Our own Government is confirming the arguments of death penalty opponents that the death penalty is not a deterrent to violence. Virginia has scheduled an execution next Thursday for a Pakistani national who was convicted in 1993 of killing two CIA employees. Tonight, the State Department put out a warning:

"The State Department warned Americans Wednesday that the execution next week of a Pakistani convicted of murdering two CIA employees could trigger retaliatory attacks on U.S. interests overseas. The worldwide caution cited the scheduled Nov. 14 execution in Virginia of Mir Ahmad Kasi, convicted five years ago in the 1993 murders of two CIA employees, as cause for extra vigilance."

"The potential exists for retaliatory acts against U.S. or other foreign interests in response to the execution," the State Department said. "These may include facilities where Americans or possibly other foreigners are generally known to congregate or visit, such as residential areas, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, hotels, outdoor recreation events or resorts and beaches."

Violence begets violence. We should stop state-sanctioned killing now.