You punks probably cannot even make a decent noose. Losers!
Iraqis react with joy, anger to Hussein death sentence – CNN.com — Curiously further down the front page of CNN page it says “Saddam is Sentenced to Death, and Iraq Shrugs.” Well, which is it? And then there is this comment from CNN: Bush calls verdict “a major achievement for Iraq’s young democracy” Why is this an achievement? Hanging the old ruler? When is that a new or democratic idea?
Many Iraqis reacted with jubilation to Saddam Hussein’s death sentence Sunday, while others took to the streets in protest.
The Interior Ministry closed two Sunni satellite TV stations accused of inciting sectarian violence, a ministry official told CNN.
Iraqi police and soldiers ordered the employees of First Channel [Zawra] and Salaheddin TV to leave their offices in Tikrit, Hussein’s hometown.
That is where as many as 2,000 people protested Sunday’s verdict and sentence against the former Iraqi leader, defying the government’s curfew.
Earlier in the day, a witness said the protesters in Tikrit carried posters of the former president and were shooting into the air. The numbers of demonstrators grew after the sentence was announced.
How long was this trial anyway?
Get ready for all-out civil war.
Also, has anyone else noted the distinct LACK of coverage from any media outlet on the Kurdish reaction? Saddam was convicted, among other things, for his crimes against the Kurds, and yet the media can’t find a minute or two to head up north, where it’s pretty damn safe, to ask a few questions?
Back in July Saddam stated that he would like to be executed by firing squad rather than hanged like “a common criminal” if sentenced to death.
I’m so glad they are treating him like a common criminal (in Saddam’s opinion).
I think most Iraqis, with the exception of the Sunni and outside agitators, will rejoice on the death of this butcher. How many innocent people were slaughtered by this megalomaniac. One can only hope that after he is dead, they cut off his head and stick it on a pike in the capital, so all can witness that evil is eventually vanquished by good.
The “head on a pike” idea would reinforce the barbarian nature of that society; that and religion are at the root of evil there. I suggest they gag him though.
#4 – Wasn’t this guy a very good friend of the US?
That’s right. Now, the Bush’s wanted to shrink their friendship circle, so old Saddam had to go. So, who’s left… let’s see…
* Pervez Musharraf
* Bashar al-Assad
* Abdullah bin Abdulaziz
* Hu Jintao
All perfect role models for the kind of democracy Bush likes.
#4 – Wasn’t this guy a very good friend of the US?
Friends comes and goes. Right now, there’s…
* Pervez Musharraf
* Bashar al-Assad
* Abdullah bin Abdulaziz
* Hu Jintao
All perfect role models for the kind of democracy Bush likes.
—
And as for Saddam… Death is the easy way out for him. Let him live and rot away in jail.
There is no “truth”. Saddam was a “bad” man to fundamentalists. He HATED religious nut-jobs and did his best to put them down. Oddly, his attitude when he rose to power up until the Gulf War 1 would be gladly welcomed right now, especially by many people on this blog. Christians had religious freedom under him. Women went to university, and wore whatever they want. EXCEPT the burka, hajib or whatever. He wouldn’t allow it.
After the US turned on his nationalist desires RE: Taking back the oil from Kuwait after the Iran Iraq war, he started to feign religious undertones. That’s when the Iraqi flag showed the script from the Quran. He had no more support from his “friends” in the US, well, except Halliburton, and he needed to “prove” to the other religious nut-jobs in the middle east that he was a different person now.
Anyhoo, he was only a bad guy when he wanted oil for his people. He fought against the RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISTS and the Ayatollah in Iran for the US. Remember, you guys hate religious fundamentals in the middle east, and Iran is again an evil place. Saddam was not one of them.
But, now the Christians are enjoying the rule of the muslim fundamentals AGAIN in Iraq, and they are suffering. Kinda like back in the old days of pre 1955 when the English were performing the exact same machinations that the US is doing.
This guy’s been on trial for two years, and they convict him two days before the election. Something fishy’s going on.
I’m just not sure who’s side this’ll help or hurt.
Named, yes many of us dislike religious fundamentalists and would like to see them become impotent, but you are being over simplistic and a little demeaning to suggest that support for that cause is embraced at any cost by anyone here. Of course oil was a factor for the invasion of Iraq, but so were many other things. After 911, it was time to start NOT tolerating criminal regimes with anti-western sentiment and If there were other bonuses in the decision, so be it. IMO, it helped decide where to start. I’m not agreeing with the poor planning of the war or if it could have been avoided. That’s another issue.
I wonder when it’s going to ACTUALLY happen.
I’m sure many contributers to this blog will presume the announcements proximity to the US elections is another one of Karl Rove’s tricks. I can’t wait for those conspiracies to start flying.
#8 – Anyhoo, he was only a bad guy when he wanted oil for his people.
So, the Al-Anfal Campaign was for oil? I’m sure the people of Halabja didn’t want to share their oil, so they had to be removed…
10,
If the response to post 9/11 was to not tolerate criminal regimes, why does the US LOVE Pakistan, Saudi, Uzbekistan, etc? Oil is the only reason your fearless leader went to Iraq and you would be naive to imagine it was anything else. 9/11 was the excuse. And it’s tough to argue against it to the public when Bush and the GOP constantly dig up the almost 3000 victims, sticks them in your face and says he’s doing it for them. It’s effective sure, but it’s the wrong war, the wrong time and the wrong innocent victims.
