Exile or Prosecution?

The British Foreign Minister has suggested that Colonel Gaddafi be allowed to go into exile rather than be prosecuted by the ICC. Most likely he would be exiled to another country in Africa. Apparently the Italian government is talking to countries that might be willing to take him in. Venezuela is also another possibility, partially because Gaddafi is friends with Hugo Chavez. Although we are considering being lenient and not prosecuting Gaddafi, he has said that he will either die on Libyan soil or defeat the rebellion.

I wonder who makes the ultimate decision as to what happens to Gaddafi. In this article, Britain and Italy are specifically mentioned, but surely other countries have a say in the matter. Also, why would they consider sending him to a country that’s leader is his good friend? Not much of a punishment! Maybe they are hoping that would tempt him to leave Libya.

Insane Soccer Fans

In Columbia, some intense soccer fans brought the body of their friend in a coffin to a game last Sunday. Christopher Jacome, 17, was murdered last week while playing soccer in his neighborhood. Some of his friends, who were part of a soccer fan club called Barra del Indio, raided the local mortuary and stole his body. They somehow managed to get past security to a soccer match between Cucuta Deportivo and Envigado. Officials are looking into the case, trying to figure out how they got past security and what charges will be filed.

It will be interesting to see what kind of trouble these guys will get into. I believe it is a pretty serious offense to steal a body here in the US, but have no idea how bad it will be in Columbia. I'll try and keep an eye on this case and see what happens.

Possible Rape Victim Sued

A woman in Libya, Iman al-Obeidi, alleged last week that she was kidnapped and raped by four men. Those men were arrested and are now filing a lawsuit against al-Obeid. They filed a defamation suit claiming that she has tainted their honor. They also say that their families have been black-named, a serious offense in Islamic Law.

It will be interesting to see what happens in this case. My instinctive response is to side with the woman, but it is hard to say what really happened to her. For all we know, she is taking advantage of the media attention Libya is getting right now. Hopefully everything works out for the best!