Iraq: President refuses to sign execution order

[Penta]

"I will not sign Tariq Aziz's death sentence. I will sign no death sentence at all, because as a social democrat, I'm against the death penalty." Jalal Talabani

Good for him.

[Caliban]

I would consider that just as much he thinks it would serve his Government no useful purpose.

[Michael]

I'm not opposed to the death penalty, but I can respect those who are. Caliban makes a good point-that it could be more utilitarian as opposed to a principled celebration of the sanctity of life. For some reason, Talabani's position, as quoted by Penta, strikes me as the latter and, as a result seems almost surreal since I perceive (or perhaps misperceive) payback as a serious obligation in that part of the world.

[lok8]

Methinks he doesn't want to set precedent.

[Caliban]

Methinks he doesn't want to set precedent.

Indeed, asthe saying goes "Careful how you treat people at the bottom on your way up the ladder of success as you may have to rely on them on the way down"
I imagine that goes for a scaffold steps just as much.