Saddam Hussein Gets Death Penalty, News at 11
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Chris Lawrence | Sunday, November 5, 2006 |
To virtually nobody’s surprise, the first trial of Saddam Hussein on war crimes charges has ended in a guilty verdict:
Saddam Hussein was convicted and sentenced Sunday to death by hanging for war crimes in the 1982 killings of 148 people in the town of Dujail, as the former leader, trembling, shouted “God is great!”
As he, his half brother and another senior official in his regime were convicted and sentenced to hang, Saddam yelled out, “Long live the people and death to their enemies. Long live the glorious nation, and death to its enemies!”
One wonders if the quality of the ex-Iraqi president’s representation had something to do with the verdict:
Before the session began, one of Saddam’s lawyers, former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, was ejected from the courtroom after handing the judge a memorandum in which he called the trial a travesty.
Chief Judge Raouf Abdul-Rahman pointed to Clark and said in English, “Get out.”
No matter how it may play among the intelligentsia, attacking the credibility of the court your client is being tried before is probably not a winning strategy.
I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the death penalty (either in principle or as applied in the United States), but I suppose Saddam Hussein is pretty high up on the list of living dictators and ex-dictators who deserve to be at the end of a noose, along with Augusto Pinochet and Kim Jong-Il, so I won’t be holding a candlelight vigil for him either.
About the Author: Chris is an assistant professor of political science at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas. He has a Ph.D. in American politics and political methodology from the University of Mississippi.
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And as much as I think our interests would've been better served by a realpolitik befriending of him post-9/11, it's hard to argue with the verdict.
they should have shot him resisting at the hidey hole! as long as he is alive his supporters gain strength.
James;
I've no doubt whatever that Ramsey Clark put up an excellent display of lawyerly defense for Mr. Hussein. That's because I'm equally sure that Ramsey Clark considers Saddam Hussein innocent of all charges and probably considers and to be a hero. A man of the people... even as Saddam himself considers himself to be a hero.
Consider the same as defiant words from the box:
(Sky News)
"Allahu Akbar!" (God is Greatest) and "Long live the nation!", he shouted, pointing defiantly at the judge as the verdict was delivered...
Looking away in disgust, and then staring angrily back at the judge he continued to shout "Long live the people and death to their enemies. Long live the glorious nation, and death to its enemies!"
It is quite clear to me at least, that Mr. Hussein hasn't figured out yet that he is an enemy of the people and "death to the enemies of the people" is precisely what this sentence was all about....
And in case nobody's noticed; Baghdad is quiet as this is written.
So much for the DNC cries of "we've had no progress in Iraq" ...
I don't think anyone will cry over Saddam. As far as Baghdad being "quiet" what does that mean? Only half the usual number of dead bodies in the street at the end of the day?
The dems are whining about the ‘timing’ of this- Cripes- the Republicans SHOULD be celebrating a massive victory of terror & deserve every gain they can get from this- the dems can whine all they like- but the plain simple fact is that if they were in power, Saddam and his scum sons would still be murdering multitudes of innocent Iraqi civilians- their policy has ALWAYS been cut and run and then comply with the terrorists
Cripes- the Republicans SHOULD be celebrating a massive victory of terror
Sic?
& deserve every gain they can get from this- the dems can whine all they like- but the plain simple fact is that if they were in power, Saddam and his scum sons would still be murdering multitudes of innocent Iraqi civilians-
As opposed to the mulitudes of innocent Iraqi civilians being murdered today, and yesterday, and the day before that?
Oh, I get it now -- it was all about *privatizing* the murderers. We've brought the free market to Iraq!
their policy has ALWAYS been cut and run and then comply with the terrorists
3 examples, please?
Nazereth,
Do you really feel better now that the blood of innocent Iraqi's is on your hands? I sure don't...
Poor terrorist sympathizers. You'll have to find another genocidal maniac to cling to.
Saddam is an evil, evil guy. But hanging? I didn't know they even did that anymore.
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