BREAKING: Saddam Sentence - Death By Hanging (CNN)

[Hissyspit]

Annesh Radan of CNN reporting on CNN International Live:

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/05/dujail.saddam/index.html

[qanda]

1. I'm having trouble sleeping

So, I'm up watching this.

[Hissyspit]

87. BBC: "Death Penalty For Saddam Hussein"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6117910.stm

Death penalty for Saddam Hussein

Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has been convicted of crimes against humanity by a Baghdad court and sentenced to death by hanging.
He was found guilty over his role in the killing of 148 people in the mainly Shia town of Dujail in 1982.

His co-defendant former judge Awad Hamed al-Bander was also sentenced to death. Former vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan got life in jail.

Three others received 15 year prison terms, another official was acquitted.

[The Backlash Cometh]

147. Crimes against humanity. Wow. It's hard to tell the bad guys from

the good guys these days, when you're basing your decisions on the casualty lists.

[meuniermr]

187. Great. Now when do we get to see the ICJ do the same to Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld?

/

[Lakerstan]

195. It should have and could have been Bin Laden n/t

[Megahurtz]

224. Nah. It'll never happen.

Bin Laden's buddies with the Shrub.

[krispos42]

202. Facinating how he WASN'T tried for gassing those thousands of Kurds

With, I believe, US-made and US-given chemical weapons. The same ones Santorum claims justified the invasion when he was waving some report around on national TV a few months ago. The ones that are 20 years old and are less toxic than household bleach.

Oh, wait, I forgot... REAGAN gave Saddam those weapons, so it must be all good.

[grasswire]

2. BBC reported it was delayed. (eom)

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. link

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6117796.stm

And could it be the US will pressure the judges NOT to go on until the 8th? Would not shock me

[saigon68]

4. guess we will see what the Puppets of the Chimp will do shortly

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Yep

[Freedom_from_Chains]

10. Do you have a doubt that it will be a death sentence?

I mean it seems to me that's a forgone conclusion.

[MnFats]

12. of course it is. bush wants saddam's head on a spike...

....he wants mementos of this illegal, damnable war.

[wordpix]

242. BushCo does not want Saddam spilling beans about why US REALLY went to war

Dividing up the oil-rich lands among the get-rich-quick BigOil corps. could look bad for bushies.

[saigon68]

21. "Heads On Pikes/Are Extra Nice/When Hoisted Twice"

Impaling severed heads on pikes is an English tradition that spans more than three centuries. Some heads were dipped in tar to preserve them.

Hacking away at a ragged, bloody neck was considered bad form and unacceptable, so the French refined the guillotine to compensate for the headsman's poor aim or sloppy work as well as the less-than-perfect operation of the many earlier models of this machine. Unfortunately, this tool came along centuries after beheading and piking became popular, so many a victim was badly treated on his way to Hell,


Cromwell is thought to have suffered from malaria He died at Whitehall on 3 September 1658, the anniversary of his great victories at Dunbar and Worcester.


n 1661, Oliver Cromwell's body was exhumed from Westminster Abbey, and was subjected to the ritual of a posthumous execution. Symbolically, this took place on January 30; the same date that Charles I had been executed. His body was hung in chains at Tyburn. Finally, his carcass was thrown into a pit, while his severed head was displayed on a pole outside Westminster Abbey until 1685. Afterwards it changed hands several times, before eventually being buried in the grounds of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, in 1960.

[MGD]

Ya just gotta love those old English traditions.

[zanne]

134. Yup. Then they go home and bake muffins. nt

[MGD]

22. Do you think he deserves less?

[Hissyspit]

71. If one is anti-death penalty for ANYONE, then yes, he deserves live w/o parole. n/t

[Zhade]

210. Well-said.

NT!

[Hissyspit]

214. But not well-typed. It's supposed to be life, not live. Oops. n/t

[Freedom_from_Chains]

80. It's not as much about if he deserves it or not but

more about it was a forgone conclusion.

[baby_bear]

96. I hate it when someone asks whether a person "deserves it"

They miss the point, the points, actually, because there are many.

Asking whether he does or doesn't deserve death is as simplistic and ridiculous as
asking whether the world is not better off w/o Saddam Hussein being
the head of the Iraq government. As if that were the overriding issue.

That is not the question, and the answer to the question is not the issue.

Good grief. I expect DUers at least to not be debating what Saddam Hussein
(or Hitler or Bush) "deserve." It is about the people; Iraqis and Americans and
everyone else.

b_b

[Freedom_from_Chains]

99. LOL, I know what you mean. n/t

[LiberalEsto]

157. "Deserve it! I daresay he does...

"Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends." -- Gandalf, "The Fellowship of the Ring," J.R.R. Tolkien

I couldn't help thinking of these lines in Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

[Moochy]

161. expect the unexpected

...this time of year, thar be under-bridge denizens at every turn.

[MGD]

196. This time of year (and every other time of the year for that matterr)

I prefer to adopt political views that don't make us look like a bunch of nuts to the average American, views such as defending Saddam Hussein for instance. I absolutely don't give a fuck abut what happens to Saddam one way or the other, but I would prefer we not exacerbate the already all to common perception that Democrats are a bunch of "wussies" by taking up the cause of this POS. And thanks for calling me a troll. I'll remember that when I'm voting straight ticket Democrat on Tuesday.

[Moochy]

205. You are welcome

By the way being universally anti death penalty is not a "wussie" position.

Thanks for playing, and for voting.

[MGD]

211. By the way being universally anti death penalty is not a "wussie" position

Sure it isn't...

[Moochy]

225. Ok tough guy

I know where you stand on the issue. Fucking Wussie.

[MGD]

237. "I know where you stand on the issue."

I am not "universally" for or against much of anything. That's a pretty inflexible way of thinking. I don't like the death penalty but I don't like axe wielding maniacs either. As for Saddam, however, I just think it's best to remove him from the chess board permanently before his supporters get the idea that they can take Americans hostage and demand he be released. He's still a problem while he's alive and, to quote Joe Stalin, "death solves all problems-no man, no problem". I think our party leadership is playing a good game on the issue. They all agree that execution is appropriate; however, they still contend that there are serious problems in Iraq that will not be solved by this. The execution issue is really very trivial IMO compared to the rest of the issues surrounding Iraq.

"Fucking Wussie."
People who resort to ad hominems tend to be without meaningful thoughts. I think that definitely applies to you in this case as you haven't had anything to offer other than ad hominems throughout our little discourse here. In this battle of ideas, you are clearly unarmed.

[Moochy]

239. Stalin?

Our Leaders are now taking advice from Stalin, super...

