Vatican says Saddam Hussein execution "tragic"

Vatican City, Dec 30: The execution of Saddam Hussein is a ''tragic'' event that risks fomenting a spirit of vendetta and sowing new violence in Iraq, the Vatican said today.

''A capital punishment is always tragic news, a reason for sadness, even if it deals with a person who was guilty of grave crimes,'' said Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi.

''The position of the Church (against capital punishment) has been restated often,'' he said.

''The killing of the guilty party is not the way to reconstruct justice and reconcile society. On the contrary, there is a risk that it will feed a spirit of vendetta and sow new violence,'' he said.

''In these dark times for the Iraqi people, one can only hope that all responsible parties truly make every effort so that glimmers of reconciliation and peace can be found in such a dramatic situation.'' Saddam was hanged for crimes against humanity in Baghdad at dawn, a dramatic, violent end for a leader who ruled Iraq by fear for three decades before he was toppled by a US invasion four years ago.

REUTERS

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