The Saddam Hussein verdict

Saddam Hussein has just been sentenced to death. The trial has taken over a year to complete, with lots of different twists and turns. With no disrespect to people who have been affected by Saddam’s reign, I find the whole situation a joke…

Let me first state that I’m convinced that Saddam is an evil man and that he no doubt had it coming. So, my thoughts here aren’t about his potential guilt and all the consequences of his actions through the years, but rather the trial itself and the verdict.

I mean, seriously, who thought there was ever a slight chance of him getting acquitted? In my eyes, from day one, this has been a set-up trial to, in some way, to try to gain the world’s respect and give the impression of this being fair in any way. They could’ve shot him right away when they found hidden away in a hole, and all it would’ve been is a quicker handling time of the matter.

And if we look past the discussion about if the death penalty should really exist in a country that claims to respect human rights, let’s take a look at the verdict: death by hanging. Hanging?! It’s not like he stole a horse in the ol’ Wild West!

I also have to bring up the conspiracy theory that this verdict is made official two days before the Elections for the United States House of Representatives is to be held, and the Republicans are currently in a very bad position… If that’s true, the world of PR is truly something terrible.

21 Comments

  • Hartvig says:

    I'm also against death penalty. I'm absolutely unable to understand how any human being (call it justice system – by the end of the day it's still designed, approved and executed by human beings) can sentence any one to death.

    But an interesting thing is that hanging is infact at least as humane or maybe even more humane than the leathal injection used in the united states.

    I recently read an article stating that people who got the leathal injection was in extreme pain, but at the same time physically paralyzed. So even though it seems like the victim can't feel any pain (thus making it seem the most humane solution), it's simply because the injection causes the body is unable to react.

    So hanging might seems like a leftover from the Wild West – but in that case you could say that the leathal injection is stone-age "improved" by marketeers. That would make it stone-age 2.0.

  • Ed says:

    If that’s true, the world of PR is truly something terrible.

    That's where it turns from PR to propaganda. I'm all for making a statement to the world that evil will be brought to justice and I hope that stability and peace will start to take a hold in Iraq now, but after such human rights atrocities within Iraq, the biggest statement they could have made is not to kill yet more people.

    However, we have to respect their rights, laws and beliefs as we in the West have ours.

  • Chris says:

    Apart from the fact that death penalty is cruel and against human rights – even if sentenced against mass-murderers as Mr. Hussein – there's one other thing which should be considered:

    Who benefits from Mr. Hussein's death? Will his victims live again? Will anyone get one cent? No.

    What can be the consequence? Maybe more violence from his followers.

  • matthijs says:

    <blockquote cite="">If that’s true, the world of PR is truly something terrible.Compared to everything else what's being done by the republicans/us government this is nothing. Looking at what's going on makes me really afraid. Not of some extremists who might plan an attack but of what's happening in the US.

    As far as Saddam is concerned: yes of course it was clear from the start he would be found guilty. However, still then a fair trial is necessary. How else would you do it? Just shoot him? What about someone else? You (as a police officer) find someone with a smoking gun in a house full of dead people. Just shoot the guy right there?

  • Skrim says:

    I will have to agree that Saddam Hussein hasn't been a very nice man, but what really strikes me as strange is how killing a person through a judicial system is, in some circles, hailed as a victory for democracy.

    However, we have to respect their rights, laws and beliefs as we in the West have ours.

    When should we in the West start respecting the rights, laws and beliefs of those not in the West"? Always? After we have made them more like our own? When they have made them more like our own? And misunderstand me correctly, I'm all for respecting others.

  • Wayne says:

    I call for televised hanging!

  • Dave says:

    George Bush Snr. did not manage to get him, and – in what may be called an attempt at vengeance – his son, Dubya goes after the man, and does not kill him when they catch him.

    This leads to another conspiracy: that the US has actually kept him alive, to use him for their own good, what good, I do not know, but, this is just according to one David Icke

    Maybe they will try and interfere and actually succeed in having him aquitted… who knows….

  • Rob Kirton says:

    I am instinctively against the death penalty, purely on the grounds that the wrong person may have been committed and found guilty. This was the prime argument behind it's abolition in the UK.

    In this case, my instinsts don't really come into play, unless Saddam could prove he was of previously good character and of course it was all a case of mistaken identity between him and his evil (hitherto previously unknown) twin brother, Fred Hussein.

    Don't really feel to much sympathy for him or his plight. It should be a realtively quick way of carrying out the sentence, death coming in a matter of minutes at worst. After all he could have been let loose in some of the poorer Shia areas of Baghdad with a ball and chain on his leg, and left to fend for himself

    Having been brave enough to participate in and order the killing of countless others, I am sure Saddam is brave enough to face up to this penalty, and think nothing of it.

  • feral says:

    Indeed there was only ever going to be one outcome from this trial, so the whole thing is a waste of time.

