September 25, 2003
UK and US discussing reestablising death penalty in Iraq.
Guardian article.
The attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, is discussing with the US authorities the reintroduction of the death penalty in Iraq, according Ann Clywd, the Labour MP who is Britain's human rights envoy to Iraq.
She said that such a step would be seen by the world as an act of revenge on Iraq.
... Many Iraqis would love to see the death penalty restored for sabotage, as well as for leaders of the former Ba'athist regime. At the UN the world community is still discussing to what extent the Iraqi people should be freed to draw up their constitution themselves, irrespective of what the UN wants.
I'm sure there are also many Iraqis who are quite opposed to reestablishing it. The desire for revenge may be strong, but generally those who have experienced a great deal of death and suffering want to see it end. And exactly who gave the UN authority to decide the future of Iraq? If the folks at the UN really want to promote democracy in Iraq, or anywhere else for that matter, they could and should begin by calling for elections of their own ranks.
