"The argument for capital punishment against terrorists...

"The argument for capital punishment against terrorists fails on three counts," said The Australian daily newspaper. "Those who hope for a martyr's death will hardly be deterred by the prospect of execution if captured... There is always the risk of executing innocents... But the strongest argument against the death penalty has nothing to do with its doubtful efficacy as a deterrent and the danger of error. To bring back the rope, to execute people by firing squad or lethal injection, degrades and brutalises justice. Most important, capital punishment contradicts the core Australian belief that human life is sacred, and we must not abandon this, whatever the pressure. The terrorists who wish us harm hate us for our values -- including the respect for life -- and we would be giving them a victory they will never deserve by adopting the death penalty."