[selowitch]

Well, they're going to execute Saddam. If I'm the warden at Saddam's prison, I'm watching out for a sympathetic guard slipping him some cyanide (à la Hermann Göring) or providing some other means for the condemned to cheat the hangman.

[olePigeon]

I really doubt he's going to be executed. I guess we'll see.

[selowitch]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

I really doubt he's going to be executed. I guess we'll see.

He was convicted, sentenced, the sentence upheld — what's to stop it now?

[Face Ache]

A White House spokesman has called for his head to be placed on a pike outside the Green Zone gates.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by selowitch 

He was convicted, sentenced, the sentence upheld — what's to stop it now?

I don't know, we'll see.

[selowitch]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

I don't know, we'll see.

Are you saying that you do not expect the sentence to be carried out? If so, why? What do you theorize will happen?

One thing I can't stand about the death penalty is this: I hate Saddam. Total murdering vicious bastard. But exposing him to execution puts me in the very awkward position of feeling sorry for the son of a bitch.

[Atomic Rooster]

Dubya wants his head for a play toy for Barney.

[Atomic Rooster]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

I really doubt he's going to be executed. I guess we'll see.

He'll get a grass hut bungalow at Gitmo right on the beach.

[ironknee]

once saddam is executed, then everything will go our way!

[vmarks]

Originally Posted by Face Ache 

A White House spokesman has called for his head to be placed on a pike outside the Green Zone gates.

Have you got a link for that?

Sounds like nonsense to me.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by ironknee 

once saddam is executed, then everything will go our way!

Hyperbolleriffic!

[kmkkid]

Originally Posted by selowitch 

He was convicted, sentenced, the sentence upheld — what's to stop it now?

Superman. He even saves the villains

[macintologist]

I hope conservatives realize that this will be their one-hit-wonder. They get to boast about executing a murderous dictator, but then when the next day Iraq is still a disaster zone, the American people will cease to give a flying ****.

[Rumor]

Human Rights Watch, an international rights group, said figures in the U.S.-backed Iraqi government had undermined the credibility of Saddam's trial. Those officials publicly criticized a judge early in the case, leading to his resignation.

Leave it to somebody to try and change the verdict.

Iraq Court Upholds Saddam Death Sentence

[Atomic Rooster]

We'll all wake up the next day and realize it was all a bad dream and Saddam will be in the shower and Gore will be through half of his second term.

[Rumor]

Originally Posted by Atomic Rooster 

We'll all wake up the next day and realize it was all a bad dream and Saddam will be in the shower and Gore will be through half of his second term.

You that a bad dream?

I'd hate to see one of your "good dreams".

[stwain2003]

Originally Posted by macintologist 

I hope conservatives realize that this will be their one-hit-wonder. They get to boast about executing a murderous dictator, but then when the next day Iraq is still a disaster zone, the American people will cease to give a flying ****.

Man... You liberals can put a bad spin on ANYTHING...

better phrased - you can find anything we do better than you (everything...) and put a bad spin on it...

[Atomic Rooster]

Originally Posted by stwain2003 

Man... You liberals can put a bad spin on ANYTHING...

better phrased - you can find anything we do better than you (everything...) and put a bad spin on it...

We are now referred to as 'Progressives'.

Republicans...I dunno...'Lemmings'?

[houstonmacbro]

Originally Posted by selowitch 

Are you saying that you do not expect the sentence to be carried out? If so, why? What do you theorize will happen?

One thing I can't stand about the death penalty is this: I hate Saddam. Total murdering vicious bastard. But exposing him to execution puts me in the very awkward position of feeling sorry for the son of a bitch.

I kinda feel you on this. Something just reeks of the whole affair being rushed through and manipulated. Not sure ... I mean ...

the Iraqi courts can be trusted to render verdicts, but somehow the government cannot be trusted to rule on their own, or contain the violence in their country...?

Something is just not quite right.

While I am not a Saddam sympathizer, I do not feel justice was carried out impartially. (Is it ever?).

[houstonmacbro]

Originally Posted by ironknee 

once saddam is executed, then everything will go our way!

I guess that is the prevailing thought. We'll see...

I have a feeling it is going to go a lot worse.

[Moderator]

Who knew just a few short years ago that all we had to do was sacrifice 55,000 people and we could have the warm fuzziness that you only get from watching a dictator hang. What a bargain.

[houstonmacbro]

I thought it was a bargain (at least that is how our Prez makes it seem) at 3,000 (or whatever the recent toll is)?

[macintologist]

If I was in charge of the Iraq war back in 2003 when it started, and I had no choice but to invade, I would have taken Badghad, hunted down Saddam, his sons and other top henchmen, killed them all, then pulled out of the country, lift the UN embargo, and declare victory.

[Pendergast]

Originally Posted by macintologist 

If I was in charge of the Iraq war back in 2003 when it started, and I had no choice but to invade, I would have taken Badghad, hunted down Saddam, his sons and other top henchmen, killed them all, then pulled out of the country, lift the UN embargo, and declare victory.

Yet, the point of the supporters of the Iraq Invasion was to ensure a smooth transition through a democratic process. How would have the plan you suggest made it possible, discounting all other argumentations (oil, ME control etc)?

I am not certain your plan would have worked so well; Saddam had a system of controlling the various tribes (and the population) in some sort of pyramidal system by providing significant sums of money to ensure allegiance and management of the population. Saddam gone would open a pretty anarchic system, unless you trusted the Baath Party to take over...

I am not saying that nothing should have been done either, but why intervene with Saddam and not another dictator? This means your plan would have called for more interventions, by the US especially since they called it, with other dictators, (which would have been a true War against Terror imho) which would have been difficult to support politically, militarily as well as financially, I believe.

The actual death sentence on Saddam's is supposed to be about what he did to his people. I wholeheartedly agree to the idea that Iraq was given the opportunity to judge him, as it is the proper way in this case; let the people judge their dictator. Facilitating this is probably the best thing ever done in Iraq by Bush. However, it opens up so many questions, and the actual situation does not correspond to a good resolve of the crisis in Iraq in the end.

May be we need to look at the situation from the local's benefits perspective; his sentencing is good for Iraqis. From an outsider's point of view, his sentencing does not resolve anything. in fact, had the US intervened to stop this sentencing would have been cause for a lot of reactions from Iraqis as well as from the international community, as it would not have been perceived as coherent. Therefore, Hussein's sentencing by the people was and is still unavoidable. it has to be done. (in response to olepigeon).

There would have been quite an argumentation from the supporters of the Invasion if they had said that the Coalition forces had to stay until Saddam Hussein's sentencing by the people of Iraq. I do not remember this argument being used here (correct me if I am wrong) and yet, it would have made a lot of sense, especially if the Iraqi army had been assessed as untrustable, at least until proven otherwise.