Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

While there is no doubt in any of our minds he deserves punishment greater than anyone can inflict, we need to ask ourselves whether the carrying out of the execution would prevent or contribute to more deaths or whether what for him would be un mauvais quart d'heure — as the French call it — which in certain people's eyes would give him the crown of martyrdom, is really in the international interest. There is both a matter of principle here, since all of us on this Continent are against the death penalty, and a pragmatic question as to whether it would serve any useful purpose. It is to be recommended that there should be an international place of detention for persons such as Saddam Hussein, while I accept it might be too great a burden for the Iraqi regime to carry. Nonetheless, while there is still adequate time, European countries, including Ireland, should debate and perhaps give advice based on history as to whether the richly deserved retribution is the intelligent or moral thing to do.