“We got him”, Saddam that is. When he was captured he looked pretty pathetic and I actually felt sorry for the guy, but then I remembered how bad he was to the Iraqi people. Great job US troops with help from our true allies Britian, Spain, Poland …
Hmmm, I wonder how many Liberals were wispering under their breath, darn it, first the economy has turned around and now this.
I still think there is going to be trouble in Iraq, since it looked like Saddam wasn’t the one calling the shots. To me he looked like someone on the run, rather than someone leading a resistance. Hopefully the Iraqi people will be more willing to help our troops, since the Saddam fear factor will not be hanging over their heads.
Hmmm, I wonder how many Liberals were wispering under their breath, darn it, first the economy has turned around and now this.
My thoughts exactly.
Now, we have the obligation to treat Saddam as what he is…the former leader of a country. We MUST treat him the way would would want one of our leaders treated. Though it may seem wrong to treat him better than the idiots at Gitmo…he WAS the leader and should be treated as a POW accorging to treaties (I cant recall the treaty name off hand).
He will be treated according to the appropriate treaties. He was not an unlawful combatant. They had uniforms and a chain of command. Iraq is not Afganistan. This whole process will be a reasonably class act.
Well Indeed, they did get him. The challenge now will be to try and figure out who will charge him and who will conduct whatever trial comes of it all.
There is no question that the man is a terrible tyrant directly responsible for the deaths of many of his own countryman and should be jailed for life or worse. However, I am sure that he will very tricky to bring to trial. Afterall, the US invasion that has lead to this was unprecedented and based on very questionable claims to begin with. I suspect that it will be years until there is any trial.
My guess–Saddam’s lawyers will attempt the “Fruit of the Poisoned Tree” defense. They will not argue that he didn’t kill millions of people. They will argue that his arrest and the events leading up to it, e.g., the war, were illegal–therefore, putting him on trial is illegal. Not that I agree with that. I also think that Saddam thinks that he will be exonerated in his trial, released from custody, carried through the streets of Bagdad on the shoulders of the Iraqi people, and reinstated on the throne in his palace.
Chili, Pinochet. The guy was one of the worst dictators, directly responsible for the torture and death of thousands of Chilean people, yet has never been on trial for it. I am not trying to say that history will repeat itself in Iraq, but things are hardly as simple as they look.
Again, it may not be that simple. The UN has already stated that they will not approve turning Hussein over to any tribunal that will consider the death penalty. When you consider the magnitude of that statement, it means that whoever tries Hussein, even if it is the Iraqis themselves, will not have the international credibility that UN approval might appear to lend. You either agree up front that you will not consider all appropriate punishments, or you try him without UN approval, not that doing so isn’t becoming de rigeur. That means that no matter what, he either looks like a martyr or he doesn’t get punished.
Robin Williams nailed it years ago when he compared the UN to a traffic cop on valium telling everyone to just “Sto-o-o-o-p!” and doing not one damned thing to improve the situation.
I’m truly starting to believe that the UN is evil. Genuinely evil.
I am not a legal expert, but the only way that I can see it evolving fairly( if one can even use that word) is for the Iraqi people to, charge him and try him. For either the UN or the US to get involved would be problematic. The US invasion in some ways has muddied the waters significantly. Whatever, I suspect that it will be many years before any legal action is taken. Witness Bosnia: Trials have only started on that unfortunate situation in the last year or so.
I too am very disappointed with the US of A. What evil sneaky no-goodniks. If my pistol hadn’t jammed, I would have taken out thousands, maybe even hundreds of the cowardly Americans. How brave is it to sneak up on a man who is simply trying to get a little snooze in his hole? Bah!
And without UNICEF, how would the starving children, in countries marvelously led by solid Stalinist-UN principles, ever get their gruel? You silly people.
When I get out of this mess, I will deal with you smarty Slowtwits who have spoken against me.
A pox upon your camels, may they give you no pleasure.
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Oh Saddam, how good it is to hear the truth from you! I have lots of friends in the SF community, many who are still “on the ground” somewhere in the dessert. They tried to tell me lies about finding you in a 6’ by 8’ hole with two other men, $750,000 and a royalty contract for “Muslims Gone Wild: Spring Break!” I knew it wasn’t true, I just knew it. May the truth be told!