You are the one who chose the wussie label to apply to being against the death penalty in all cases.
Universally. So right back at you fucking wussie.

[MGD]

240. Ignored

[Moochy]

245. Right back at you

[No Exit]

244. Hear me, and hear me well: I don't give a flying f*ck what the "average American"

thinks of my views.

I have seen enough of the viewpoints of "the average American"--or, at least, of what the media SAYS are the viewpoints of "the average American"--to last me a lifetime.

Up until recent months, I regularly read that "the average American" supported this fraudulent Iraq war.

I have no use for the good opinion of "the average American".

I will support what I see fit to support. Others are free to have whatever opinion they like of what I say or do.

[MGD]

246. Then by all means, climb to the top of the highest mountain and shout your support 4 Saddam Hussein

for all the world to hear.

[No Exit]

248. Maybe I should just pump his hand and grin as his friend Rumsfeld did.

Or maybe I should give him some more poison gas, as certain AMERICAN LEADERS did. ("Psst... Saddam... annoyed at that death sentence? Here ya go--spray THIS stuff on those guys who condemned you! They'll die like Kurds!")

Height of hypocrisy... and all that, you know.

I don't recall saying I support Saddam Hussein. Oh--but I forgot! There is NO in-between when it comes to "You're either with us or against us".

At least, not in wingnut-land.

[MGD]

249. Oh how I hate self-righteous indignation.

I don't recall saying I support Saddam Hussein.

Well, that is what I have been talking about since post #196 and you did indicate that you were generally opposed to my position in post #244.

"There is NO in-between when it comes to "You're either with us or against us"."

Leftwing-nuts are just as guilty of rigid thinking as rightwing-nuts. Pesonally, I'm a moderate so I'm not as prone to such inflexible thought patterns; however, quite frankly, I believe "in-between" thinking can be just as dangerous and even paralyzing at times. I think maybe you're just looking to vent a little of the aforementioned self-righteous indignation. That's fine, it is a big tent afterall.

[No Exit]

253. Me too--such as the self-righteous indignation US shows about Saddam,

when OUR CIA AND OUR PEOPLE have been enabling him since the late FIFTIES.

And the self-righteous indignation of ANYONE who would acquiesce to being ruled by a George W. Bush, while criticizing a Saddam Hussein. Message: they have much more in common than they have in differences.

Your original sanctimonious question to that other poster was "Do you think he deserves less?"

To me, that absolutely reeked of the same attitude as that which inspired one of the most recent repuke talking points: lately what they consider a "gotcha" question for democrats is to ask the democrat, "Do you want us to win in Iraq?"

It's a deceptive way of framing the issue, right along the lines of the old "Have you stopped beating your wife".

In my way of thinking, this isn't about Saddam Hussein, and no amount of killed/tortured/captured "bad guys" will lessen the horror of watching Bush and his minions bit-by-bit try to turn our country towards fascism. And to answer the repukes' unfair question about "Do you want to win in Iraq": I don't NEED to "win" in Iraq. WE don't need to "win" in Iraq, other than trying any way we can to minimize the loss of life. We need to get the fuck OUT of Iraq, and the primary reason for that is that WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. We are there because BUSH invaded, and his invasion is a WAR CRIME. For that, he must face trial and justice--same as Saddam.

You simplistically tried to equate my condemnation of Bush with a desire to "go to a mountain top and proclaim my support for Saddam". Since WHEN is condemnation of Bush equal to support for Saddam, or support for any other foreign leader? Since Bush oversimplified things with his "You are either with us or against us"--his talking point which paved the way for "Democrats love terrorists" and "Voting for democrats makes the terrorists happy", and other similar lies.

You say you are a "moderate", but if your "moderation" includes support for Bush/Cheney, then in my opinion your "moderation" is anti-American. Because Bush/Cheney are anti-American.

[Moochy]

250. And ignored clearly hails from those parts

Ahh Wingnut-land, over by Concern Crick and Underbridge-Dweller Falls.

[No Exit]

254. So it seems!

They're coming out of the woodwork!:)

[Moochy]

251. WHY DO YOU HATE AMERICA???

IF YOU LOVE SADDAM SO MUCH WHY DONT YOU MARRY HIM?

What a worthless line of argument. Par for the course though...

[badgerpup]

212. We knew it was going to be the death penalty, but why hanging?

Why not lethal injection?
I thought they stopped using hanging, firing squad, electric chair and gas chamber...
all the 'barbaric' methods. :scared:

Just wondering...

[Freedom_from_Chains]

220. My understanding is they use both firing squad and hanging

Saddam had requested firing squad but his request was denied. If I am not mistaken we still have some states, Utah or Kansas, which still have hanging on the books as a means of execution.

[physioex]

91. I think he deserves to live out his natural life......

Just like everyone else on this planet.

[druidity33]

118. Cromwell certainly didn't... nt

[0007]

124. Saddam deserves life in prison same as George W. Bush

and Richard Cheney.

[Moochy]

160. Myself

He deserves life in prison. No "worst dictator ever" exemptions. Thank you move along.

[mvd]

232. I agree with you

I'm completely anti-death penalty. I'm no Tony Blair fan, but I was glad to see a supposed ally express how I feel.

Now would I mourn for Saddam? No, but I make no exceptions - no death penalty unless you have a chaotic situation where you can't protect society otherwise.

[bdamomma]

129. after they do business with saddam they have him killed

that is the Bush Crime Family.

[Hepburn]

135. That pic of Saddam and Rumsy...

...if Saddam got death by hanging, then why wasn't one of his other co-conspirators, Rumsfeld, charged, tried, convicted and sentenced to the same thing?

I see it like an armed robbery of a bank when a death resulted for a shooting which took place during the crime: Maybe the guy that supplied the gun with knowledge that it was going to be used in the crime was not in the bank, but he sure as hell is as guilty of armed robbery and the murder which took place during the crime as the guy who pulled the trigger.

So...too bad that asshole Rumsfeld was not at the defendant's table along with Saddam and too bad he was not convicted and did not get the same sentence. Then maybe a bit of justice might have really been served. In my book, Rumsy is just as guilty for the crimes that Saddam did because he sure as hell was the middle man in supplying a ton of weapons to that mad man.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

145. Well the fact is Saddam's real crime was that he quit doing

our bidding, and that is an unforgivable crime.

[Hepburn]

166. Spot on, Freedom!

You hit that one exactly and squarely on the head of the nail!

[Vidar]

168. Exactly.

[Infinite Hope]

189. Good point. The killings were in 1982. Rummy was dealing with him...

in 1983 still.

