Idi Amin, Charles Taylor and Saddam Hussein.

[Clete]

Last week Idi Amin, known as the butcher of Africa, died in a hospital in Saudi Arabia, after decades of exile after a reign of terror in Uganda before he was forced to step down and go into exile.

http://www.moreorless.au.com/killers/amin.htm

Last week Charles Taylor, President of Liberia, resigned and went into exile into neighboring Nigeria, where he no doubt will also die in his bed.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/06/10/liberia.taylor/

Saddam Hussein, on the other hand is still being hunted down like a dog and will probably meet the same fate as his sons Uday and Qusay.

None of these three blood thirsty dictators deserve our sympathy. They truly caused much suffering and terror to their people. However, look at the first two dictators and how they were exiled. A coalition of African presidents persuaded these dictators to leave, guaranteeing their safety if they would do so. So Amin and Taylor got a free pass, but their people were freed from the terror of their reigns with a minimum of additional bloodshed.

Now what have we done in Iraq that probably couldn't have been accomplished in the same way with pressure from the surrounding countries? What if we had continued the weapons inspections under the UN and what if we pressured Saddam to step down and into exile with the help of the other Arab nations, as the other two dictators were taken care of. If we convinced Saddam that he should go into exile, then the UN and the other Arab states in the Middle East could have ushered in an orderly change of government free of Saddam and his party.

So, our soldiers wouldn't be dying out in the sweltering summer heat of Iraq. The Iraqi's would still have their infrastructure to build on and we wouldn't be even more hated around the world than we already are.

Am I missing something here? Or, is the comparison only apples and oranges.

[madrchsod]

1. the bush cartel

wants him dead. dead men tell no tales..as one writer said after the start of the war - saddam is getting fired.

[sistersofmercy]

2. No you are not, I've been thinking the same thing..

I think Taylor is actually going to Libya! The whole pan am deal has Libya back in the spotlight. Our government has announced it will not lift travel ban or US sanctions b/c of Libya's dedication to pursuing WMD. I found that to be very interesting.

[never cry wolf]

3. yes, you are missing something.

that idea is logical, reasoned, humane and totally cuts the PNAC out of their plans for world domination. it was NEVER about getting sadaam out of power, WMD, al quaida or nukes, it had always been about the PNAC strategy for world domination to the people (i use the term loosely) in place in power. the side benefit is the profit$ of the defense industry and oil companies.

before the war, the UN inspectors asked for what, 8 more weeks? bushco could NOT let that happen. God forbid, what if the inspectors actually found and disarmed iraq of WMDs, then there is no justification for invasion. if they found no WMD's and gave a clean bill, ditto. if they found WMDs and sadaam resisted to the point of war it would then have been a UN operation with a real coalition and all sorts of damn rules, sharing of power and fairness and all in the aftermath.

Clete, I agree with you wholeheartedly. the problem is that maybe we are both preaching to the choir here on DU. I'd love to see your post as a letter to the editor of some local paper, mind if i plagarize?

[Clete]

5. Be my guest. Of course you can plagiarize.

I think a lot of this has to be thrown out for others to see and think about.

On edit:
Also, since one of the purposes for invading Iraq was "to liberate very bad man" this administration needs to answer some hard questions.

[Clete]

9. Hookay, I just looked at my edit.

I meant to quote Bush as he kept repeating, "we need to liberate the Iraqis from a very bad man". I do hope he now looks in the mirror.

[SweetZombieJesus]

4. Everything everyone else said, PLUS

Charles Taylor and Idi Amin are black. Saddam Hussein is an Arab. While all three are pretty much equals in the cold blooded killer department, no American administration would ever actively "hunt" an African dictator, because certain people would cry racism. Of course, EVERYBODY hates Arabs, so it's ok to hunt them :eyes:

[sistersofmercy]

6. Sorry for being a sniveling wimp but...

the reality of what you just posted makes me want to cry. I never thought of it that way. I'm so sick of anti-arab anti-muslim sentiments!!!I've met a lot of very nice muslims here and abroad.

[SweetZombieJesus]

7. Yep, Arabs: They're the new Native Americans

How long before General Myers says "The only good Arab is a dead Arab."

Leave it to the Republicans to bring back manifest destiny and apply it to the Middle East.

[Clete]

8. The Reichstag fire in Hitler's Germany

was covertly set by the the Nazis but blamed on the Jews and Communists. The purpose was clear. It was to keep Germans in a state of fear and it provided them an enemy to fear and hate. This is happening here except that the Jews are now Arabs and the communists are liberals or :scared: us.

[sistersofmercy]

10. It's just awful! I've been painfully aware since 9/11 but..

I had really hoped the multitude would understand that a few hateful groups doesn't translate to an entire religion. I have unsuccessfully tried to argue this point to a friend. But the Idi and Charles thing just didn't see it that way. Sadly, now I do. Thanks for the insight!