[mrlayance]

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[BulletRiddled]

The video of the noose being put around his neck is damn creepy. Good to see him go, but it's still surreal as hell to watch.

[BIGVDOGG]

The video of the noose being put around his neck is damn creepy. Good to see him go, but it's still surreal as hell to watch.

i agree! always hated the bastard,but....i still dont get how murdering a murderer makes everything ok!?

[CanuckCourage]

I have no empathy for Saddams fate, his crimes against humanity are well documented, but George Bush's are somehow justified ?
Upwards of 50,000 civillians have been killed in the quest for oil (insert Liberty,WMD,Democracy for the reality challenged) thus far. The irony of Saddam being so villified while the ones parading his execution are responsible for the utter chaos and carnage that is now Iraq, is sickening. The destabilisation of Iraq and escalation of violence has no ending in sight, another dictatorship will be born after the US pullout and another chapter in Iraqs history will be written. A pound of flesh could justifyably be taken from the US Administration, and the noose that hung Saddam could easily be fastened around the neck neck of George W and his cronies for perpetuating the atrocity that is Iraq.

[Jenna_Bird]

I clicked on the link, watched about 20 seconds and couldn't stand to witness any more. As much as he has done wrong, I don't want to see a face which expresses the knowledge that death is moments away.

-Jenna

[opiated]

Wow!! That'll show Bin laden...Perhaps every mass murderer in the states should get away it, but some other person pays for the crime!!! What a great law...it makes so much sense. God Bless America

[BulletRiddled]

Full video, including actual hanging:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=...9766935521

[NegPhil]

It gives me no satisfaction watching a bunch of masked killers murder another killer. Every member of the Bush administration deserves the same kangaroo court and then pay for their crimes. The world needs to know that millions of Americans took to the streets in protest before the start of this illegal war. We feel nothing but shame at the crimes committed by this nation. Gus will be recapture and lock back in his cage. I pray the harm he has done can be repaired.

[Roy-at-tth]

My issue isn't actually with capital punishment (which I do have an issue with, but in developing democracies I can see its place an accepted punishment - I believe that over time, as a civil society develops further, capital punishment will begin to be questioned.)

Rather, I have an issue, much like Human Rights Watch, with the trial itself. Certainly committed in haste, with little legitimacy or impartiality. All fundamental tenets. He certainly was a terrible person - but this was a failure of justice...perhaps not in the end but in the means to that end. Especially in a place where justice needs to be sold and perceived as legitimate like iraq.

[emperor penguin]

Rather, I have an issue, much like Human Rights Watch, with the trial itself. Certainly committed in haste, with little legitimacy or impartiality. All fundamental tenets. He certainly was a terrible person - but this was a failure of justice...perhaps not in the end but in the means to that end. Especially in a place where justice needs to be sold and perceived as legitimate like iraq.

What??????? He's lucky he even got a trial at all, they should have killed him as soon as they found him. The only good thing about him having a trial in my eyes, is that he probably knew that he was eventually going to be killed, and I'm glad he had to live with that feeling for a while.

[skippy the wonder dog]

Rather, I have an issue, much like Human Rights Watch, with the trial itself. Certainly committed in haste, with little legitimacy or impartiality. All fundamental tenets. He certainly was a terrible person - but this was a failure of justice...perhaps not in the end but in the means to that end. Especially in a place where justice needs to be sold and perceived as legitimate like iraq.

What??????? He's lucky he even got a trial at all, they should have killed him as soon as they found him.

Yes, that's right. We should shoot prisoners of war, because that's how civilized peoples behave.

That Saddam would be found guilty is a moot point, but I agree with Roy that that not finding him guilty in a fair trial, rather than a kangaroo court, delegitimizes the entire process.

If we're going to deal with war criminals, we have to do it legitimately, or we become war criminals ourselves -- which is what you are if you shoot Saddam out of hand when you capture him.

But let's face it: we aren't really interested in addressing Saddam's crimes against humanity, but simply in getting rid of him. If we wanted to address his crimes against humanity, we'd be investigating those who aided and abetted him. Such as, for example, those who provided technical advice on how to use chemical weapons effectively, and targeting data based on satellite imagery to aid in using said weapons, during the war with Iran. Or those who flew to Baghdad to meet him after he gassed the Kurds at Halabja, to reassure him that gassing women and children would not adversely affect his relationship with certain states....