[springhill]

176. Bush loves the death penalty.........

and people dying. He gets a kick out of it. just look at his record in Texas as governor. The most executions EVER!

[grasswire]

5. maybe the Iraqis are exhibiting independence

It would be nice to know the backstory here

[hang a left]

156. Backstory...?

You are kidding...right? How long have you been around here?

[bananas]

198. Curious comment by BBC's world affairs editor John Simpson

I wonder what this was about?

But the BBC's world affairs editor John Simpson said that after his tirade, which was clearly deliberate, Saddam Hussein seemed to have a small smile of triumph on his face as he was led away from the courtroom.

"It was as if he was thinking 'I've come here and done what I intended to do,'" our correspondent said.

[wordpix]

243. might have something to do with a comment by an Iraqi the other day who said

that the bombings in Iraq coincided with court proceedings against Saddam.

[bananas]

247. maybe it was a deal with Bushco and Rove

he doesn't object to have the sentencing on the day before elections,
and in return they fake his death and let him live on a nice ranch in Paraguay with Ken Lay.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

11. I gather it's a 30 minute delay.

[Hissyspit]

92. I believe they said 20 minutes. n/t

[ClusterFreak]

6. Saddam is overthrown, captured, put on trial, and now surely found guilty.

Meantime...where the fuck is Osama Bin Laden?

[wake.up.america]

8. Yep, what a ploy to divert from a bogus war and the fact Osama ...

is watching "I Love Lucy" and "Hollywood Squares".

[saigon68]

31. No Osama is in Miami Beach getting ready to sun himself

In a lounge chair

[Seabiscuit]

149. I spotted Osama getting a lapdance in Vegas last month...

And the dancer wasn't even wearing a veil!

[saigon68]

152. lol

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Don't worry

if the experts are right, and they have so far, Iraq is about to explode in a way that will all but help the Pubbies

[Hissyspit]

13. CNN reporting one defendant standing and "hearing fate" right now

Chuck Roberts reporting.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/05/dujail.saddam/index.html

[Freedom_from_Chains]

14. 1st verdict read Mohammad Azzawi Ali - not guilty. n/t

[jannyk]

15. CNN - first defendant cleared NG)

Not enough evidence

Ramsey Clarke ejected from Court

[Pachamama]

17. Why was Ramsey Clark ejected from Court?????

:shrug:

[jannyk]

18. Not sure but he was booted and all his belongings removed n/t

[jannyk]

23. Iraqi VP Next up n/t

[jannyk]

28. Former VPgets life eom

[johnfunk]

106. It's becoming an "old tradition" in the new Iraq -- the ceremonial ejection of Clark

n/t

[ChazII]

136. Aljezeera the English version reports:

Lawyer ejected

Ramsey Clark, Saddam's most outspoken American defender and a former US attorney general, was thrown out of the trial on Sunday and accused of insulting the people of Iraq.

Clark, a member of Saddam's defence team and a strident critic of the conduct of his trial at the Iraqi HighTribunal, attended the start of the session but was ejected before Saddam was sentenced to death by hanging.

"Get him out of the hall. He came from America to ridicule the Iraqi people and ridicule the court," Judge Raud Abdel Rahman said. "A bad arrow returns to the chest of its shooter."

After the hearing, chief prosecutor Jaafar al-Mussawi told reporters that the court would file a complaint against Clark with the American bar association, and also accused him of contempt.

"Clark submitted a study containing phrases humiliating to the Iraqi people and subsequently the court had no option but to take a decision to dismiss him from the session," Mussawi said at a news conference.

Since Saddam's arrest, Clark has strenuously argued that the trial constitutes victor's justice and is an abuse of legal principles.

[Rhiannon12866]

181. I was wondering that, myself. CNN mentioned this, but never followed up on it.

The reason that he was there was to ensure that Saddam received a fair trial.:shrug:

[Pachamama]

16. They are saying that Ramsey Clark (representing Saddam) was removed from courtroom???

WTF????

They were saying earlier on CNN Int'l that the lawyers for Saddam (Ramsey Clark) had requested a 60 day delay in the sentencing because of the political situation and election in the US. If it is Ramsey Clark, he certainly wouldn't be doing this to "help" the Republicans. I think its a serious request.

But if this report of Ramsey Clark being removed from the courtroom is true, this is outrageous (some justice)....What the hell is going on in that courtroom? Not that Saddam is a nice guy, but I thought everyone deserved a fair trial, especially when be "run" by Americans?????

[recidivist]

121. Well, it's definitely not to help the Democrats.

I have no idea why Ramsey Clark or any other attorney for Saddam would want to link the date of sentencing to the U.S. elections. In fact, it is monumentally stupid to do so, although (if the story is accurate) someone did. I say this for two reasons, one trivial and one substantive.

First, the suggestion that a Democratic victory next Tuesday would be good for Saddam is definitely NOT the message Ramsey Clark or any other progressive concerned about the U.S. elections should be wanting to put out right now. It will be interesting to see how Democratic candidates react to this news today. I hope most of them will applaud the verdict and agree that it is a necessary step for Iraq moving forward, whatever the future U.S. role may be. It is absurd that the trial has already taken this long -- it's as if the Russians had fished Hitler out of the bunker alive and three years later were still dickering on what to do with him.

Secondly, such a request is tantamount to waving a red flag in the face of the Iraqi court. The current Iraqi government is trying to put a country back together. This is obviously proving difficult, but we need to recognize that the people who have participated in the Iraqi political process, accepted posts in the government, served in the police, military, or the courts, etc. have quite literally put their lives on the line. They have made a bigger personal commitment than any of us here and deserve to be taken seriously. Demonstrating their independence from their overwhelmingly powerful ally and protector is a necessary and very sensistive part of their balancing act. For a lawyer for Saddam to suggest that this court proceeding be delayed in response to short term U.S. political considerations is a way to virtually guarantee his early execution.

[The Count]

125. because Ramsey is connected to democrats ...how exactly?

[recidivist]

131. I didn't say he was.

n/t

[Polesitter]

229. Democratic AG for a Demicratic President (LBJ) - establishes

solid ties. Did you think he was registered in another party?

[TankLV]

192. "the Iraqi people" "the Iraqi Court" - yeah - sure - I have a bridge to sell you...

Anybody who believes this is an Iraqi process controlled by Iraqi's and not a wholly created, owned and run oval office operation is a complete IDIOT...

