The Palestinian Authority today demanded that the US release a Palestinian faction leader reportedly seized by its special forces in Baghdad last night.
Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said that Abu Abbas, who masterminded the 1985 hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro, was being held in violation of a peace agreement signed by the US.
The Palestinian Liberation Front’s hijacking of the ship is chiefly remembered because of the shooting of a 69-year-old American, Leon Klinghoffer, whose body was thrown into the Mediterranean, along with his wheelchair.
“We demand the United States release Abu Abbas. It has no right to imprison him,” Mr Erekat told the Reuters news agency.
“The Palestinian-Israeli interim agreement signed on September 28 1995 stated that members of the Palestine Liberation Organisation must not be detained or tried for matters they committed before the Oslo peace accord of September 13 1993,” he said.
“This interim agreement was signed on the US side by President Clinton and his secretary of state, Warren Christopher.”
The attack on the Achille Lauro, which took place off Port Said, in Egypt, ended after two days, when the hijackers surrendered in exchange for their own safe passage.
Italy’s justice minister said on Wednesday that Italy planned to seek the extradition of veteran Palestinian guerrilla leader Abu Abbas, captured by U.S. forces in Baghdad. …]
I don’t think the US will go for it.. Italy being in the EU isn’t allowed to have the death penalty. Don’t count on anything coming out of the Pal demand.. I doubt any high-level US official will even bother dismissing it.
Ok.. maybe I am mixing up the names here a bit, but who was the bloke in Baghdad, who a year ago committed "suicide" by shooting himself three times in the head?
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*Originally posted by Faisal: *
Ok.. maybe I am mixing up the names here a bit, but who was the bloke in Baghdad, who a year ago committed "suicide" by shooting himself three times in the head?
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*Originally posted by EntityParadigm: *
^
desperate measures by USA to link iraq to a terrorist organisation ?]of any kind. :-)
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Desperate measures? The guy was found in Iraq and arrested. His terrorist credentials are well established. What exactly do you think the US did that constitutes a "desperate measure?"
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*Originally posted by myvoice: *
Desperate measures? The guy was found in Iraq and arrested. His terrorist credentials are well established. What exactly do you think the US did that constitutes a "desperate measure?"
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May be I am missing some info here, if charges were dropped back in 1998, what did he commit after 1998 that allows US to arrest him and call it a big catch?
The warrant was dropped, charges can be reissued. Perhaps they brought him in for questioning and found some information out. Italy has already sentenced this terrorist to life in prison.
May be I am missing some info here, if charges were dropped back in 1998, what did he commit after 1998 that allows US to arrest him and call it a big catch?
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There's no statute of limitations on murder. You don't deny that he was responsible for the shooting of that poor guy in a wheelchair and dumping him and his chair in the Med Sea do you? Maybe you think brave freedom fighting jihadis have the blessing of the almighty to kill old men in wheelchairs.
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*Originally posted by myvoice: *
There's no statute of limitations on murder. You don't deny that he was responsible for the shooting of that poor guy in a wheelchair and dumping him and his chair in the Med Sea do you?
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But then why did US back off charges in 1998?
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Maybe you think brave freedom fighting jihadis have the blessing of the almighty to kill old men in wheelchairs.
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May be your almighty (US) is playing a game, leave the culprit let him runaround and then catch him whenever desired.
But then why did US back off charges in 1998?
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I don't know. It's not on my top ten list of things I'd like my government to disclose. At the top is who killed JFK. Second is probably whether there are aliens at Roswell or Area 51.
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*Originally posted by Changez_like: *
May be your almighty (US) is playing a game, leave the culprit let him runaround and then catch him whenever desired.
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Possible. But, he was given safe haven in Iraq for so many years I sort of doubt we could "catch him whenever desired."
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*Originally posted by myvoice: *
...At the top is who killed JFK. Second is probably whether there are aliens at Roswell or Area 51.
....
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I am sure "where is Sad-dam" and "where are chem/bio WMDs" aren't in top 10 either so long as Iraq is "liberated".