Jaskaran 0 Report post Posted January 16, 2007 Britain Urged Against Saddam Execution on Thursday, January 11, 2007; 8:51 PM LONDON -- British officials conveyed to the Iraqi government their country's categoric opposition to the death penalty on the eve of Saddam Hussein's execution, Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said in a letter disclosed Thursday. Beckett said high-level representatives of her government made the appeal in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad the day before the former dictator was hanged on Dec. 30. "I can assure you that the British government repeatedly made clear to the Iraqi government its opposition to the death penalty in all cases," Beckett said in a letter to lawmaker Andrew Mackinlay, published Thursday. "This included lobbying at the highest level in Baghdad on 29 December, the eve of the execution." Beckett said that following the execution, the British government had again contacted Iraqi officials to stress their opposition to imposing the death penalty. "We continue to urge the Iraqi authorities to abolish the death penalty," Beckett told the lawmaker. Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday said the manner of Saddam's hanging was unacceptable. An illicit cell phone video of the execution that leaked out in the aftermath showed some of those present in the chamber taunting Saddam as he stood with a noose around his neck on the gallows. "The crimes that Saddam committed does not excuse the manner of his execution, but the manner of his execution does not excuse the crimes," Blair said. Giving evidence to a joint session of parliament's scrutiny panels on foreign and defense affairs on Thursday, Beckett insisted reaction to Saddam's hanging had been largely muted though she acknowledged some in Iraq had been angered. "There is not strong evidence that it has caused a huge problem across the board," she said. Notice from Mark420: This is copied from a new site somewhere..so I quoted it..this is not the way to earn fast credits here... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