[mom cat]

127. The kangaroos have run amock!

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. I cannot bear to go to the teeevee to watch CNN

mostly it IS the damnable MSM

[Pachamama]

24. Haven't you heard? According to the WH and the Cheney's, CNN is liberal and pro-terrorist!

:eyes:

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. Yep

I guess I could do the patriotic thing and go for FOX :sarcasm:

[Hissyspit]

20. 3 Co-defendents get 15 years.

[Hissyspit]

26. New BBC Link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6117910.stm

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. Ok who expects chaos to break in Iraq

curfew or no curfew?

[Freedom_from_Chains]

30. Me n/t

[MGD]

42. Chaos is already the norm. How can it get any worse?

[nadinbrzezinski]

46. It can

trust me on this, it can

[reprobate]

200. Haven't Sunni leaders said they'll call for mass uprising if Saddam guilty?

[Hissyspit]

29. Former vice president given life in prison. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. Hmm would not surprsie me if they give sadamn something

similar... in hopes of avoiding utter chaos

[MGD]

43. History suggests that execution will be the best conclusion to this story.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

132. best?

I would say foregone. MKJ

[Moochy]

162. Kill Tookie Williams !!!

Oh wait I just had a flashback. sorry.

[GirlinContempt]

182. death cannot bring back the dead

or change what was done. All it can do is further the idea of death as justice.
As long as death is to be ruled unjust do not promote the idea that justice and morality is served by more blood. Blood only obfuscates justice, not promotes it.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

34. Maybe we need Iraqis justice here? n/t

[cal04]

32. talking about torture and crimes against

humanity

[bdamomma]

130. yea, cal04 I could think of a few more that they could find guilty.

Saddam should have been sent to the Hague.

[Hissyspit]

35. BREAKING: Ramsey Clark Removed From Saddam Courtroom (CNN)

Aneesh Raman of CNN reporting live.

[Pachamama]

36. Why was Ramsey Clark ejected from Court?????

:shrug:

[Hissyspit]

37. Not really getting a good idea of why from their report. n/t

[Pachamama]

39. Very strange to eject/remove the defense counsel from the room...

:eyes:

[saigon68]

38. HE DIDN'T fit in to Chimpy's version Of Justice.

LOL

[Pachamama]

41. Chimpy's version of Justice makes Saddam's version of Justice look wonderful

I just wish I knew what it was that Ramsey Clark did to get him removed from the court room. I think he was the one to ask the Iraqi court to delay the Saddam verdict for 60 days because of the US election coming up.

Wow...if that's the reason, that's a bad sign for any "justice"....its actually a really good request posed....

[radwriter0555]

103. Saddam was defending his people from, and retaliating against the people that bush

just put into power.

[Raskolnik]

203. Oh please.

The fact that the Reagan administration has bloody hands when it comes to Iraq does not mean that Saddam was not one of the worst tyrants in the world in the latter half of the 20th Century. He wasn't "defending" his people, he was crushing them with an iron fist.

There does not have to be a good guy in this scenario. There are more than enough bad acts to go around.

[Heidi]

40. Here:

"Defense attorney Ramsey Clark was also in court, but he was soon ousted by judges.

The court asked Clark to leave, saying he had come here from America to mock the Iraqi people and this court."
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/05/dujail.saddam/index.html

[Vidar]

167. Because he was too high profile to shoot like they did with his other

lawyers.

[nadinbrzezinski]

44. the BBC is blogging

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6117910.stm

I ain't shitting you folks

[Freedom_from_Chains]

45. Taha Yassin Ramadan sentenced to life.

[Hissyspit]

47. Death by hanging for another defendent.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

48. Not looking good for Saddam

[jannyk]

49. Saddam's gonna swing then eom

[jannyk]

52. Saddam Hangs!

[Ignacio Upton]

59. ...When Karl Rove beats it with KY jell

n/t.

[saigon68]

66. no he does it raw

[wake.up.america]

60. Will this take place before or after the next trial?

[TankLV]

193. They'll prolong this till the 08 elections here...

mark my words...

[bilgewaterbill]

79. He deserved that verdict. nt

[Freedom_from_Chains]

50. Al-Bandar gets the death sentence.

[cal04]

51. I guess we know what the verdict

is for Saddam

[Freedom_from_Chains]

53. Saddam - Death

[upi402]

54. Against death penalty, but

:nopity:

[MGD]

58. yeah, I hear that violin loud and clear.

[springhill]

177. If you are against the dealth penalty..........

there are no buts.

[Pachamama]

55. Now I guess its official - there is in fact a Civil War in Iraq!

I can only imagine how horrific the violence is about to get in the next 72 hours....and the bodies piling up everywhere.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

57. That's my take also.

[Pachamama]

65. Yep, and our troops caught in the crossfire....

:cry:

[Omphaloskepsis]

63. My exact thought....

Now we can call it a Civil War. I doubt Bush will get the bump in the polls he was hoping for.

[Pachamama]

73. I think if BushCo. was hoping by the verdict being before the elections that they would get a "bump"

they didn't realize that the "bump" would be a bump DOWN for him and a bump UP for the Democrats.

An increase in violence (which surely will now come and the body bags piling high, along with flag drapped coffins) is only going to show the American public further the mess that is called Iraq and the failure that Bush is.

[Rhiannon12866]

82. I absolutely agree with you.

But we already know that Bush* is totally clueless on Iraq. He didn't even know of the different factions there until Super Bowl weekend, 2003, when the invasion was already planned. Even I did, and I had no need to know, but Bush* needed to... *sigh*

I'm sure that he will think of this as some kind of victory or vindication, not caring about the violence that this verdict could provoke. There have already been far too many deaths, on both sides. :-(

[progressivebydesign]

172. I still believe that Bush will be on TV tonight or Monday using it to his advantage.

Watch.. and wait. IT was the the US that asked for this to be delayed until today.. that is why all the officials have been over there in the past few weeks. While reasonable people, like us, would believe it'd be bad for this to happen a few days before the election because of the increased violence, PAST experience with the Bush crowd tells us that Bush and Rove are going to spend the next 48 hours TOUTING this death sentence, tying it in to TERRORISM, and making this death sentence more importan than catching OBL. Watch them work.... Bush will be on live tv tonight or tomorrow night... trust me.

[upi402]

56. self-delete, double post

the internets are twitchy!

[nadinbrzezinski]

61. Anybody wants to bet Bechtel's announcemt

IS CONNECTED?

Well the civil war will get far worst folks and our troops are right in the middle

[skipos]

62. Though the guy deserves it, I'm not a DP supporter. Life in prison would suck more

and not make him a martyr.

[jannyk]

64. Whatever happened to Tariq Aziz? Why s he not on trial? n/t

[Freedom_from_Chains]

68. You know, his name seems to have dropped from the radar

and I have been looking for it for a long time. Maybe he cut a deal.