12,
Undoubtedly he killed many innocents. But what “great” leader hasn’t? Stalin was the Wests best bud even though he managed to dispose of 30 million Russians. Interests make or break the countries allies. Try not to bring morality into the debate. It just makes it cheap. It’s politics, power and oil. Everything else is just a story.
And oil for his people is like Bush preserving freedom for his.
#14 – Try not to bring morality into the debate.
The truth is shitty, isn’t it?
– – –
As for your general argument about Saddam holding the religious idiots at bay… Very true, but painting him up as a hero… Give me a break…
#4 – most, if not all, of the failed dictators and failed regime changes that have taken place in the last few decades can be laid to rest at the feet of the good ol’ USA.
Just becasue they’re firends now doesnt mean they’ll be friends in 20 yrs…
16,
Who said he was a hero? He was the US’s hero for as long as they had his oil. He did want they wanted. Made Iraq a very profitable country for foreign investment and a reliable source of oil.
The truth is shitty, and unfortunately, there IS no “truth”. Except in maths.
Iraq would be a very different place, infact, the whole of the middle east would be a very different place if not for the things that happened during WW1 and WW2. The roles the west played during that time can be directly connected to what is happening now.
Ironically, all this effort over the middle east for oil, and Canada provides most of the oil for the US.
#18
I see what you mean. I agree with your point of view.
Sounds like it’s the best way to silence him.
the problem is not that some mass murderers are hanged and some aren’t, the problem is that all of them aren’t.
the idea that no killers should be punished because all of them aren’t – that inconsistency in the administration of justice should prevent any justice from being done – is simple foolishness.
what I am chapped about is that it seems likely that he will be hanged for murdering 142 shiites before he is punished for killing tens of thousands of Kurds
That wasn’t an achievement of democracy. An achievement is if he were found not guilty, like with John Peter Zenger.
Why couldn’t they have just killed him outright, and saved the lives of some number of lawyers and judges?
Anyhoo, he was only a bad guy when he wanted oil for his people
Tell that to the Kurds, who were gassed to death in their own village. Men, women and children, murdered. Or the thousands of others were were tortured, maimed and killed in Iraqi jails.
Stalin was the Wests best bud even though he managed to dispose of 30 million Russians
He was? True he was our ally against the Nazi’s, but right after the war, the friendship ended and the cold war began. Not to mention the U.S. was never in any position to do anything militarily against Russia.
“Ironically, all this effort over the middle east for oil, and Canada provides most of the oil for the US.”
Named, that just supports my point. Oil was just a bonus. The invasion of Iraq was a poorly planned, politically motivated reaction to 911 and Oil wa secondary.
25,
I see your point, but I believe you are wrong. Canada providing oil is still a foreign nation. But, American owning Iraq then it becomes a “domestic” proxy.
24,
So, when Stalin served his purpose, he was a good dude. But after his interests were unnecessary, he was bad? Sounds VERY American.
As for the kurds, tell that to the Assyrians who have been subjected to the violence of the Kurds. They don’t care. The Assyrians were British subjects and did duty to their requests. After those duties were done, the kurds did them in. Did you see that in Iraqi Freedom operation?
http://tinyurl.com/yfchdm
Depends on which interests it serves. My entire point is that MORALITY has no place in power politics. It serves interests involving money. Full stop.
This one lost many dear ones to that tyrant and now this one is happy. ‘Nough said!
Why has saddam suddenly become relevant two days before elections? Republicans desperate of any symbol of accomplishment is again exploiting Saddam to gain a few points. They had always believed that repeating a lie often enough would make it true. But it’s still a treat to see them actually suckered by their own lies. har!
#29, Why has saddam suddenly become relevant two days before elections? Republicans desperate of any symbol of accomplishment is again exploiting Saddam to gain a few points. They had always believed that repeating a lie often enough would make it true. But it’s still a treat to see them actually suckered by their own lies. har!
Comment by Sadman — 11/6/2006 @ 12:10 am
Maybe because it was Republicans that entrenched Saddam in power and supplied those chemical weapons Iraq used against Iran and later the rebellious Kurds.
http://tinyurl.com/zc3x
That doesn’t mean all Republicans should all be castigated, but the responsibility does rest with those currently running the show. And if you support them, then you support the use of those chemical weapons against innocent peoples in Iraq and Iran.
#21, very good point.
Dvorak points out Bush calls verdict “a major achievement for Iraq’s young democracy”
Well, sure… But I think its well established that Bush is kind of an idiot. If there was ever any doubt it was clarified when he reasoned that terrorists hate us because “they just can’t stand freedom.”
It’s all meaningless sound bytes anout nothing. Use words like: freedom, democracy, values… over and over and flag wavers will wave flags for you.
This finally brings an end to the question most of us have been asking for a while now:
“Why is this guy who killed and tortured his own people still alive?”