    I too don't have no time for the death penalty, for me people like this should get a life sentence and spend the next couple of decades thinking about where they went wrong.

  • Martin says:

    Who thought there was ever a slight chance of him getting acquitted?

    It is not a question of our feelings towards this guilty man because under the rule of law (a fair one), every man (and woman) are entitled to a fair and just trial that are free of any prejudices (including our own) for crimes they committed.

    Obviously, Saddam is guilty and was found guilty for his crimes and I am glad that the Iraqi people carried out a moral and democratic process of law.

    They could’ve shot him right away when they found hidden away in a hole

    If that had happened, the world would probably never learn about what Saddam did to achieve acroticies in Iraq, and to teach people in history lessons about these evil acts.

    Trials are also about finding the truths than just judgement.

    Death penalty should really exist in a country that claims to respect human rights

    I'd be surprised if Iraq abolish the death penalty so quickly after Saddam. Small steps, one at a time.

  • Pat says:

    I was a little shocked myself to hear that they were going

    to hang him. My immediate thoughts were of the old wild west too..

    people throwing apples and stale food. Oh boy I feel quite primitive

    now.

  • Johan says:

    He is worth more alive than dead. He is got so much info he has not told yet.

  • Robert Nyman says:

    Thanks for your comments!

    Hartvig,

    Good to see you here! Long time, no talk! I've also heard that about lethal injections, but as i understand, they were going to look into that and make necessary adjustments. I sure hope that's true…

    Ed,

    Absolutely, mutual respect is of the utmost importance.

    Chris,

    Yes, I think executing Saddam just turns him into a martyr, and lots of violence will follow. A life sentence would probably have been better.

    matthijs,

    I agree, a trail was indeed necessary. I just wonder if it ever was (or could've been) a fair trial…

    Skrim,

    Definitely, it seems like all the western countries want to do is to shape other countries after their template.

    Wayne,

    No, no, no. This spectacle stops at such tasteless things like "Click here to watch Saddam's reaction when he got the verdict."

    Dave,

    When conspiracy theories start, there's just no end to it… πŸ™‚

    Rob,

    Well, yes, he could've faced a much more worse faith.

    feral,

    Absolutely.

    Martin,

    I agree about having a democratic process, but given the subject and the context, I'm just not sure he got a fair trial. And if it was such an open-and-shut case, how come it took such a long time?

    I think (read: hope) the world still would've learned about the ghastly things he was behind even if he had been shot; however, maybe the trial really helped putting a light on it.

    Pat,

    Yes, it does give you that impression, doesn't it?

    Johan,

    Question is: will he ever tell it?

  • Wayne says:

    <blockquote cite="Robert">

    No, no, no. This spectacle stops at such tasteless things like “Click here to watch Saddam’s reaction when he got the verdict.â€Â

    I'm just speculating! I wouldn't be surprised if they do!

    That makes me think… When is Steve Irwin's death going to be leaked?

  • Chris says:

    Yes I agree with you Robert.

    And this whole situation was a joke right from the beginning. First, the American government lied to the world. And what a lie! Who can trust them now? Not me!

  • Rob Kirton says:

    The Iraqi's used to have a non secular leadership who were brutal and thought nothing about applying the death penalty.

    They will soon have a faith lead leadership, at least in some parts of the country if not all, who (in our eyes appear brutal) and think nothing about applying the death penalty.

    It was bad enough interfereing in their affairs in the first place. Trying to apply our generally liberal attitudes will prove to be impossible. As Martin said one small step at a time. In the near future, I wouldn't expect to see any sort of regime in Iraq that "Respects human rights" or at least in the sense we would interpret that phrase.

  • Hartvig says:

    @Robert: I've silently been enjoying your blog since last year, but I did not want to make any noise before umbraco turned completely firefox/standard compatible and the new umbraco website came online in a standard compliant and accessible form. Looks like this post, just got me provoked enough to break my own promise πŸ˜‰

    We're so close turning umbraco into the completely standard compliant and accessible cms, so expect loads of noise and ínsistating e-mails soon πŸ™‚

  • Robert Nyman says:

    Wayne,

    Ah, good! Regarding Irwin: I actually think that will never happen.

    Chris,

    Chris,

    I'm glad that you agree.

    Rob,

    Only the future can tell, although I have to say it looks kind of grim right now.

    Hartvig,

    Aha, ok! πŸ™‚

    Well, best of luck to you with umbraco!

  • Bill says:

    Never really thought about the election thing. I wonder if we're going to see the troops come home right before the presidential election. Maybe even free iPods to vote repulican!

  • Robert Nyman says:

    Bill,

    Oh man, that might even happen… πŸ™‚

  • Dennis says:

    Saddam Hussein deserves to be hanged. Should have been done a year ago.

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