[jannyk]

76. Tikriti (brother) also hangs n/t

[Hissyspit]

67. Remember folks, this is the third judge for this trial.

The last one was removed by the government.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

69. Yeah, and this one may not be around much longer. n/t

[LostinVA]

139. Yup, a verdict didn't come until they found a trained judge

[Freedom_from_Chains]

70. The 3 guys on CNN now are looking pretty lonely.

[Rhiannon12866]

72. Does anyone else think that this is a huge mistake?!

Why would they want to make Saddam into a martyr?! This is just going to ignite more violence, IMO, since the Shi'a and the Sunnis are already at each other's throats. *sigh*

If I were "the decider," I would exile Saddam to Jordan, where his daughter has already found refuge. I have little doubt that they would take him. He could live out his life, and avoid more violence. There has already been more than enough in this beleaguered region. :-(

[1932]

77. I don't think anyone is really fighting to defend Hussein's honor.

I think there's a power vacuum without him, and I think people are mostly fighting an occupying force.

[Rhiannon12866]

89. I agree. They've been fighting an occupying force since 2003.

How can't anyone else not realize that? But I've also heard it said that if Saddam didn't exist, they would have had to invent him. This country needed a strong man to keep the various factions in check and the terrorists out. He wouldn't have put up with al-Quada for a moment. He was a brutal leader, absolutely, responsible for 300,000 Shi'a deaths, but, without him, everything has degenerated into chaos. :-(

[Igel]

137. They're fighting to defend their own honor.

They've been dissed by Saddam's arrest and now the verdict. Harshly dissed.

[54anickel]

74. Years from now who will be on trial for Fallujah?

[Hissyspit]

75. BBC: "Death Penalty for Saddam Hussein"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6117910.stm

Death penalty for Saddam Hussein

Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has been convicted of crimes against humanity by a Baghdad court and sentenced to death by hanging.
He was found guilty over his role in the killing of 148 people in the mainly Shia town of Dujail in 1982.

His co-defendant former judge Awad Hamed al-Bander was also sentenced to death. Former vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan got life in jail.

Three others received 15 year prison terms, another official was acquitted.

[OneBlueSky]

78. the crimes against humanity of George W. Bush FAR surpass . . .

those of Saddam . . .

and, unlike Saddam, he's still perpetrating them . . . as president of the most powerful nation on Earth . . . and it looks like he's planning for more . . .

I am against the death penalty for anyone . . . but if Saddam deserves to be detained and punished, George Bush deserves it a hundred times more . . .

[bdamomma]

133. I totally agree, bush has killed more people than Saddam did.

the violence will just intensify between factions now, and our troops are in the cross hairs.

[Hissyspit]

81. Please recommend to GP for those reading there. n/t

[Rhiannon12866]

83. K&R from me, my friend! :-) n/t

[Hissyspit]

85. Thanks, Rhiannon.

You ring like a bell through the night. :)

[Rhiannon12866]

90. Anytime, my friend... I'm here, most nights, and ringing. ;)

[Recursion]

84. Good riddance... shouldn't have taken 650,000 innocent lives, though...

The mill of justice grinds exceeding slow, and exceeding fine, and, sadly, exceeding blind.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

86. Yeah, but it is too bad no one is mentioning that while he was

doing these killings he was our man in the region. No one seemed to concerned about it then.

[Rhiannon12866]

97. Absolutely. Reagan and Bush Sr. supported him in the Iran-Iraq war,

back in the '80s. There was no way that he would have prevailed against a much more populous nation and and an overwhelming force, without the help of the U.S.

Which gives me one more excuse to post my favorite Mark Fiore animation. This says it, for me...:-(

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2002/10/09/fiorewhoops.DTL

[Freedom_from_Chains]

100. Yeah, kind of odd how he is such a bad guy now but back then

he was A-OK. Nothing for us to worry about there. So what changed? I guess we just became more "moral."

[Rhiannon12866]

104. If you remember, Osama bin Laden was also once working for us.

Times sure change...:shrug:

[Freedom_from_Chains]

105. Oh yea, I remember

I tend to remember the hypocrisy I see around me for a long time.

[recidivist]

120. What's changed? Time, circumstances, events, everthing....

I'm sure Saddam was no angel in 1983 either, but that was before he invaded Kuwait, gassed his own people, and fired up a huge WMD program. It was also at a time when Iraq was fighting Iran. FDR made common cause with Stalin to fight Hitler. Was that a defensible strategic choice?

That said, such photos can still be embarrassing. You might have been willing to shake Lenin's hand in 1916, or Stalin's in 1923, or even Hitler's in 1933 -- but all would have been embarrassments a few years later. The passage of time DOES make a difference.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

143. Yeah, just like those who you install still following your orders

makes a difference.

[Rhiannon12866]

179. Saddam has never been an angel, though there was some hope for him

when he espoused the Arab nationalistic ideals of Egyptian President Gamal abd-al-Nasser, who passed on his dream of a united Arab state to Saddam at his death. However, ultimate power corrupts absolutely.

Iraq invaded Kuwait because they were slant drilling, stealing Iraqi oil. And the gassing of the Kurds in 1988 was proven to be the poison gas that was being used by the Iranians, "collateral damage," during the Iran-Iraq war. As for the WMDs, the only ones we have found came from us.

Aa for Lenin, Stalin or Hitler, they have always been the bad guys. Saddam is minor, compared to the atrocities that they perpetrated. The passage of time does make a difference, but Bush* is no student of history. There was a reason that Bush Sr. didn't take out Saddam when he had the chance. In 1996, on the fifth anniversary of the "first" Gulf War, Poppy Bush stated that he refused to take out Saddam because he realized the repercussions that this would have, that it would "turn the entire Arab world against us and destabilize the region." Shrub refused to learn the lessons of the Vietnam war, which he managed to avoid, nor did he learn the lessons of his father.

[progressivebydesign]

170. THANK YOU. I thought I was the only one that remembered that! n/t

[Freedom_from_Chains]

185. I know, I have run into several people today who seem unaware

that while he was doing these crimes he was our boy and we just looked the other way. Hell if the truth were known, since these people tried to assassinate him and he was busy carrying out the war with Iran for us, it wouldn't surprise me if we ordered him to do it so that people got the right idea. Don't fuck around in this.

