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Biden Fails a Death Penalty Abolitionist’s Most Important Test

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The mystery of Joe Biden’s views about capital punishment has finally been solved. His decision to grant clemency to 37 of the 40 people on federal death row shows the depth of his opposition to the death penalty. And his decision to leave three of America’s most notorious killers to be executed by a future administration shows the limits of his abolitionist commitment. The three men excluded from Biden’s mass clemency—Dylann Roof, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and Robert Bowers—would no doubt pose a severe test of anyone’s resolve to end the death penalty. Biden failed that test.
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Five suspects face death for armed raid in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

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Manama: Saudi Arabia’s prosecution has requested the death penalty for five suspects, four Saudis and one Yemeni, who raided a commercial complex in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

Investigations revealed that the five suspects plotted an armed attack on the commercial facility after they learned that there were 1.5 million Saudi riyals kept inside the safe.

Two members of the gang, one of them wearing a military uniform, led the attack carrying guns, while the others monitored the place, searched the shoppers and the employees in the shop and took their mobiles and money, Saudi daily Okaz reported.

Witnesses said the attack was carried out at noon when the shops were about to close for prayers and that the gang held 10 shopkeepers hostage.

The gang members told them the action was part of an anti-money laundering operation for the general intelligence service and ordered them not to resist them and to obey their commands.

The gang eventually escaped with 400,000 Saudi riyals which they later shared, investigations revealed.

The police relied on fingerprints and on the footage recorded by the surveillance to arrest the gang members.

Source: Gulf News, December 26, 2015

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Location: Jeddah Saudi Arabia
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