Talabani won’t sign Aziz death warrant
You’ve probably heard that Saddam Hussein’s foreign minister and deputy prime minister, Taiq Aziz was sentenced to death a few weeks ago. The president of Iraq, Jalal Talabani, is refusing to sign the death warrant for Taziz’ execution;
“I cannot sign an order of this kind because I am a Socialist,” Talabani said. “I feel compassion for Tariq Aziz because he is a Christian, an Iraqi Christian.”
“In addition, he is an elderly man — aged over 70 — and this is why I will never sign this order,” Talabani said in Arabic through a translator. He was speaking in Paris, where he attended a meeting of the Socialist International this week.
I’m not sure what being a Socialist has to do with it. I’m a conservative and oppose the death penalty because I don’t like the idea of a government having the power of life and death over it’s citizenry. Aziz was convicted on charges of persecution against members of the religious Shiite Dawa Party. If “persecution” is as bland as it sounds, I don’t think Aziz’ sentence should be carried out.
It should be encouraging to Americans that a country in the Middle East is discussing whether a death sentence should be carried out. If he’d been sentenced in one of Iraq’s neighbors, Aziz would only exist as a memory at this point.
Thanks to Jacobite for the link.
Category: Terror War
In general I’m not opposed to the death penalty, and I don’t see the implementation of it as the government having the power of life or death over the citizenry since, at least in theory, the government in a ‘democratic’ society is after a fashion, the people.
But you hit on one thing that I caught as well, and I agree with you, it’s encouraging as hell that there is any discussion of this in that region, rather than just an eager trip to the gallows.
Huh. I also am opposed to the Death Penalty, but didn’t know you were Jonn.
I’m for the death penalty because I believe in ‘an eye for an eye’ and ‘do unto others.’ It just so happens that the state and federal government has to take the action.
That being said, Iraq is it’s own sovereign nation, so it can act on it’s own accord on things of this nature. It IS refreshing to see a muslim nation NOT kill someone that it actually has the ‘right’ to.
He threw in the socialist comment because Aziz is also, he and Hussein having been activists for the Ba’ath Arab Socialist Party.
And being an advocate for Kurds myself, I think his ass should hang, if not worse.
Assuming he had a say in the matter, Talabani didn’t veto the executions of Saddam, al-Majid, or al-Bander.
Not quite sure what he’s after here then – he may well feel sorry for Aziz (as I do, even given the regime he represented), feel the old man is small beer and want to avoid further bloodshed, etc. – but the distinction is curious.
Age should not matter in carrying out the sentence imposed for a crime, unless the criminal is declared mentally incompetent.
This appears to be a very clumsy, highly selective case of “see, ain’t we doin’ good?”
I’m assuming you’re referring to adult alleged offenders, Pinto…
Yes. While juvenile offenders can be just as violent as adults — sometimes even more so — it has been shown that their ability to comprehend the nature and scope of their actions varies widely. It has also been shown that juvenile offenders respond more favorably to rehabilitation efforts than their adult counterparts. If I were to err toward compassion, it would be for juvenile offenders, not adult offenders.
“It should be encouraging to Americans that a country in the Middle East is discussing whether a death sentence should be carried out. If he’d been sentenced in one of Iraq’s neighbors, Aziz would only exist as a memory at this point.”
+1
Remember, the prisons in Iraq are not quite as cushy as those in the US. It will still really suck to be Aziz.