Mr Nice

**Russ** · 17-05-2005, 19:42

Anyone else read Howard Marks' autobiography? Fascinating stuff and it teared at my heart when his children were missing him while he was in jail.

Jules · 17-05-2005, 20:18

Are you talking about the drug smuggler??

**Russ** · 17-05-2005, 20:19

That's him.

Paul · 17-05-2005, 20:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by whyme38

Are you talking about the drug smuggler??

Rackateer was the phrase used in the report I saw but a lot of the questions asked of him were cannabis/ drugs related

Jules · 17-05-2005, 20:21

Hmmm I hope you didn't buy it but got a copy from the library otherwise you are helping to line his pockets

**Russ** · 17-05-2005, 20:29

It's my mother's copy

punky · 17-05-2005, 20:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ D

Anyone else read Howard Marks' autobiography? Fascinating stuff and it teared at my heart when his children were missing him while he was in jail.

I have read it many times, it is one of my favourite books.

Shows the DEA to be exactly who they are, akin to the SS.

**Russ** · 17-05-2005, 20:59

I just thought it pathetic how so many countries cave in to pressure from America and how 'Uncle Sam' considers other nations' legal systems to be inefficient.

punky · 17-05-2005, 21:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ D

I just thought it pathetic how so many countries cave in to pressure from America and how 'Uncle Sam' considers other nations' legal systems to be inefficient.

I don't know wether it is pathetic, but it just shows what a ludicrous amount of power the government gave to the DEA. Money and government/diplomatic favours no object.

**Russ** · 17-05-2005, 21:09

I'd call it pathetic - the US wanted each country to give up all the implicated men and put enormous pressure on them to comply, going as far as offering Pakistan $4 billion in foreign aid.

Spain made a lot of legal precedents to accomodate America's requests to extradite Marks, too.

Kliro · 17-05-2005, 21:35

If you wanna feel sorry for someone in Jail at the fault of the american system feel sorry for this guy:

http://jonsjailjournal.blogspot.com/

Convicted of crimes he didnt commit, (he has no reason to lie, as he signed a confession so that his family didnt go broke from lawyers fees)

His blogs go back pretty far, so leave some time to read it, shows you how stupid the american system is.

**Russ** · 17-05-2005, 21:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kliro

If you wanna feel sorry for someone in Jail at the fault of the american system feel sorry for this guy

Marks was not jailed at the fault of the US legal system, he was jailed because he confessed to smuggling several million tons of cannabis. He broke the law and deserved to be punished. My objection is at the US deciding that Spain's legal process (Marks was due to be tried and jailed there) was not good enough and bent the rules as far as possible and put pressure on them to extradite him for no reason other than to inflate the edo of the DEA.

BootBoy · 18-05-2005, 20:35

Read the book, and went to see him speak in London, Sheperds Bush I think, fascinating bloke, and a good storyteller

The reason he was known as Mr Nice was that he only ever dealt in cannabis and never ever got involved in anything that hurt others (Debate about dangers of cannabis aside).

The only thing about his story that made me wince was his alleged involvement with the IRA when he was bringing dope into the UK via Ireland.

Tuftus · 18-05-2005, 21:04

One of the best books I have ever read...