Five terrorism convicts freed on appeal

[steve56]

Petes book will be titled Arsehole Lucky Jack

[Flat_Eric]

ONE EYED JACK WROTE:

>>>


ERIC REPLIES:

So Jack, does that mean that you're okay with men who have an unhealthy interest in children downloading the illegal stuff - as long as they're only looking at it and not actually "putting it into practice"?

Presumably (and I'd hope very much) that you're not - and that you'd be quick to dismiss claims made by such folk that they were just doing it for "research" or simply out of "curiosity" as total bollocks.

You seem happy enough to give these five young Muslim radicals the benefit of the doubt (and I quote: "It sounds like if any muslim reads extreme stuff that they are guilty. What if they are innocent?").

But would you be so charitable towards anyone caught downloading indecent images of underagers? Would you be so quick to say "hang on a minute guv, maybe they were just curious - no harm done"?

Somehow I doubt that you would.


COLONEL WROTE:

>>


ERIC REPLIES:

Well yes indeed colonel, you're quite right - we have to have laws.

But sometimes (and this appears to be just the latest example) the law is quite simply an ass.

I actually thought that possessing such terrorist-related material was an offence - maybe I was wrong though, and right now I don't have time to go away and check up. Maybe the actual offence (in strictly legal terms) is all in the distribution and incitement.

But if possession isn't an offence, then maybe it should be - after all, it was only comparatively recently that the possession (as opposed to the creation and distribution, which were already crimes) of underage porn was made illegal, thus closing a loophole for paedophiles who used to be able to argue that because they were only passive consumers, they weren't doing any real harm.

After all, are (potential) terrorists - in their own way - any less of a threat to society than (potential) paedophiles?

[Sam Slater]

I don't know much about the case -only what the bbc reported- but at what point does thinking about a crime turn into planning?

Did they express their thoughts on training in an AlQueda camp, or got to the planning stage? The kid that left his Mother a note surely must have more to answer for?

These kids fantasised about becoming martyrs, but who talked them into it? The Imams at their local mosque?

[Sam Slater]

What the decision may show to future would-be martyrs is that the British system of fairness is mightier than what their hate-insighting Imams speak of!

I don't think the kids would have had such an objective, common-sense, fair trial, had it been under a Sharia Court. Lets hope they now realise this next time they get silly fantasies about destroying the state that gave them everything in life.

[one eyed jack]

Hi Eric

I think the correslation between potential terrorism and peadophilia are very different things. Its like Sam said about thinking about robbing a bank is not going to get you nicked for merely thinking it, just if you put it into effect.

Looking at child porn and actually downloading it to keep are different things too. not that I condone either of them but looking at it practically, it must be hard to police what people are looking at but I agree that downloading it is suggesting you want to keep it. My feelings on this run very high so I'll admit to being biased.

My sentiments would be the same if someone was a practicing neo nazi downloading neo-nazi material. If he hates people then thats his right, but its when it crosses that line into violence, destruction and murder of other people when it has to be acted on.

Whatever your beliefs, child pornography, owning it or making it is simply just against the law while possessing extreme radical literature is not. i wonder therefore if the law was to look at child pornography the sam way if it was just merly written about and had no pictures?

Yes the law can sometimes be an ass I agree but in alot of cases it is actually quite difficult to decide.

My thoughts are, i would prefer those who were guilty of a crime be punished for it, not the scapegoats for thse who want immediate retribution.

It just seemed like, just because they were muslims even reading that material they should pay the price for those who committed the act and got away with it.

Personally, I dont know if these guys are guilty or not but it seems strange that some of you have already? maybe you all know something I dont with regards to this. I'll admit I'm going on what I saw in the news.

[colonel]

Eric- unlike kiddie filth, posesssion is no crime.

Like kiddie filth, it should be a crime.