guarantee would be legal. FReeper legal beagles, what's your opinion?
Wouldn't be something if the Lebanese actually turned him over to the US? I can imagine the lefties would have a new VICTIM of Bush imperialism.
The Germans showed us they have a bad concept of justice. We need to hold them accountable for this miscarriage of justice, and bring this Muslim back to faced the gallows.
I'm not authorized to arrange an accident, but if I were, I think that would be the best solution.
I say we spirit him out of Beirut, fly him to Baghdad, and put him on the tarmac. Once there, walk 20 feet away, turn around, apprehend the sumbitch and send him to Gitmo.
The Germans showed us they have a bad concept of justice. We need to hold them accountable for this miscarriage of justice, and bring this Muslim back to faced the gallows.
Actually I think freeing him from a liberals version of a life sentence was a good thing. I think a Hellfire missle from a predator drone would be as good as anything for a death sentence. Hehehehehe.
Well, I'm not a 'legal beagle' but I think the Justice Department can make any deals it want's too.
Even to the point of saying "It isn't worth our time to retry him".
But I doubt that they would do that.
Regretably, the Germans have done this before. They think it will help protect their own country from terrorist attacks.
Has the eery ring of clinton's, 'We'll get those Kobar Towers bombers,' to those victims' families. And, of course, we know how well *that* went.
I smell another free tookie protest coming up!
Any contract made under duress and that violates US law is unenforceable.
Photo Credit: AP
I hope he doesn't slip and fall down several flights of stairs while being transferred.
I would not care if he doesn't get the death penalty as long as it means he remains behind bars for life.
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