Oh, well. Since this is the season of peace on earth and goodwill to Hipbase, we won't get into that. So fuck Saddam; let's remain good moral relativists and shoot him on sight while patting ourselves on the back over how righteous we are.

[Douglas]

Phew! Sure am glad that pesky war on terror is finally over. Terror level has been upgraded from red to unicorns flying over rainbows.

[Roy-at-tth]

Rather, I have an issue, much like Human Rights Watch, with the trial itself. Certainly committed in haste, with little legitimacy or impartiality. All fundamental tenets. He certainly was a terrible person - but this was a failure of justice...perhaps not in the end but in the means to that end. Especially in a place where justice needs to be sold and perceived as legitimate like iraq.

What??????? He's lucky he even got a trial at all, they should have killed him as soon as they found him.

Yes, that's right. We should shoot prisoners of war, because that's how civilized peoples behave.

That Saddam would be found guilty is a moot point, but I agree with Roy that that not finding him guilty in a fair trial, rather than a kangaroo court, delegitimizes the entire process.

If we're going to deal with war criminals, we have to do it legitimately, or we become war criminals ourselves -- which is what you are if you shoot Saddam out of hand when you capture him.

But let's face it: we aren't really interested in addressing Saddam's crimes against humanity, but simply in getting rid of him. If we wanted to address his crimes against humanity, we'd be investigating those who aided and abetted him. Such as, for example, those who provided technical advice on how to use chemical weapons effectively, and targeting data based on satellite imagery to aid in using said weapons, during the war with Iran. Or those who flew to Baghdad to meet him after he gassed the Kurds at Halabja, to reassure him that gassing women and children would not adversely affect his relationship with certain states....

Oh, well. Since this is the season of peace on earth and goodwill to Hipbase, we won't get into that. So f**k Saddam; let's remain good moral relativists and shoot him on sight while patting ourselves on the back over how righteous we are.

Skippy pretty much explained what my argument is in those first paragraphs.

But first things first - Emperor, your sig is awesome and I always wanted to tell you that. Go Habs Go! lol And I do understand the 'just kill the mofo' mentality, especially with someone who is so obviously guilty.

My point is that the idea of an impartial trial and due process, even for the worst offenders, is an example of that 'civilized' western thinking that's exactly what's trying to be enforced in Iraq's 'democracy'. It undermines that when Saddam is sentenced to be killed without due respect to those principles we hold high and are ourselves trying to teach.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1573220,00.html">http://www.time.com/time/world/article/ ... 20,00.html</a><!-- m --> - this kind of outlines a bit of where I'm coming from (Although, I'm not sure he'll become a martyr). Mainly this paragraph:

"It doesn't matter to the Sunni that Saddam was guilty of the crime he was charged with: the massacre of 140 Shi'a villagers in 1982 in reprisal for an attempt on Saddam's life. At the risk of oversimplification, the Sunnis think the Shi'a villagers deserved it. It was that kind of rough justice that Saddam used to keep Iraq together."

That is kind of analagous to what's happening here - It doesn't matter to the west (well, america) that due processes occurs - the killing of saddam was in reprisal for the killing of 140 Shi'a villagers (and likely the Kurds - even though we never even managed to get to that trial, and oil) . It seems that everyone just thought that he deserved it...but that 'rough justice' shows no real change...which I hope is kind of the point. Change.

By enforcing justice in the truest impartial sense for EVERYONE, even this bastard, then it's a symbol of a universal maxim, that justice must be equal and blind (uhh..) for all. I think that's Something Iraqi's, Ba'athists, Islamists, all groups need to see happen - and by not having it happen it further delegitimizes Western authority in, not just iraq, but the middle east as a whole.

I hope I did some justice (no pun intended) to where I'm coming from. I'm not the greatest writer, and am really bad at articulating my opinion consicely - I really gotta work on that.

Have an awesome night emperor, skippy and all the rest of you! All the best in the new year. Be safe!

[sean.bonner]

The should have let him rot if you ask me.