Finally! Princess Di's death gets jury of 12 citizens

[FourScore]

"Mohamed al-Fayed brands British royals Diana's "murderers"

"Harrods-owner Mohamed al-Fayed Friday described Britain's royal family as "gangsters and murderers" after winning a major legal victory in his campaign for a public investigation into the death of his late son, Dodi, with Princess Diana, in Paris in August 1997.

In a move described as "sensational" by commentators, three High Court judges in London ruled that an official British inquest into the death of the couple should be heard by a jury of 12 men and women chosen from the public.

They overturned an earlier decision by Judge Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, the deputy royal coroner, that she should sit without a jury during proceedings expected to start in May.

In an extraordinary outburst outside court, 74-year-old al-Fayed said he wanted Prince Charles, Diana's former husband, and Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, to be called as witnesses..."

http://rawstory.com/news/dpa/Mohamed_al_Fayed_brands_British_roy_03022007.html

[northzax]

1. geez. this is getting ridiculous

on what grounds is he going to call the Queen? or Prince Charles? oh right, none.

[FourScore]

3. Then they have nothing to worry about. n/t

[malaise]

4. Historical grounds perhaps?

The historical record re the British Royals and murder is not so good.
DO you have any idea how many murders were committed in their name.
Sp.

[northzax]

6. oh, this should be good

please do tell, how many people have the Windsors had killed 'in their name'? of course, wars and the like don't count.

I'll save you some effort and remind you that the House of Windsor dates only from 1917, When King George ascended.

or are we going all the way back to King James in 1603?

[malaise]

10. Take your pick

Do you have any idea how many nationalists leaders in developing countries were imprisoned or hanged on her Majesty's orders. Those pretty red rubies that the royals love are drenched in blood.

[bleedingheart]

11. name some?

she has no official authority to do anything of the sort...

Her ancestors are an entirely different story.

[northzax]

12. no, I don't, actually

I have no idea how many. you know, since the Queen has only ceremonial power, she can't order you to change your socks, let alone have you killed.

but please, give us a list of people this particular queen has had killed. don't say 'any number of them' that's not evidence. I want names I can check up on.

bring it.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

5. As to Charles, Diane, it has been reported, just before her death, told someone she was

afraid that Charles was going to kill her in a car accident. I think that would be justification.

[northzax]

8. told whom?

no one has ever claimed, publically, that they heard this. Only Mohammed al-Fayed has ever said this, but he has, so far, refused to name names.

Look, I understand he is guilt-ridden that his employee, while blitzed off his ass, drove his son and girlfriend into a bridge abutment, of course he is pissed and looking for something else to blame it on. He has a well known hatred of the British government (ever since being denied citizenship based on the fact that he was a banker for the PLO in the 70s) he is a paranoiac, convinced the government killed the Princess of Wales because she was about to marry his son (and was carrying his child) despite the fact that there is no evidence of either one of these.

You think the Parisian Municipal Government is covering up for the Brits? please.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

13. I misspoke about Charles. She wrote in a letter to her butler Paul Burrell that she was

afraid that someone was going to kill her.

From CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/10/20/cnna.diana.morgan/

Newspaper editor and Diana letter

Monday, October 20, 2003 Posted: 12:31 PM EDT (1631 GMT)

Piers Morgan
Morgan: "I don't think it's very easy to arrange car crashes."


LONDON. England (CNN) -- Princess Diana expressed fears of a plot to kill her 10 months before she died, the Daily Mirror reported Monday. Editor Piers Morgan spoke to CNN's Walter Rodgers.

MORGAN: I think the extraordinary thing about this letter is that it's so detailed. If it had been a vague claim about "they're out to get me, they're going to kill me," or whatever, I think you could dismiss it as the rantings of somebody who was vulnerable or fearful of what was happening.

But it's the very precise nature of the letter, the fact that she talks of an accident, in her car involving serious head injuries, it's all so prophetic given that this is exactly what happened 10 months later.

So because of the detail in the letter I think it can't be dismissed as simply her vague worry about something happening to her. She talks very specifically of a plot.

RODGERS: Is it just a good story or evidence of a conspiracy?

MORGAN: I think it is fuel to the fire of every conspiracy theorist in the world, on a story that has attracted more than I think any since JFK's assassination. And I think the relevance of it in this country (Britain) is that there's been real unease here about the lack of any inquest or any formal legal inquiry into what happened.

There's been nothing at all. And that has created an atmosphere of the British establishment covering up something. Even if that's not the case, that's the atmosphere they created.

[malaise]

2. The man's son was killed

He has every right to demand an official inquest.

[northzax]

9. there was one.

in Paris, where the accident occured.

the verdict was an alcohol-related traffic accident due to high speeds.

or are the Parisians in on it too?

[FourScore]

15. Northzax, this ruling was determined by Britain's High Court

I would imagine they have a better understanding of the case than you do. Why would this upset you so? Perhaps, Mr. Al-Fayed is wrong and the Royal Family has nothing to do with the death of his son and Princess Diana. (Personally, I believe in all likelihood that they in fact have nothing to do with her death.) If so, it will be determined by the jury.

Keep in mind, her own sons wrote a letter requesting an open and fair inquest that could end swiftly and put conspiracies to rest.

I will say, it always looks suspicious when people in power try to keep facts from the public. An inquisition into her death should have occurred much sooner than it did. I support the High Court's ruling on this.

If for no other reason, I cannot fathom why it took an ambulance over an hour to get to a hospital only 4 minutes away. There could be a very good explanation. I haven't heard one yet, though.

[northzax]

16. because it is all theatre for al-Fayed

this jury will return a unanimous verdict saying exactly what every other authority who has looked at it will say. bet you a thousand dollars. and will that put it to rest? not a chance. Mr. al-Fayed will say that is was tainted and corrupted. and another couple of million pounds of the taxpayers' money will be spent on a ridiculous case. you have read Lord Stevens' report, right?

in fact, while we're at it, let's reopen the death of Vince Foster, I mean a lot of people think Senator Clinton had him killed, sure, the coroner, all real investigators and a court have found it was suicide, but let's do it again! just to be sure.

[bleedingheart]

14. his son's death has made him irrational...tragic as it was

it was an accident.

Just because you are rich and famous...doesn't mean you don't get killed in accidents.

The driver was drunk and speeding. Deaths from that combo happen all the time as sad as that is.

[bobbie]

18. God damn right he does

And he's correct about the royal family. Yeah, put Chas and Phillip on the stand and watch 'em squirm.

[NotGivingUp]

7. i aways thought something was fishy about this whole thing. n/t

[all.of.me]

17. me, too.

it has never felt quite right and settled to me. nevertheless, i was surprised to hear this on the news this morning.