It is not as if Priebke went “rogue” and did this all on his own accord. Priebke was not a major criminal and the death penalty would not have been appropriate in this case.
Are you seriously attempting to confer legitimacy on the NAZI "I vas chust followink orders!" war crimes defense, which has been rightly rejected by every civilized man, court, and country? BTW, Pribke also signed the orders for trains transporting Italian Jews to the death camps. Not a major criminal? In your judgment, apparently not...but that's extremely revealing about you.
Did not say he should not have been punished. Would not have requested a death sentence. (Would not have favored a death sentence for Lt. Calley either). Priebke...on the scale of Nazi war criminals....was small potatoes....NOT a major war criminal like Himmler, Heydrich, or Eichmann. A mid level cog in a big machine. THERE ARE NO MAJOR NAZI WAR CRIMINALS ALIVE TODAY. PERIOD. The Soviets and the ChiComs liquidated many millions more people than the Nazis did, YET NO EVER WHATSOEVER has been made to round them up.