August 21, 2003
SECOND THOUGHTS
Jose Ramos-Horta once shared a stage with John Pilger. Now the East Timorese foreign minister, furious over the attack on the UN in Baghdad that killed Sergio de Mello and more than 20 others, says he will be happy to see Islamic terrorists executed:
I am so angry about this act of terrorism that I now have second thoughts about opposing the death penalty for terrorists. Why should taxpayers pay for the rent, meals, electricity bills and medical care of a convicted terrorist who kills, maims, destroys and takes away the lives of the innocent?
Many times in the past, I have signed petitions pleading to spare the life of someone on death row. And I will continue to do on a case-by-case basis.
But I will not shed tears when those responsible for the countless terrorist bombings in Bali, Jakarta, New York, Washington and Baghdad are put to death. Clearly, Sergio's death has changed the way I look at life and the issue of the death penalty.
Hmmm. East Timor must not be subject to Australia’s strict no debate laws.
Posted by Tim Blair at August 21, 2003 04:59 AM"But I will not shed tears when those responsible for the countless terrorist bombings in Bali, Jakarta, New York, Washington and Baghdad are put to death."
Pop Quiz! Spot the missing city in his list.
If you said "Jerusalem", go to the head of the class.
Yes I was thinking the same thing..
On a side note.. You eastiest have probably just woken up.. I haven't gone to bed yet :\
Posted by: Murdoch Soft Eng Student at August 21, 2003 at 06:45 AMI noticed as well that Israel was missing from his outrage. What a humanitarian.
Posted by: Rebecca Harris at August 21, 2003 at 07:02 AMJose Ramos-Horta is a politician like any other and because of all the islamic countries in the world (and the vulnerability of east timor) he probably intentionally deleeted israel from that list.
With lots of angry islamic terrorists running around in the area it jsut isn't prudent to get involved in critisizeing hamas etc like that.
But on the whole from what I have heard Jose is on our side and not Pilgers.
Just because he didn't mention every country that has been attacked by terrorists doesn't necessarily mean he is therefore singling Israel out to be ignored.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at August 21, 2003 at 09:43 AMThen again (I posted this before Scottie commented) he could have decided not to do so for the reason Scottie cited.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at August 21, 2003 at 09:44 AMThe first few posters seem to see anti-semitism or some such in leaving Israel off the list. Jumping to conclusion perhaps? Of course, like Freud said "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar", don't try and read more into it than what is there.
On a brighter note, thank God he made the statement public and has taken a position that shows more than a left/right political mind-set.
Posted by: Jake D at August 21, 2003 at 10:23 AMSupporting the death penalty? Won't they revoke his Nobel for that?
Posted by: Sasha at August 21, 2003 at 10:59 AMIt's funny how having someone they knew get murdered will frequently change the opinion of the anti death penalty crowd.
Yet until then they tend to dismiss the opinions of the next of kin.
Posted by: Harry Tuttle at August 21, 2003 at 11:05 AMIt always good to see victims of terrorism who aren't evil Americans and Jews. After decades of turning a blind eye to terrorist states, maybe the UN might wake up to itself.
Posted by: Mike Hunt at August 21, 2003 at 12:35 PMI couldn't believe my ears last night on SBS news ... Richard Butler being interviewed by Mary K about the Baghdad bombing.
He was aghast at the killings and said there were 2 sets of people in Baghdad, the Coalition and the UN. Terrorists will kill people he said, but with this bomb they had "killed the wrong people".
Astonishing! Who are the "right" people to be killed by terrorists? If not UN personnel, he must mean the Coalition forces.
So here we have the designated Governor of Tasmania accepting that Iraqi terrorists will kill, and implying that because the UN forces are the good guy, they should be left alone whilst it is understandable and preferable that Coalition forces (which include his own countrymen) are killed.
Posted by: Os at August 21, 2003 at 12:52 PMHorta did support the coalition of the willing in the Iraq conflict and from memory spoke out against the UN for not supporting it. I don't think he has much sympathy for Islamic lunatics.
I suspect leaving Isreal off the list was inadvertant or accidental. He does not mention Barcelona, Northern Ireland or the Shining Path either. To make his point he has highlighted a number of recent terrorist attacks. I don't believe it is necessary to list every terrorist attack in the world ever when you wish to make a point about terrorism being bad. I don't think we need to read into the omission of Isreal.
Posted by: Gilly at August 21, 2003 at 01:16 PMThen Butler is a king sized idiot. It as if these people seriously believe that the "jihadists" are just a bunch of over excited socialists who only hate people officialy sanctioned by the socialist collective.
Posted by: Scottie at August 21, 2003 at 06:16 PMButler is correct in saying that the UN are the wrong people to kill, as they're trying to help Iraq. However, by the same logic, killing coalition forces would also be killing the wrong people.
Why can't they kill Saddam or Assad or Mugabe or ...
So many targets, so few bullets!
Posted by: Andjam at August 21, 2003 at 10:14 PMHarry Tuttle: "It's funny how having someone they knew get murdered will frequently change the opinion of the anti death penalty crowd. Yet until then they tend to dismiss the opinions of the next of kin."
Yeah, I'm sure Ramos-Horta didn't know anyone who was killed before. East Timorese only had that gentle occupation by Indonesia to contend with.
Posted by: Anthony at August 22, 2003 at 12:28 AMAnthony: If i'm not mistaken Ramos Horta's son was killed by pro Indonesian militias a couple of years ago. Not to mention the death of several of his brothers during the occupation by the Indonesians.
Posted by: PortugueseGuy at August 22, 2003 at 01:04 AMWhile he may have inadvertently left off Israel, the places he did list have all been hit once, but Israel has been hit time after time after time. I think it is more a matter of those hits not being thought of as terrorism but as acts in a noble cause. Look at how the media treated the 2 incidents. The UN gets hit and the media are all over it, but on the same day little children get blown up in Jerusalem and you don't hear the same wailing and gnashing of teeth, just another day in the neighborhood.
Posted by: whiterose at August 22, 2003 at 04:59 AMPortugueseGuy: Uh, yes, I know. I was being sar-carsick.
Posted by: Anthony at August 22, 2003 at 01:50 PMRichard Butler? isnt he related to BEN BUTLER the demon spawn (son) of a former socialist federal labor parliamentarian? Keep working the system Ben. Funny how you got that scholarship to study music at Berkley when there were heaps more deserving people than you. It's great to be a tosser socialist when you can fall back on your family's money and influence isnt it?
Posted by: roscoe.p.coltrane at August 22, 2003 at 08:02 PM