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Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot

In Indonesia, a 27-year-old Australian woman is facing death by firing squad for allegedly bringing marijuana into the country.

On October 8, 2004, airport authorities found 4.2 kilograms of
marijuana in Schapelle Leigh Corby's luggage. Corby says the marijuana was not hers, and her supporters suspect it was planted there. Local police acknowledge it is highly unusual for marijuana to be smuggled into Bali rather than out of it (as marijuana prices are much lower in Bali than in Australia).

If found guilty, Corby will be shot to death by a firing squad of 12 men. Saudi Arabia is even worse - it conducts public beheadings of drug offenders by sword:

In 2004, Saudi authorities executed 35 people, down from 52 people beheaded in 2003. Most were convicted of drug smuggling.

Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam under which people convicted of drug trafficking, murder, rape and armed robbery can be executed. Beheadings are carried out with a sword in public.

Thank goodness that's not the law here. But temper your sigh of relief. Right now the death penalty for drug offenders is reserved for those that intentionally cause, command or counsel death in connection with their drug enterprises. How big a stretch is it for the government to increase its ambit further, bit by bit? First up might be meth manufacturers who deposit toxic byproducts from the lab by the roadside--then who knows?

Every time you hear Bush, Gonzales or Congress talk about "narcoterrorism," remember that the now dormant Victory Act could raise its head any time:

This bill would treat drug possession as a 'terrorist offense' and drug dealers as 'narco-terrorist kingpins,' " the aide argued. "To say that terrorist groups use a small percentage of the drug trafficking in the United States to finance terrorism may be a fair point, but this bill would allow the government to prosecute most drug cases as terrorism cases."

Concluded the aide: "It really seems to be more about a political agenda to jail drug users than a serious attempt to stop terrorists."

Here's a link to the text of the Victory Act. And if you think this will only apply to drug offenders, check out the expanded records search provisions.

One more story:

In Palm Beach, Florida, 15 high school students face up to 15 years in prison for selling small amounts of drugs -- mostly marijuana -- to undercover agents who befriended them. Some of the teens sold as little as $10 worth of marijuana.

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  • Display: Sort:
    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 10:02:57 AM EST
    Third world ideals, do you want it here?

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 10:07:01 AM EST
    And those countries have a much lower drug problem. Taiwan, which is not a 3rd world country, execute people for transporting or deal drugs too.

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 10:08:23 AM EST
    Neither third world ideal, nor Bush ideal.

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 10:18:43 AM EST
    Saudi Arabia currently beheads people for sodomy. Why is Saudi Arabia not in the Axis of Evil? JC

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 10:32:52 AM EST
    To all of you, do you know what a setup is? are boys in the DEA\CIA Do this to people going to so called nation state in that part of the third world, is a normal way of doing business and making points in washington, I only hope she is not beaten\raped\torture, it has happened to many, many young people, and as far as violent sociopath running the so called nations in that part of the world all are drug dealers and work with our government check out the facts and read it for your own self. and to jc, its the money and its the deal, see we have no axis of evil its all in the games our non government is playing on us all. and by the way to talkleft thank you.

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 11:59:25 AM EST
    I think the current administration is trying to use Saudi Arabia and these other forward thinking republics as a model for what we can do in America.

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 01:12:47 PM EST
    Yep, those crazy christians in the white house have been so successful at whipping up public sentiment and sending screaming gun waving crowds of NASCAR dads streaming into America's mosques.... Oh, wait, sorry, was channeling Air America for a minute there. -C

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#8)
    by kdog on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 01:36:58 PM EST
    Makes about as much sense as executing someone for possessing lettuce.

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#9)
    by Patrick on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 02:22:10 PM EST
    If possession of lettuce was capital offense.

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 02:49:10 PM EST
    How the Fu** do you NOT know that you are carrying 4 kilos of weed? That's like carrying a big newborn baby with a soiled diaper around and not knowing. "Oh my gosh, someone planted this heavy stinky kid on my arm." But the firing squad thing is ignorantly harsh, I agree. But look...if you're going to sell/use/carry drugs, know the friggin' laws of the countries you enter. PRC, Indonesia, Saudia Arabia..."just say no".

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#11)
    by cp on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 03:58:19 PM EST
    well geez, if you're going to spend billions of dollars on jails, etc., you need to have people to put in them. otherwise, how would you justify the expense? saudi arabia will be part of the quad of evil, once it runs out of oil. aside from that, what does the country produce, that anyone else wants?

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 04:51:16 PM EST
    4 kilos of weed = 2.2 pounds in eine kilo = approx 2.2 pounds, times 4 = 8.8 pounds. Newborn bord = 6 to 8 pounds, (whoo!) dirty nappie = 1 pound Yep....

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Feb 13, 2005 at 07:06:09 AM EST
    Third world ideals, do you want it here? We got em here. I only hope she is not beaten\raped\torture If you don't want this to happen she needs to be in any other prison than a U.S. jail or prison. The first guantlet she would have to run here is sex with the guards. Then the general population would get their chance.

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Feb 13, 2005 at 07:15:25 AM EST
    What planet do you live on, Klaat?

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Feb 13, 2005 at 08:56:44 AM EST
    I never understood why anybody would want to go to a third-world garbage dump country anyway - like Mexico - or anything south of San Diego, for that matter. If you want to "experience their culture", rent a video. There are so many "nicer" places to visit, why bother?

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#16)
    by Che's Lounge on Sun Feb 13, 2005 at 10:01:31 AM EST
    Pipewrench, My brother lives in Mexico. He loves it. Baha is beautiful. The people are friendly and gracious to any US citzens who treat them as they would like to be treated, so you would definitely not be happy there. Yes Pipewrench, please stay in your civilized enclave. It will keep Mexico that much more desirable to those of us who have discovered the beauty of the land and the people. And for those of you who actually consider anything "south of San Diego" worth learning about, but cannot visit these beautiful places, you can rent "Motorcycle Diaries". It is NOT a political movie. It will show you the South America that Pipewrench obviously has no ability to comprhend.

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 14, 2005 at 06:40:39 AM EST
    Wow, I'd like to believe this thread isn't representative of those who read this site. What the hell?

    Re: Woman, 27, May Face Firing Squad For Pot (none / 0) (#18)
    by kdog on Mon Feb 14, 2005 at 07:48:04 AM EST
    If possession of lettuce was capital offense
    What are we waiting for? Make lettuce possesion a capital offense. Produce is obviously very dangerous. For the children, of course.