Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Good to hear this, but I wonder how long it is before he disappears to Hezbollah-land or Syria.
Washington Times: Navy diver's killer held in Beirut
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...
...The decision to free Hamadi came just before the reported release of a German hostage in Iraq, Susanne Osthoff, but Berlin rejected suggestions that the developments were related.
The Stethem family, however, was skeptical.
"We feel pretty strongly [the hostage-taking] made his release happen much faster," Richard Stethem said. "I think the new [German] government ... thought it was an easy out to give him back to Lebanon."
A U.S. official agreed privately that Hamadi "could have been held longer" and said Berlin's explanation was "not good enough."
"There was no reason for him to be tried in Germany in the first place," said Patrick Stethem, Petty Officer Stethem's other brother. "He should still be tried here for the crimes he committed against a U.S. service member."
http://dailyscorecard.blogspot.com/2005/12/gemany-releases-murderer-of-american.html
5 THINGS TO NOTE -
1) Germany denies any connection to the release of a German hostage.
2)They deny it but previously tried to use the same guy as a bargaining chip shortly after he was convicted in 1989! (who cares he didn't kill any Germans and why let the US try him??)
3)The US wanted the Murderer extradited but Germany denied the US because their "pacifist" souls find the Death Penalty too repugnant! (Schwarzenegger to Hometown Remove My Name...)
4)After denying extradition they saw no harm in then trying to trade him for a German captive - this right after he was convicted!
5) FYI - He was convicted for the beating and shooting of Robert Dean Stethem, a 23-year-old U.S. Navy diver whose body was thrown on the tarmac at Beirut airport during the hijacking of TWA Flight 847.
Before this killer escapes to any country a CIA wet contract should be put out and when it's accepted someone should make sure he has a new Glock and can shoot straight. Forget about extradition and years of paying lawyers and prison systems to keep this killer alive. End of story!
I find it amusing that the Germans killed millions of foreign civilians after they had surrendered during WWII, and continue in that fine tradition by shielding people who kill foreigners even today. They used to commit murder - today, they just protect murderers.