Saddam's Death - Immoral?

PARIS: While Saddam Hussein faced death with a letter of farewell, the former Iraqi dictator's death sentence exposed a deep divide between the United States and Europe, with opposition building in the Continent's major capitals.

Prime Minister Romano Prodi of Italy deplored the decision to execute Saddam, and Renato Martino, the cardinal who heads the Roman Catholic Church's council for justice and peace, warned that "nobody can give death, not even the state." Opposition had also come from the governments of Britain, Denmark, France, Portugal, Spain and Germany.

But in most cases the criticism is qualified opposition directed at the morality of capital punishment rather than sympathy for Saddam or doubts about the fairness of his trial, an issue raised by groups like Human Rights Watch.

Saddam's chief lawyer on Thursday implored world leaders to prevent the United States from handing him over to the Iraqi authorities for execution, saying he should enjoy protection from his enemies as a "prisoner of war," The Associated Press reported from Baghdad.


Incredible, is it not? Here we have this fellow that not only defied the United States and Israel but also "[was] ready to sacrifice his country, just so long as he [could] remain on his throne in Baghdad." (quote from former Iraqi diplomat) And now, we seem to come back to the supposed immorality of capital punishment. Not only does that appear to be a red herring dragged through the trail to lessen the focus of attention on Saddam himself, but it also ignores Iraqi law. Why should we pay to feed and protect an aggressor against us and our fellow nations? He was convicted legally. Where is the problem? To address capital punishment, not only is it ordained by God, but is has been shown to decrease the amount of murders nationwide. Many, many people I know are glad and relieved that the terrorist will no longer trouble us - his followers will, but not him. If he were permitted to live, his followers would only persist in trying to aid his escape. I don't take pleasure in another person's death. But neither do I support letting murderers run loose or living off the state. Capital punishment was instituted for a reason.
Saddam was executed by hanging at 10:05 PM yesterday. Now we can let the topic rest.


DDL is a staff writer for Pushing Back the Frontiers of Ignorance.
Article source: http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/12/28/news/death.php

Note: Palm boy, you beat me to it.