Iraq executions cruel, laments Vatican's semi-official newspaper

(Tues.16 Jan, 2007): - The Vatican's semiofficial newspaper- L’Osservatore Romano, described the executions taking place in Iraq as “ cruel justice.” Following Saddam Hussein's Dec. 30 execution, the death penalty by hanging, was also applied at dawn on Jan 15 to former intelligence chief Barzan Ibrahim and the head of Iraq's revolutionary court, Awad Hamed al-Bander. A front page article in the Italian edition of L'Osservatore Romano lamented _ "a cruel justice' again uses the scaffold." Following Saddam Hussein's execution, turned into a spectacle, that attacked the person's dignity, urgent appeals were heard from different institutions in the direction of dialogue and reconciliation," says the newspaper and adds. “However, for the moment it does not seem that this 'change of course' has taken place." Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, expressed the Vatican's opposition to the death penalty at the execution of former Iraqi dictator Saddam.
"A capital execution is always tragic news," he said, "a reason for sadness, even if it is about a person, who has been guilty of grave crimes. Father Lombardi added: "To kill the guilty one, is not the way to rebuild justice and to reconcile society. The risk also exists that, on the contrary, the spirit of vengeance will be fueled and new violence be sown. In this dark time of the life of the Iraqi people, one cannot but hope that all those responsible will make every effort, so that in a dramatic situation, channels of reconciliation and peace will finally be opened."