Posted on 12/21/2005 10:55:46 PM PST by Former Military Chick
WASHINGTON - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales personally asked the German government not to release a terrorist accused of killing a Navy diver, but was rebuffed, the Bush administration said Wednesday.
Mohammed Ali Hamadi was freed on parole by German authorities after serving 19 years of a life sentence for the 1985 hijacking of a TWA plane during which a U.S. Navy diver, Robert Dean Stethem, 23, was killed. The 17-day ordeal riveted the United States and brought Middle East terrorism home for many Americans.
"We did, at senior levels at the U.S. government, contact the German authorities to emphasize that we thought it was important that he serve out his entire term, but we did so with a full understanding that under German law it was highly likely that he was going to be released," State Department Sean McCormack said.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions are ongoing, said the United States thinks Hamadi was released from temporary custody in Lebanon.
Lebanon is an emerging U.S. ally in the volatile Middle East, with a new democratically elected government and growing diplomatic and economic ties with the West.
Lebanon's Syrian-allied prime minister remains in power, however, and the country is still largely defined by sectarian politics.
The United States has no extradition treaty with Lebanon.
"We have been in contact with them on the issue," McCormack said. "And at this point I think what I can assure anybody who's listening, including Mr. Hamadi, is that we will track him down. We will find him."
Lebanese authorities questioned whether they have any grounds to hand over Hamadi.
"They (U.S. authorities) could have asked Germany to hand him over to the United States. Why are they asking us?" Prime Minister Fuad Saniora told reporters Wednesday.
The United States had sought to prosecute Hamadi when he was arrested in Germany in 1987, but the Germans would not turn him over. The United States has periodically asked that Hamadi not be released early, requests that intensified as his potential parole date approached.
Gonzales contacted his German counterpart within the last month, McCormack said.
Then tonight which will re-air on MSNBC (2am EST), they had the brother of the Navy Diver discussing the case and while something I recall it has been many years and as I listened again to the facts of that ill fated day, this piece of filth should have been executed and that be that.
NOW, he is being released. Wrong. Where is the coverage on FOX, or CNN. As I said, tonight, Crier is sitting in for Scarborough, they have an exclusive with the brother Robert Dean Stethem, it is really an excellent segment. I will post the transcript of that portion of the show once it is up.
Send a note to your local news channels, op-ed pages etc. We cannot forgot this fine Navy diver, and further more we must ensure that justice is sought for him as well. The Germans did not seem to think much of his life.
OUTRAGE PING
Cabbage eaters.
This is why it's so laughable when these "enlightened" European countries lecture the US about the death penalty. A life sentence doesn't even mean life over there...or anywhere close to it.
ping
Germany fears islamic terrorist reprisals if they extradite this guy to the U.S. Islam has castrated all of Europe and left them b@!!ess.
To Europeans anything more than 19 years for murder is cruel and inhumane. There was a big cry peice in the NY Times a while back, its posted on FR somewhere. The NY TIMES obviously agreed that 19 years or so should be a MAXIMUM sentence
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1544791/posts?page=31#31
The only question I have now is what is the President and the administration going to do about it? They can start by telling The German officials, and as far as I'm concerned, civilians also, that they are not welcome here until we have the scum bag in custody.
Well, did the Pres. pick up the phone and talk to Merkel or not?
I think you have a point. This action was well out of left field. As I listened to his brother tonight, it has been so many years but as he spoke the chills and anger I felt well there needs to be action on this and swiftly at that.
I think the US should start targeting terrorist like this piece of garbage for elimination.
But why would we want to have him in custody? He'd have rights. Ramsey Clark could defend him.
In her response to the 1972 Olympic massacre, Gold Meier set the example to be emulated.
Not only are the Germans against the death penalty, it appears they don't allow anyone to serve LIFE either. Every criminal gets a pass, eventually, in this socialist hellhole.
That's the point. It's one reason why I oppose the anti-death penalty people.
It's only the first goal in their war against punishment.
If they had their way, murder itself wouldn't warrant, even in extreme cases, true life sentences (or even effective ones until ages of 70-80) No, 10-15 years is good enough.
It's not about DEATH (except for a small few.) It's about a prison sentence AT ALL. If they could, they'd let them all free or assign them to group therapy.
Germany - federal,
or
Germany - state,
involved here?
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