Saddam sentenced to death by hanging

[Jacqueline]

It is proof that no Iraqi leader is above the law.
Saddam and 2 others found guilty of committing crimes against humanity (1982).

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061105/ap_on_re_mi_ea/saddam_verdict

 

[niner domestic]

Sadly, the punishment will not be carried out until he exhausts his appeals and the conviction and sentence are upheld.  So we wait - again. 

I'm just happy that Iraq didn't erupt (as of this moment) into chaos, as was expected. 

 

[GAP]

Saddam Guilty; Iraqi Court Sentences Former Leader to Death
By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service
http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=2025

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2006 – An Iraqi court sentenced Saddam Hussein to death today for ordering the execution of 148 men in Dujail, Iraq, in 1982.
Thousands of people in Baghdad took to the streets to celebrate the verdict. The Iraqi High Tribunal sentenced two other defendants to death and four to prison and acquitted one.

In anticipation of the verdict, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had imposed a curfew in Baghdad and two Diyala and Salaheddin provinces. The two provinces are primarily Sunni and were the base of Saddam’s support during his dictatorship. Shiite and Kurdish provinces were not under curfew.

"The Saddam Hussein era is in the past now, as was the era of Hitler and Mussolini," al-Maliki said following the verdict. "We want an Iraq where all Iraqis are equal before the law," he said. "The policy of discrimination and persecution is over."

U.S. forces captured Saddam hiding in a hole in the ground in December 2003. In a written statement, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad called the verdict “an important milestone for Iraq as the country takes another major step forward in the building of a free society based on the rule of law.”

Khalilzad said the verdicts demonstrate the commitment of the Iraqi people to hold the members of the former regime accountable for their actions.
More on link

 

[Jacqueline]

Sadly, the punishment will not be carried out until he exhausts his appeals and the conviction and sentence are upheld.  So we wait - again. 

I'm just happy that Iraq didn't erupt (as of this moment) into chaos, as was expected. 

There is already some stir up. 

 

[ProPatria Mike]

Good riddance!

 

[Mike Baker]

Kind of figured it would come to this with him  :blotto:

 

[Bigmac]

      Bye Saddam, you evil  dic......tator.  >  I feel inspired, here is a little song I wrote just for you. Sung to the tune of the country song "Swingin".

There was a little dictator in our neighbourhood
His name was Saddam and he was up to no good
I had to go and see his trial so I picked up the remote control
I turned on my big screen TV, and this was going on:

His lawyer was by his side screamin’ why
The courtroom was cheerin’ for him to fry
Saddam was cryin’ and rubbin’ his snotty nose
I was on my big comfy couch feeling love down to my toes

And he’ll be swingin'
Yeah he’ll be swingin'
Little Saddam don’t have much time left to sing
I can't believe the noose is soon to make him swing
Just a swingin'

Now don’t shed a tear for this evil guy
When he starts to swing from a perch most high
Now Saddam must pay for his murders before spring
I can't believe the noose is soon to make him swing
Just a swingin'

 

[Jacqueline]

Nice poem ;D

 

[tlg]

It's good and all that he was found guilty, but I'm one for a fair trial. Judges being removed, due to how they acted in court with some questions. His defense attorney's accused of not doing their job to the fullest extent. They either should have shot him outright or had the trial go from start to finish WITHOUT outside interference and not kill him. Killing him now is only going to make him a martyr in the insurgents eyes. Hanging him is not going to solve anything, at best it's not going to change anything, at worst, it's going to make the Iraq "war" more difficult for the coalition forces.

I guess that's why there is ALWAYS and appeal.

Next time shoot him. Then shoot him again to make sure E's dead.

 

[Jacqueline]

author=tlg link=topic=52836/post-475218#msg475218 date=1162744463]
It's good and all that he was found guilty, but I'm one for a fair trial.

+1

Killing him now is only going to make him a martyr in the insurgents eyes.

I agree, the fact that his sons were also killed, did not decrease the strength of the insurgency either. The death of many other crooked "leaders" did not solve anything. This might be a reason for insurgents to intensify their attacks.

 

[FredDaHead]

So you whole point is that because it might not (based on what arguments? you have no proof or even ideas) affect the insurgency, we should not punish the guilty?

Why not just do away with the whole justice system while we're at it? Heck, we don't need governments, either!

ANARCHY FOR EVERYONE!

 

[nova_flush]

Did someone not see it coming? C'mon! He did not have a fair trial at all. What a coincidence that he was sentenced to death few days before the US elections. There are other dictators in the world that are far worst than him. Just look at him Baath regime rival from Syria, Bashar El Assad and his father.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

C'mon! He did not have a fair trial at all.

He got more of a trial (at the hands of his own countrymen, BTW) than he ever gave thousands of others before he either killed them with his own hand or had them tortured/killed.

There are other dictators in the world that are far worst than him

So this is a legal defence now?  "Your Honour, I may have committed mass murder, but hey- there are worse mass murders in the world than me and you can't punish them all so therefore you can't punish any of us.  Acquit, please."

Yeah- there is a basis for natural law and justice... :

 

[tomahawk6]

His trial wasnt one of Saddam's kangaroo courts, the damn thing lasted nine months. In many of his mass killings there was no trial at all. No one should shed a tear for Saddam. Saddam knew what awaited him just as Hitler did. The tyrant gives no quarter and should not get quarter.

 

[nova_flush]

He was sentenced by a Shiaa muslim backed by the US. obviously he was going to be guilty. There has always been a feud between the Sunna and the Shiaa.

It's as if I bring you to court and the judge is your sworn enemy backed by a money filled government.

 

[boondocksaint]

Worse then him? There may be a few who are currently trying to achieve Saddam's 'status', thankfully few will reach the bar. He is in that special category reserved for some of history's truely evil humans.

Without a Spandau type prison ( that Im aware of ) who would imprison him if he was not executed?

Fair trial? Better then OJ's. It wasnt perfect, but it was a start.

Trying to make a connection between his sentencing, and the US elections is stretching a bit. Not out of the realm of the possible, but conspiracy theories are getting out of control.

As far as his being used as a martyr is concerned; I havent noticed many insurgent groups using Saddam as a rallying point. Not to say he wont be once he dances, but his punishment shouldnt be adjusted or influenced by potential backlash.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

He was sentenced by a Shiaa muslim backed by the US. obviously he was going to be guilty.

Actually, it wasn't all that obvious to me he was going to be found guilty.  I thought that there was at least an even chance that his remaining baathist goon squads were going to intimidate the process into letting him go. 

Sunni judge.  Shiaa judge.  You have to be a moron judge not to be impressed with the pile of evidence against this clown.

Unless you think he is just "sniff" "sniff" a poor, misunderstood kid from Tikrit who is a patsy for Gearge Bush...

 

[MikeM]

Good riddance scumbag, hopefully the appeal system doesn't take too long and he's executed post haste.

 

[nova_flush]

The crime he was accused of is for the killing of 142 Shiaa militants that protested against him and the Judge was a Shiaa. This is no conspiracy, it's simply facts. The elections are in a few days. Why did they rush the verdict? The man has been in trial for the last 9 months. Plus, he is accused for a crime he committed in 1982. In those days, people could only become president by a “coup d’etat”!  

 

[Good2Golf]

nova_flush, you have your opinion, the rest of us have ours...tell us, pray tell, how he should have been judged?

142 Shiaa, 10,000's of Khurdish Iraqis, etc...  nope, I'll be shedding no tears for him when he's gone.

G2G