Brits oppose bin Laden's execution

alledan

LONDON, England -- Britain would hand over terror suspect Osama bin Laden for trial in the United States only if assurances were given that he would not face the death penalty, UK Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon says. Hoon said he believes the U.S. is the correct venue for any trial of the prime suspect in the September 11 bombings, if he is captured by British troops. But he said that extradition to the U.S. -- which has the death penalty in some states -- would require "certain undertakings" from the American authorities. Britain does not extradite suspects to countries with the death penalty unless assurances are secured that they will not face execution. This is a provision in the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Britain is a signatory. Asked what would happen to bin Laden if he fell into the hands of UK troops, Hoon told BBC Television's "Breakfast with Frost" programme on Sunday: "I believe that it would be very important to respect the international legislation relevant to those circumstances. "That is that the country that has the main call on him as far as bringing him to justice is concerned -- which clearly is the United States -- we should hand him over fairly promptly to face justice in the United States. "We do extradite people to countries with the death penalty, obviously subject to certain undertakings. "I see no reason in principle why that shouldn't happen. I would mean, of course, that certain undertakings would have to be given about any penalty he might face." Asked whether this meant that the US authorities would have to offer assurances that bin Laden would not face execution, Hoon said: "That is the position." On the "Breakfast with Frost" programme, Hoon restated Britain's readiness to provide troops for an international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan. But he played down press reports that as many as 10,000 UK troops might be involved in a 50,000-strong force, saying: "I don't believe that necessarily any one country will have such a large number." U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Saturday that Britain -- which led similar operations in the Balkans -- was a possible candidate to lead the international force, and Hoon signalled the UK would be keen to take on such a role. He said: "I see every advantage in one country providing the main elements of the headquarters of this operation, something that the UK has done very well in the past. "Certainly, if the United Nations makes a request, we will look at that very, very seriously." Hoon said that any decision to deploy British peacekeepers would have to be endorsed by the UK parliament, so it was not possible for him to say now whether a U.N. request for assistance would be granted. But he added: "We are certainly prepared to help with something that is important, as we go on ensuring that Afghanistan has a real future after the tremendous efforts that have been made on the ground in the military campaign. "We can't afford to let this opportunity slip. "What is very important is that this is a multinational force and reflects the wide range of support the international community have given to Afghanistan. What is very important is that all those countries who have offered help already are able to participate." Hoon, who recently raised eyebrows by saying the military action against Osama bin Laden might be extended to targets in other countries where his al Qaeda network had found sanctuary, denied there were plans to attack elsewhere soon. "We don't support any action in any given country," he said but added that the Afghan campaign had sent a "very clear message" around the world about what could befall pariah nations.

beachmaster73

Come on guys this is strictly proforma on the part of the British government. They are signatories to that convention and are bound by law to observe it. For them to ignore their own laws would put them on the same level as other societies that ignore justice. Reading between the lines do you really think some underpaid SAS trooper is going to forgo the $25 million he gets for capping bin Laden? I doubt it!!! Now as to giving him to us for federal prosecution; how many of you joyously raise your hands for a death sentence followed by a quick and humane execution at some federal prison via lethal injection as he sings the praises of Allah to the TV camera until he quietly goes to sleep and becomes the second Saladin of the Moslem world. Don't you really, really, really think justice would be served with a 1000 year sentence to some federal prison in which he could partake of the social interaction available to him in that prison in which he would be reduced to the lowest form of prison being. I'm sure for even a little less than the money that Saxon proposes some red blooded American convicts could give bin Laden a lifetime of reflection on his actions. While personally I'd love to see some Lance Corporal of Marines collect the $25 million bin Laden lottery....I wouldn't complain at all if he received a lifetime of payback in some truly hardcore US federal prison. And if he became too much of a Saladin for us to stomach around the world I'm sure some convicts could stage a vulgar accidental death that would lessen him in the eyes of his adoring fanatics. I truly just want to see him shaved and reduced to leg irons and dishonored in the eyes of the world. Beach

7mm_ultra_mag_is_king

disshonor and humiliation would be great.Shave him, make him live with a pig, place him in solitary with a tv, play nothing but American history shows and news shows as we bomb his people. give him an occasional vistit from bubba(know what I mean?) have a FEMALE quard give him fire hose showers. Every morning play the national anthem and make him stand and face our flag. Degrade him to nothing more than a rat, hummiliate him, disshonor him in front of his people, make him beg us to kill him, keep him alive. inject him with the AIDS virus and let him die a slow misserable death

---

when all else fails........................

YankeeClipper

I like the coment on the reward. Good point.But let The British feed and house him the next 40 years. Remember this: You arn't doing me any favors by life in jail.