[Rhiannon12866]

188. Most people were unaware of this. Iran was the "bad guys," back then.

Everyone was aware when they took Americans as hostages. But Iraq was just not on our radar screen, though it was sure on Reagan's and Bush Sr.'s. Most people weren't aware of this until the "first" Gulf War, just as they weren't aware that we encouraged the Iraqi people to overthrow Saddam, back then, and they attempted it, expecting our support, but we pulled out, leaving 300,000 Shi'a to Saddam's mercy, death by hanging. But hanging Saddam will hardly solve Iraq's problems, only exacerbate the violence, turn him into a martyr. The violence, which was already out of control, has already gotten worse, as if that was possible. ;(

[daleo]

94. And who should pay for those 650,000 innocent lives?

It's as if Jack the Ripper was passing judgment on the Boston Strangler.

[physioex]

98. I am not sure.....

What you mean by "justice".......

[Recursion]

164. "Justice" like a tragedy has. Maybe "karma" is more the idea.

The bad die unhappily and the good die unluckily, to quote Stoppard.

[Frank Nata]

233. Well past 700000 now

Do the math. It's 500 people a day on average. That's over 700000 killed in the Bush Blood Fued

[lumpy]

88. I don't know why , but I feel sad about this.

I was expecting Saddam would get the death penalty, but for some reason it saddens me. Must be depressed hearing nothing but death all the time. I just don't know.

[physioex]

93. The harsh realities remain unchanged.....

Nothing changes by killing him.

[Rhiannon12866]

101. There have already been way too many deaths. It saddens me, too.

I guess I was hoping for some better outcome, as you were, though I don't know what. I guess I was hoping for deportation. More death solves nothing. ;(

[Pacifist Patriot]

122. Me too.

One more death does not erase previous death and destruction, nor does it appear such sentences prevent further violence.

[Megahurtz]

226. Me Too.

I mean, WTF are we supposed to rejoice? Bush&Klan set him up way back when by providing him with weapons and shit and made him a target, and now they "make an example" out of him.

So now are Bush&Klan going to go on trial for Aiding and Abbetting?:think:

[Phrogman]

95. This means Saddams problems are over forever, unlike Americas problem....

which are juuuuuuuust beginning, and with no end in sight.

[Hissyspit]

102. It's Annesh Raman, not Radan. My bad. n/t

[w4rma]

107. Good. (nt)

[StraightDope]

108. Despite all my disagreement with the Republican way...

And despite my innate antipathy to the death penalty, I have to say that I feel that this sentence is just.

What will be left unsaid is that Bush and friends are equally as culpable as Saddam with respect to the commission of war crimes, if not more so...

[Hissyspit]

109. Sham trials are not just. And this was obviously timed to influence

the American mid-terms. Not that I give a damn about what happens to Saddam, but no just court allows the GOVERNMENT to replace the judge in the middle of a trial.

[StraightDope]

110. Point well taken...

I certainly don't condone the Bush Government's methodology. My point was simply that Saddan had done som evil, evil stuff, and I feel that death is an appropriate sentence in this case. That, and nothing more.

[Raskolnik]

204. Do you think this was a sham trial? n/t

[Hissyspit]

215. The chief judge was replaced by the GOVERNMENT?

Would that be o.k. with you if YOU were on trial? And would it be o.k. if the verdict was timed to influence the elections happening in another country?

[Raskolnik]

217. Judges normally do work for the GOVERNMENT

And when the chief judge resigns, it would be rather impractical to continue without a judge.

And yes, the timing of the verdict was almost certainly purposeful, but that does not mean Saddam didn't get at least as fair a trial as he deserved.

Do you think that the evidence was not sufficient to find Saddam guilty?

[Hissyspit]

218. That's why we have mistrials.

Judges are part of the government, but don't do the work for the government - as in the other branches. Remember checks and balances?

From tomorrow's New York Times:

"From the beginning, the now dominant Shiite and Kurdish politicians have been determined to use Mr. Hussein’s trial and punishment to further their own political ends, as Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has continued to do in recent days.

Mr. Hussein, as expected, repeatedly tried to mock the proceedings. More seriously, powerful politicians regularly tried to influence the outcome, judges were not allowed to rule impartially, and defense lawyers were denied security measures and documents they needed."

Sham.

[Raskolnik]

221. Of course politicians have been using it to their advantage.

That's not exactly a bombshell. It is absolutely unrealistic to expect this trial to operate like a criminal trial in the United States. If they granted a mistrial for every instance that would merit a mistrial in the U.S., there would be no chance of ever reaching a verdict. Do you think the Nuremberg trials were also a sham because they were under political pressure to reach a specific verdict?

I'll ask you again: do you think the evidence against Saddam was insufficient to reach this verdict?

[Frank Nata]

235. Of course it's a sham-look who did the security...

He was held in Iraqi jail, "under US security" ie, Blackwater security guards/mercenaries getting Haliburton paychecks no doubt! When someone stepped out of line...bammo...their security was removed and they were assassinated "by insurgents"

[alcibiades_mystery]

123. It would be just if they held the trial at the Hague

With full transparency, and an impartial judiciary. This was a show trial, and nothing more, something made clear by Tony Snow's ridiculous attempt to make it seem legitimate. The outcome was certain at the beginning. The process was little more than farce.

[jayfish]

146. Deity Damn It!

It reading took this far down the thread to find the correct answer. Thank-you alcibiades_mystery; you saved me from typing an poorly worded rant.

Jay

[Pavulon]

201. No the

soldiers capturing him convening a tribunal and shooting him on the spot is a farce.
He is a shitbag, so he can dance at the end of a rope.

I think they would have been better if if the guy looking for him had tossed in a frag first.

[alcibiades_mystery]

209. Your chest thumping is amusing

But that's about it. For my money, I prefer to see courts not of the Australian marsupial variety, especially on matters of such import. Why this thing couldn't have been referred to and sent to the Hague is a great mystery. In the process of keeping it in Iraq, we've managed only to make the results seem illegitimate to most of the world, except, of course, the Shia, the Kurds, and the imbecile Americans who prefer Saddam fragged unnecessarily by soldiers. Enjoy your hard on, in any case.

[GirlinContempt]

183. I repeat.

As long as death is to be ruled unjust do not promote the idea that justice and morality is served by more blood. Blood only obfuscates justice, not promotes it.

[fedsron2us]

111. I am surprised they want to execute him

His modus operandi of

willful killing, deportation or forcible transfer of population; imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental norms of law; torture; enforced disappearance of persons, and other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering; or serious injury to the body or to the mental or physical health.

would seem to fit in nicely with post invasion Iraq.

[Briar]

112. This serves Bush's interests well

It provides a justification for the invasion, and ensures Saddam doesn't get any chance to tell his story about American support for his regime during the Iraq/Iran war.

