VATICAN CITY — A top Vatican cardinal said Tuesday Saddam Hussein should face trial for his crimes, but stressed the Vatican’s opposition to the death penalty and criticized the U.S. military for portraying him "like a cow" having his teeth checked.
Cardinal Renato Martino, head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said he felt compassion for Hussein and that the world should have been spared the images of his medical examination after his capture.
"I feel pity at seeing this destroyed man, treated like a cow having his teeth checked," Martino said. "I have seen this man in his tragedy … and I had a sense of compassion."
The cardinal said he was pleased with Hussein’s capture and he hoped it would bring peace and democracy to Iraq, but stressed it wasn’t the answer to the problems of Iraq or the Middle East.
Martino said the Vatican hoped Hussein would face trial in an "appropriate" venue, but didn’t elaborate on whether that should be an Iraqi court or an international tribunal.
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