Germany Lets Out Terrorist Scum

**And there I was thinking that it was just the UK that was soft on terror.

Beirut — A Lebanese man serving a life sentence in Germany for the 1985 hijacking of a TWA jetliner and killing of a U.S. Navy diver has returned to Lebanon after being paroled in Germany, security and guerrilla officials said Tuesday.

Mohammed Ali Hamadi arrived in Beirut four days ago on a commercial flight from Germany, a Lebanese security official and a member of the Hezbollah group said, insisting on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

It was not known where Mr. Hamadi, who spent 19 years in prison, went after entering Lebanon.

His Hamadi's case came up for a court-mandated review, and he was released after an expert assessment and a hearing, said Doris Moeller-Scheu, spokeswoman for the Frankfurt, Germany, prosecutor's office.

German Justice Ministry spokeswoman Eva Schmierer said Berlin had not received any request from the United States for Mr. Hamadi's extradition.

U.S. authorities had originally requested his extradition so he could stand trial in the United States, but the Germans, who have no death penalty, insisted on prosecuting him.

German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger said there was no connection between Mr. Hamadi's release and the recent freeing of former hostage Susanne Osthoff, a German woman released over the weekend after spending more than three weeks as a captive in Iraq.

TWA flight 847 from Athens to Rome was hijacked in June, 1985, to Beirut, where the hijackers beat and shot U.S. Navy diver Robert Dean Stethem and dumped his body on the tarmac.

Mr. Stethem was the only casualty during the hijacking ordeal, in which 39 Americans were held hostage for 17 days.

Mr. Hamadi was arrested at the Frankfurt airport on Jan. 13, 1987, when customs officials discovered liquid explosives in his luggage.

** Check out the jihadwatch article. Does seem a tad strange that a hostage gets freed in Iraq and the Germans let out a gutless sack of shit back onto the streets. Good piece on this over at Lost Budgie and I for one will be avoiding German goods from now on.

In the words of his brother Ken: Robert Stethem was an American hero, who refused to denounce the United States while being tortured to death by Hezbollah murderers. As his brother, Ken, so eloquently said, "Every time I look at the flag now and for the rest of my life, the red will represent the blood he spilled, the blue the beating and bruises he endured, and the white the purity and integrity he demonstrated in sacrificing his life." More on this at Debbie Schlussel

The US had this to say: Let me just, you know, let me just say that the United States will make every effort to see that this individual, Mohammad Ali Hammadi, faces justice in a United States court for his role in the murder of Mr. Stethem. ... In the years since his arrest and conviction, the United States has made its views known that Hammadi should face trial in the U.S. for the murder of Mr. Stethem and that we have demonstrated over the years that when an individual -- we believe an individual is responsible for the murder of innocent American civilians that we will track them down and that we will bring them to justice in the United States. We saw that -- we have seen that over the years. We saw that with the person responsible for the murder of an American citizen, Mr. Klinghoffer. We tracked that person down and we brought them to justice in the United States. It doesn't matter how long it takes, but we will track them down and they will face justice in the United States.

And if anyone thinks that we in the UK can crow about this and are saying that we dont deal with terrorists, then remember that the Blair Govt, has made a deal with the IRA and other terrorist vermin in our backyard, where they can now walk free. No trial, not even a case of turn up in court for the slap across the wrist. They have managed to hide from justice and now the Government has given up and let them walk free having served not a day for their crimes. So the terrorists get to walk tall in Ireland and yet again the victims who were bombed/shot and terrorised by those barbarians get nothing, not even the satisfaction of seeing the murders of their family members put on trial.

Extra, Extra

Anyway another brilliant cartton from Cox & Forkum above, oh and a happy Independence Day/Unity Day to Nepal.

U.S. patrol finds munitions cache

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Task Force Baghdad Soldiers on patrol discovered a large cache of munitions in northeast Baghdad Dec. 21.

The Soldiers from A Troop, 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment found 27 rocket-propelled grenade rounds, three 82 mm mortar rounds, 13 armor-piercing rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 28 rocket-propelled propellant chargers, 10,000 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, and 400 4.5 mm rounds.

All munitions were turned over to an explosive ordnance disposal team for destruction by a controlled detonation.

Operation Moonlight concludes

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq— Operation Alkamra Almaner (Moonlight) concluded Dec. 20.

Moonlight was the first brigade-level operation conducted by Iraqi Army Soldiers in the al Anbar province. Five Iraqi Army companies from 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division led the operation and were supported by a company of U.S. Marines from Regimental Combat Team - 2.

The operation netted a weapons cache; additionally, Operation Moonlight demonstrated the Iraqi Army Soldiers’ ability to gather intelligence, plan, execute and exercise command and control during a large-scale operation.

The Iraqi Soldiers, with Marines acting as observers, cleared an area east of Ubaydi along the northern and southern banks of the Euphrates River. The area directly to the west was cleared last month during Operation Steel Curtain.

No terrorists were encountered during the operation; however, one Iraqi Soldier received minor injuries resulting from a roadside bomb attack. The Soldier was treated at the scene and returned to duty. No Iraqi civilian casualties were reported.

No air strikes were conducted during the course of the operation.

Nine insurgents killed, 16 detained in overnight raids

BAGHDAD, Iraq – At least nine Anti-Iraqi Forces were killed and 16 terror suspects were captured in two separate incidents in southern Baghdad Dec.19-20.

Two vehicles were observed fleeing the scene of a raid Dec. 19. One group pulled a bound hostage from the vehicle and killed him. A U.S. warplane flying in support of operations in the area engaged and killed the terrorists.

The warplane then switched targets, engaging the other vehicle which resulted in at least four AIF deaths and four detainees. Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment transported three of the detainees to a military internment facility for further questioning. One wounded detainee was evacuated to a military hospital.

In a separate incident in Northern Babil, 12 suspected terrorists were detained and an unknown number of weapons and medical supplies were confiscated at a building during an early morning raid Dec. 20.

Iraqi citizens participated during the Iraqi Elections at Baghdad, Iraq, Dec. 15, 2005, during
Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Anthony Petroccia) (Released) (Below)

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