[54anickel]

114. I think that remains to be seen. Lots of questions being raised.

In a world divided over Iraq, new questions about trial and U.S. policy in Middle-east

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200611051653.htm

In a world sharply divided on Iraq since the U.S.-led war began in 2003, Saddam Hussein's death sentence Sunday unleashed fears of fresh violence and new questions about the fairness and impartiality of the tribunal that ordered him to hang.

Underscoring the fault lines that split the international community and widened the divide between Muslims and Christians, Islamic leaders warned that the verdict could inflame those who revile the United States _ undermining U.S. policy in the volatile Middle East and inspiring terrorists to strike.

snip>

But Amnesty International questioned the fairness of the trial, and international legal experts said Saddam should be kept alive long enough to answer for other atrocities. Only then, they said, will Iraqis brutalized by years of his despotic rule see true justice done.

snip>

Chandra Muzaffar, President of the Malaysian-based International Movement for a Just World, also voiced concerns that Saddam's trial was flawed because it ``violated many established norms of international jurisprudence, such as in the way the court was constituted and how the charges were brought against Saddam.''

more...

[Briar]

117. True. But these issues are not being raised in the MSM

The BBC is foregrounding this in all its bulletins as a sign of Iraqi sovereignty and democracy in action. It's a really huge effort on their part to sell it as a yet another "turning point".

[54anickel]

119. Seeing as the US has so far been silent on the issue, the UK must

be acting as a proxy. Sure reads like it anyway.

[54anickel]

113. Saddam Hussein urges Iraqis not to take revenge on U.S. invaders

http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5635761&nav=2HAB

AMMAN, Jordan Saddam Hussein's chief lawyer says Saddam wants Iraqis to reject the sectarian violence ripping Iraq apart, calling instead for unity.

Khalil al-Dulaimi (kah-LEEL' ahl-doo-LAY'-mee) also tells The Associated Press that Saddam wants Iraqis to "not take revenge" on U-S invaders.

Saddam was convicted and sentenced to death today for crimes against humanity following the deaths of 148 Shiites after an unsuccessful assassination attempt.

Al-Dulaimi says Saddam delivered his message during a meeting in Baghdad this morning, just before the verdict, and asked him to pass it along to Iraqis and the world.

bit more...

[al bupp]

116. Interesting tack for Saddam to take...

might mean he gets to die a martyr, at least to more than he might have before making this statement.

[Hepburn]

142. Reading between the lines...

...what I am getting is that he wants the factions united. And, I think we all know what happens when angry factions unite ~~ they go looking for a mutual cause and it sure as hell seems to me that the American troops are unfortunately going to be the targets of that united rage.

This whole Iraq thing from the start is just one ugly fucking mess. But...I guess nothing else but a mess could have been the outcome considering the "plan" was based on nothing but lies.

[mogster]

115. Good timing - coincidence?

Two days before the US midterm election the (real) Enemy recieves his just reward...

[The Count]

126. Yup. Brought to you by the people who thought violence in Iraq is motivated

by our elections. No one here gives a damn about Saddam. But if they steal it, they'll say it was 'the Saddam factor"

[progressivebydesign]

171. Did you forget that a majority of those polled believed Saddam = 9/11???

[bdamomma]

128. bush will spin this to death now

the violence will probably intensify even more now, and now that they found him to be guilty I could think of another person who deserves to be found guilty of all the people he killed, Bush.

[54anickel]

138. Shiites Cheer, Sunnis Protest Conviction

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2629915

BAGHDAD, Iraq Nov 5, 2006 (AP)— Iraqi Shiites broke into wild celebration on Sunday after Saddam Hussein was sentenced to hang, but his fellow Sunnis paraded through the former dictator's hometown chanting, "We will avenge you Saddam."

In Sadr City, the Shiite stronghold of northeast Baghdad, youths took to the streets dancing and singing, despite a curfew declared for the capital and two neighboring provinces.

snip>

Clashes broke out in north Baghdad's heavily Sunni Azamiyah district where police were battling men with machine guns. At least seven mortar shells slammed to the ground around the Abu Hanifa mosque, the holiest Sunni shrine in the capital.

In Tikrit, Saddam's hometown, 1,000 people defied the curfew and carried pictures of the city's favorite son through the streets.

more...

[Cass]

140. CNN just said the sentence must be carried out in 30 days so he will be tried in absentia

for the other charges against him.

I would have preferred if Saddam had been tried by the Hague.

[AzDar]

141. Karl Konducts Kangaroo Kourt Kleverly. n/t

[Mr_Spock]

144. Well, now there's a shock!

not.

[uacpeace]

148. the timing really is impeccable

I must say...two days before midterm elections and all of the sudden we have a guilty verdict in the trial of Saddam Hussein. The GOP will be spinning this in no time. I'm just hoping the American Public see's through their BS and realizes that while Saddam is now out of power (which is a good thing), we are still far less safer under this current administration.

[The Count]

151. Yeah, because Saddam tried to kill all our daddies....Who cares?

They had a big media bliz when they decided to publicize his "capture" and it was clear then that not many here gave a crap about him. Guilty or not, he's irrelevant to our lives, always was - and no one can convince people any differently.

[progressivebydesign]

173. Yep.. I'm waiting on the announcement of Bush's live address to the Country.

And Bush WILL spin this as capturing someone that sponsored terrorism.. a victory for the war on terror.. Everyone here at DU forgets that a majority of people polled STILL believe that Saddam had something to do with 9/11. Hell.. most of the troops over there believed that, and still do... Some people here are totally overestimating the public on this. Yes.. WE all know that Saddam is irrelevant to the bigger picture, but there are MILLIONS of voters that still believe he's tied to 9/11. And Bush and Rove know just how to play to their ignorance.

[54anickel]

175. 2:20 this afternoon.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-11-05T150355Z_01_N05172859_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-SADDAM-BUSH.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsHome-C3-politicsNews-3

snip>

Bush is to comment on the Saddam verdict at about 2:20 p.m. EST (1820 GMT) on Sunday before departing on a trip to Nebraska and Kansas to campaign for Republican candidates, the White House said.

Snow, in a spate of television interviews, said the verdict was proof of an independent judiciary in Iraq that operates fairly and openly.

"The judges will in fact publish everything they used to come to their verdict ... I think the entire world is going to get the opportunity to see it was scrupulous and fair," Snow told CNN's "Late Edition."

"For a young judiciary to take a hard case like this with the whole world watching ... to go through all that and do it carefully in the way they've done it, speaks volumes about their seriousness in terms of developing a rule of law," he said.