---

beachmaster73

If we are so incompetent as not to be able to catch him on our own then we should be greatful to those who do catch him and we should not complain about any attachments that they have to put on an extradition to the United States for eventual trial to meet their own judicial rules. Personally I'd like to see him enjoy a little degradation rather than a fast trip to Allah. And as I recall we asked the Brits to help us out. Their desert SAS teams are the best in the world bar none. Beach

Mom Mom

Maybe next time he will take out Big Ben, westminster Abbey, and St. James Palace. Wonder how they bleeding hearts will like him then?Hey, is this the same country that killed CHILDREN of patriots a few hundred years ago? That introduced slavery to this country? That deported its criminals to such humanitarian places as the jungles of South America and the outback of Australia and New Zealand,where they were the slave labor? The same country that invented prison ships when they filled up the land dungeons? Is this the compassionate Great Britain that watched the starvation of thousands of Irish when the potatoe crops failed a mere 160 or so years ago? And evicted the remaining living skeletons off of THEIR OWN LAND (which had been stolen by the crown to begin with) when they couldn't pay the rent? And I do beleive they once rejected a boat of german Jewish refugees, most of whom died after being returned to Germany. They certainly did not seem to have any "considerations" in mind during the prosecution of WWII war criminals. IS this the same England that is now demanding certain "considerations" from the U.S. for the treatment of a war criminal who started a war by attacking us?

salzo

Well thats what you get when you form alliances with other countries. We should have gone in there ourselves, and told all those who wanted to help, "No thanks."

---

Happiness is a warm gun

mlincoln

You guys have mighty short memories. Seems to me that on September 11, when we were looking far and wide for friends, lots of countries were saying that they don't approve of terrorism and they condem the attack on the US and so forth, but darn few countries were going beyond that. Britian did. There are British troops fighting right alongside the American troops in the conflict. Lots of countries sent sympathy cards, but Britian grabbed a rifle and stood right next to us. That means a hell of a lot. Yeah, they don't support the death penalty and it is a bit of a sticky situation, but I'm not ready to badmouth the one country that totally supported us. You shouldn't either.

njretcop

Sorry, but I can't abide any fair-weather friends and that includes England!Talk about short memories, perhaps the Brits should reach back in their own memory banks and ask themselves where they would be today if it wasn't for the United States of America. If it wasn't for AMERICAN fighting men and women during WWII, today England would be known as East Germany!As to their holier than thou attitude about the death penalty, the Crown raises a ton of pounds (pun intended)each year selling tours of the Bloody Tower of London where for centuries men, women and children were beheaded! But WE are now the barbarians because we put murderers to death by lethal injection, I think not!Yes, their troops are along side of ours now, but NO ONE in the world thinks for a minute that the United States of America is not the one carring the load of this battle.Sorry for being on my soapbox, I just watched them bury a true American hero in Arlington Cemetery. American service personal are being killed protecting American citizens. The rest of the world stands by with their hands in their pockets saying yeah, give it 'em USA, but don't ask us for money or arms or put our people in harm's way while your at it.When the fat hits the fire, we are on our own and don't forget it. The United States of America is the greatest country in the world and we must stay strong for our own good. I doubt if any of our "friends" would come to our rescue if we were in trouble.-Charlie

---

It's the stuff dreams are made of AngelMember: NRA, RKBA, NJSPBA, NJ area rep for the 2AMPD and the AARP. njretcop@copmail.com

salzo

Soon after the bombing, everyone was making quite a hooplah about all of the other countries that were supporting the US. Oh it is so wonderful. One world government at its finest!! Now, because England was so wonderful in helping us, we have to listen to them tell us how things are going to go.

---

Happiness is a warm gun

Iconoclast

I realized the Europeans were squeamish about the death penalty, but never expected anyone to draw the line on this vermin, especially since so many Brits and Commonwealth citizens were among those murdered 9-11. If anyone deserves death, it's OBL. But, we saw the same thing w/ the Balkan warlords who committed genocide and some recent cases of murderers who the Europeans would not extradite unless we guaranteed they would not face execution. I do not want to see him tried w/ all those nice ACLU types rushing to defend him. If he is captured, we will have a mess either way - Islamic crazies committing terror acts to revenge this 'Islamic martyr' or committing them in an attempt to win his freedom. Long term, I think the latter would cause more trouble, for his followers are more likely to take hostages among people who are less protected among our allies / friends in an attempt to poison our relations w/ those nations. If we do have to imprison him, just release him into the general population in the yard; the problem will be solved in very short order. As satisfying as the suggestions made in some of the above posts would be, the 8th Amendment prohibits that - and if we don't stand up for that prohibition, I would submit we have no right to complain when the do-gooders want to curtail the provisions of the 2nd Amendment. I just hope our folks catch up to him first.

Mom Mom

As OBL preaches fighting to the death for Allah, the easiest solution is for him to avoid capture by becoming a battlefield casaulty. We get our diplomatic problem solved, and he goes straight to Heaven (or wherever) and collects his promised 40 virgins. Or imps, depending upon the location of his version of Heaven.I realize this idea will never gain popularity with the powers that be. It's entirey too simple and logical. Plus, it doesn't take a task force to study the issue and present proposals. Everyone knows a true democracy cannot function without its' committees, and hearings, and so on and so forth. A note of irony- OBL and his cronies are thought to be holed up in the Tora Bora caves; the same caves turned into an impenatrable defense system by the CIA when the Afghans were good guys and the Russians were bad. The next time we help our allies, we really need to leave a "back door" for ourselves, just in case.

Pup

People, people. Britain gave us the Spice Girls, driving on the wrong side of the road, and have effectively disarmed themselves with thier choice of politicians. Does this reaction of theirs really surprise any of us? I think a small part of their brains are still pissed that we gained our independence from them, so once in awhile they do/say something stupid, or export some "fad" that doesn't amount to jack squat just to get a rise out of some here. They may be a staunch ally, but that doesn't mean they're the brightest bulb on the tree. Happy holidays to all.