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SignOn San Diego.com, Dalai Lama calls for sparing Saddam Hussein's life

MUMBAI – The Dalai Lama urged Iraqi authorities on Monday to spare the life of Saddam Hussein, sentenced to death this month, saying the guilty should get a chance to reform.

A U.S.-backed Iraqi court found Saddam guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to death for his role in the killing of 148 Shi'ite villagers after a failed assassination bid in 1982.

There is of course, always the off-chance that Saddam is actually innocent and that the real crime was committed by a Saddam lookalike of which there are 167 still on the loose throughout the country. Saddam's lawyers never explored this avenue and consequently his defense was deeply flawed.

Update: Saddam Executed at 10:05 PM Friday Dec 29 2006.