[MGD]

191. short and anti-climactic. I'm sure it will be squeezed for all it's worth later on though.

[IndianaGreen]

150. This was a Crusader's kangaroo court, the trial and verdict a travesty

of justice. Saddam should have been tried at The Hague, not by a disgraceful court controlled by US Occupation.

The US has killed more Iraqis in 3 years than Saddam did in 25. If you want real justice, Bush and Cheney should follow Saddam to the gallows.

[Megahurtz]

227. Agree. n/t

[onehandle]

153. Why now? So that Democrats will have an even more impossible mission.

Right as we take over Congress, Iraq will become ten times worse.

This timing is to keep us from winning in 2008.

[leesa]

154. When does Dubya's trial start? He's responsible for more Iraqi deaths

than Saddam is.

[durtee librul]

155. Ok, so the penalty has been

handed down....when is it supposed to be carried out -or does he go back to jail and sit for a few months? I haven't heard anyone talk about that.

Support Small Paws Bichon Rescue - visit the annual auction at http://www.sprauction.org/

[Dukkha]

158. why the death penalty is bad for him

because it's what Saddam wants. An execution will make him a martyr in the eyes of his loyalists and encourage the insurgency to escalate further. He did try suicide before so life without parole would've been a harsher punishment for him. It's always worse for a murderous dictator to be treated with the civility he denied to those who were oppressed under him.

[high density]

159. There we go

It only took a few thousand lives and hundreds of billions of dollars, but Bush finally killed Saddam Hussein.

[nedbal]

163. The hanging should be televised LIVE to the USA

Lets go back to the days of having the people view death sentences. I'm confident it will be shown live in the arab world, public executions are not uncommon.

I'm not a supporter of death sentences, There may be some cases where they are justified, this may be one of them, I didn't write this as I believe this result is an excuse for the mess the USA is in with IRAQ. I wrote this as there may be some ( minor ) effect on the death sentences we give out too freely in many states in the USA

The hanging should be televised LIVE to the USA

[stepnw1f]

165. The American Elite Doesn't Want The Truth to Permeate into Our Homes

It's ok for the elite to create illegal wars, to wipe out over 600,000 civilians and to use our soldiers like they were hired mercenaries for profit... but show the truth to America? They can't handle it...

[progressivebydesign]

169. Bush can't get OBL, so he'll settle for Saddam, basically.

And sadly, STILL a majority of Americans think that Saddam and OBL are interchangeable, so expect a boost for Bush in the polls soon.. even if the violence in Iraq increases.

[mvd]

174. Look, I'm so Saddam fan, but..

this result shows no turning point. If anything, the reaction shows that Iraq is as divided as it was under Saddam. And Saddam kept the violence under control, unlike us.

[Psephos]

216. Yeah, under *his* control.

We can hate on the war without pretending Saddam wasn't a nightmare, too.

Peace.

[mvd]

231. You are right

Both scenarios are bad, but we've made things worse. Just goes to show that toppling every dictator on our own isn't doable.

[LynnTheDem]

178. What I don't get is why our "msm" calls it "war crimes".

148 Dujail villagers were arrested, tried, convicted & executed for their attempted assassination of Iraq's president.

Right or wrong...how the hell is that anything to do with "war crimes"?

[Hissyspit]

197. I noticed that, too, Lynn. n/t

[BreweryYardRat]

180. Good riddance.

On the other hand, watch Iraq get even worse.

If we'd given him to the Hague, would that have lessened the inevitable backlash that's going to come when he dies?

[Eugene]

184. AP: Government Closes 2 Sunni TV Stations (for airing public reaction)

Government Closes 2 Sunni TV Stations

Sunday November 5, 2006 5:46 PM

AP Photo BAG144

By BASSEM MROUE

Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - After Saddam Hussein was sentenced to hang, Iraqi security
forces closed two Sunni Muslim television stations Sunday for violating curfew
and a law that bans airing material that could undermine the country's stability,
the Interior Ministry said.

Brig. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf, the Interior Ministry spokesman, told The Associated
Press that the Al-Zawraa and Salahuddin stations were closed with the approval
of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

He said that the stations violated a curfew imposed in three provinces by speaking
to people in the streets and airing comments that were deemed to "incite violence."

In July, al-Maliki warned television stations against broadcasting video that could
undermine Iraq's stability.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6193598,00.html

[caledesi]

186. Why this choice of timing is bad for rethugs...

The rethugs thought they would cram the MSM with the verdict on SH today. Wrong! I predict there will be a huge civil war with our troops in the middle getting killed. My point is that many US loved ones of these slain troops will find out and be so pissed to realize the * USED this stunt for political edge that they will vote Dem. Bad move...way bad.

[samsingh]

190. good news on saddam the monster

however, doesn't this put a lie to Iraq being free. This is so close to the election that it suggests political influence from someone.

amazing coincidences - the stock market goes up, oil prices go down, saddam found guilty all before the midterm elections.

[struggle4progress]

194. At over $2 trillion, this must be the most expensive hanging in history

[Maestro]

199. He's scum!

But others ( not iraqis) need to join him.

[doc03]

206. What's all this fuss about Saddam being hung,

you bunch of perverts.

[Canuckistanian]

207. Now let's go after the ones who put him in power

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2583608

[Blue_Tires]

208. and right before the elections here....

how curious......

[olddad56]

213. Why hang him, why not blow him up with one of our WMDs?

[Nihil]

219. From past experience, the rope is more accurate ... (n/t)

[superconnected]

222. hanging just sounds barbaric

why not leathal injection?

People like Saddam, Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfield are all cowards. They really deserve the needle not the rope.

[gasperc]

223. we get bitched out that Foley was politically timed

as well as the NIE report, and the BUSH administration pulls this bullshit and they hardly get called on it.

[E-Z-B]

228. The next trial:

[Polesitter]

230. You do realize that it takes 67 votes to convict in a Senate Impeachment

Trial? Didn't want anyone to think you wuz ignorant. Just how do you get to 67 votes?

[E-Z-B]

241. That's not a senate impeachment picture. It's a War Crimes Tribunal.

[Frank Nata]

234. Death penalty is wrong regardless

Hanging Saddam makes us all killers, and I don't want to have anything more in common with that man than breathing oxygen etc.

[macKenzie_1313]

236. reply

We let his own people put him on trial. What more can be said.

[northamericancitizen]

238. Welcome to DU macKenzie_1313

[ShotInTheDark]

252. You could hang Saddam from the world's largest

merry-go-round and it wouldn't have done a pidgeon fart's worth of difference helping them in the election.

Any news about Saddam now just brings the focus back onto the war in Iraq.