December 7, 2005
YESTERDAY WAS TOO LATE:
Kurds anticipate dictator's execution (Paul Martin, December 7, 2005, THE WASHINGTON TIMES)
The question on people's minds in Iraq's largest Kurdish city as they watch Saddam Hussein's trial on television is not whether he should be executed, but how and when.
Some argue that the ousted leader should be convicted and put to death immediately after the trial, which is being broadcast live on Kurdish television.
Others want to see a series of trials, in which Saddam is held to account for a long-term campaign that displaced hundreds of thousands of Kurds, and for four poison-gas attacks that killed several thousand others.
"Don't rush it; let it take years," Hero Talabani, the wife of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, told foreign reporters. Mrs. Talabani is the founder of a satellite television station that has been covering the trial.
You have to kill him just so Ba'atghists can't imagine he'll return to power one day. Indeed, not killing him the day we found him has needlessly prolonged the unrest in the country. Posted by Orrin Judd at December 7, 2005 8:28 AM
You took the words out of my mouth. I've been thinking that for weeks now. Who ever talks about Nicolae Ceausescu except to note wryly that he got what he deserved? How many years did Romania waste worrying about is crimes? Everyone knew what they were. Try him in under six minutes. Take him out back. Bring the wife -- anything to shut the old bag up.
They should have flown Saddam by helicopter directly from his S.H. to the toniest shopping district in the Kurdish capital and just let him out. End of story (except for the wicked-cool footage of Saddam getting bludgeoned to death with Prada shoes and Gucci handbags.)
Posted by: John Savage at December 7, 2005 11:49 AMAbout the only redeeming thing I can see about dragging out Saddam's court trial and the ensuing results is if gives the left a greater chance of making complete fools of themsleves by turning him into the next Mumia/Tookie under the simple mindset of anyone who hates George W. Bush must be an OK guy. Hard to see how that kind of logic is going to help them much with the general public going into the 2006 vote.
Posted by: John at December 7, 2005 12:55 PMJohn nailed it, I think. Saddam at the end of a rope is something we all can understand, and should have high voter approval. The more opportunity those people have to say they were for bringing down Saddam before they were against it, the less serious they look.
As to subsequent trials, we don't know that our government and its Iraqi puppets have in mind. If it can be done quickly enough,a couple of more trials focusing on atrocities against specific segments of the population might not hurt.
Posted by: Lou Gots at December 7, 2005 2:46 PM