Price of Saddam death 'too high'

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The father of a north Wales soldier killed in Iraq has said the price for seeing Saddam Hussein being hanged had been "too high".

Reg Keys, from Llanuwchllyn, near Bala, lost his son Tom, 20, a Royal Military Policeman, in 2003.

Mr Keys, 53, a founder member of Military Families Against War, said the objective of the conflict had never been to kill Saddam Hussein.

The former Iraqi president was executed in Baghdad early on Saturday morning.

Mr Keys said of Saddam Hussein's death: "It gives me no comfort whatsoever.

"The original objective was to find weapons of mass destruction and the Prime Minister said that Saddam could stay in power as long as he handed over his weapons.

An inquest found Tom Keys was unlawfully killed

"Yes, I agree he was a vile dictator, but his execution looked like a lynch mob. I found it very distasteful, it sends out the wrong message."

"I feel betrayed and when I look at my poor son's grave I remember that he died looking for weapons of mass destruction that did not exist.

"The price has been too high to see Saddam Hussein hang."

Lance Corporal Tom Keys was one of six Red Caps killed by a mob of more than 400 on 24 June 2003.

An MoD inquiry into the deaths found they could not have been prevented.

In March this year, a coroner recorded a narrative verdict of unlawful killing.

Earlier this year, Mr Keys announced he was launching a political party, entitled Spectre, which would field candidates bereaved by the Iraq conflict against Labour ministers who had supported the war.

Mr Keys stood against Tony Blair in his Sedgefield constituency in the 2005 general election, gaining 10.3% of the vote against the prime minister's 58.9%.