From CNN: The Iraqi High Tribunal in Baghdad on Sunday sentenced a combative Saddam Hussein and two other defendants to death by hanging for a brutal crackdown in 1982 in the Shiite town of Dujail.
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If the Appellate Chamber upholds the conviction and sentence, Hussein must be executed within 30 days.
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It would seem, however, that the noose is around all of our necks. Saddam is, at best, a small part of the larger problem that is the Middle East. How many Americans have we sacrificed for this small, sigh, "victory?"
If only the world were any safer and if only this war had any hope of end in sight because of this verdict, but no. We're so stuck in this mess that many Americans will be stunned to realize that Saddam is still alive to begin with. Who's the public enemy now?
We've been fighting a battle for some time now. When do we start fighting the war? Let's not forget that a lot of our Iraqi "friends" don't like Americans and they are just as manipulative as everyone else on the planet. We are not involved in a war in Iraq. The war is between the Muslim's, the Kurds, and even the Christians. We won the battle. We got Sadam, we knocked down his statue. Game over. Killing Sadam gives all these groups just another excuse to kill. At this point, we could be of better use by getting rid of the guns, jailing Saddam for the rest of his life--probably a short one at that-- and start partnering with all those we alienated to try to get the match away from the power keg and prevent WW3, which is more of a reality than most people seems to think.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe we should "cut and run" -- but we need to calm it down and start bringing in arbitrators instead of killing more 18 year olds. Oh, and I think the list of arbitrators should include other people in addition to Condi. We need to stop thinking of ourselves as King of the World - it's really hurting the economy and I need a new IPOD.
Oy, GCL!
ReplyDeleteCan't you put down the "how to turn everything into a kneejerk attack on the current administration" manual down for one moment and provide some hint of positive reaction that one of history's most murderous, psychopathic dicators has been sentenced to death? Would that be too much to ask?
I don't even like President Bush much, but you're starting to make me sound like a Republican shill.
Let's inject some semblance of objectivity into this discussion.
I think whether Saddam lives or dies is of little real consequence.
ReplyDeleteJames -
ReplyDeleteI agree. But Sadaam getting hanged should not count as demerit for Bush. Much the opposite.
There are a lot of points in that demerit column, but this should should not be one of them.
You're right. Let's give the Iraqis and the at least 1.5 MILLION in mass graves (who didn't get a fair trial) the middle finger.
ReplyDeleteAs far as "alienating our allies", exactly whom would that be? Further, does that mean none of them will be immigrating to the U.S. nor will they be requiring our financial assistance on anything?
TGC, you know damn well Saddam is the least of our problems. If we're so hell bent on righting the massacre of Iraqis we'd stop pushing that death toll up with our presence there. Second, there's another genocide happening in Darfur, propagated by radical Muslims...why aren't we concerned with Sudan becoming another haven for terrorists? Oh, right, no oil there.
ReplyDeleteSaddam deserves to die, but so do tons of other dictators around the world. In the end it's all linked to our national security, so why don't we stop being a bully state and leave the Middle East and focus on making our country great?
Berdo, this administration deserves to be attacked all the time. We're stuck in this war and it's the context in which I'll always remember my 20s.