They have executed Saddam Hussein

[mummydear]

He's dead

here

Now lets see what happens .

I am heartened to see more people seeing a more realistic view of this all. Afew years ago you did not see that on MN

I think the environment that these "killers" live in makes us view them as less or more as brutes. If Bush and Hussein were swapped at birth do you think either of them would be less than they already are?

I have just read a novel Triage by Scott Anderson (my cousin left it with me if thats any excuse!) whose main character was a war photographer. There is alot of conversation about murder in wartime and about psychiatrist who helped "purify" the consciences of Franco's fascist officers following the Spanish civil war. It was a fascinating insight on our current dictators.

Good point aloha - re Hitler being elected, I'll take that one!

If you really think that Tony Blair (and lord knows I can't stand the bloke) is cut from the same cloth as Saddam Hussein, well, I just give up!

If they really think he is then why did they bloody vote for him?!

The following was posted on BBC website comments page

'its a great insult for whole islamic world to carry out the execution on the day of Eid'

Dunno if any of you get Al Jazeera English but if you do their reporting of it has been very interesting. (generally its worth looking out for if you have satellite as it gives very good Asian/African/ME coverage of news).

I'm just waiting for the papers tomorrow out here although we may not get any given its Eid al Adha and I think the presses are shut. When they do publish I'll post links for those interested in how the middle east receives this.

Personally the footage sickened me. I can't justify state sanctioned murder on any scale, it seems contrary to all sense to kill someone for killing.

just feel saddened and appalled at 'humanity'

ohh that reminds me - its one family in Iraq that are sanctioned as official executioners (much as in Saudi) sort of gets passed down the family line. They're muslims and I would imagine would have sanction from their religious leaders to do this on this date. Have to say though that all money here was on it being on the 7th when all the Eid holidays are over.

Apart from the fact you can't fight evil with evil - killing by definition is evil - SH is a darn sight more dangerous to the West now than when he was alive.

I've always thought TB was a moral vacuum but he always seemed to be shrewd. Try as I might I just can't see what he thought could be gained by going along with the US on Iraq.

\link{http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/default.stm\pictorial retrospective courtesy of BBC is rather striking)

feck
after more than three years on MN you'd think I'd be able to do a link with out looking at the instructions
pictures of the rise and fall

Hers a link to Al Jazeera English website

Al Jazeera site

Interesting point about the executioners Meo.

Was quite shocked that the execution was so quick and quite surprised to find it done this morning , hence the OP .

that footage is chilling

I don't think Blair himself is as bad as some of you have made out. I do, however, believe that his allegiance to Bush and by that allegiance, his tacit agreement with whatever Bush got up to (those CIA torture planes etc.) has harmed him irreparably.

I don't like the thought of anyone being killed and just can't see a place for executions in society.

Message withdrawn

I think it goes with the job Foxy - prome ministers, presidents have to make these decisions.

What is bothering me though is that this is obviuosly not a political act - it's a biblical one - an eye for an eye and all that.

The best political act was to catch him, try [sp?] and imprison him. That is logical justice as we know it here.

Killing him is revenge - or is it silencing him?

I think it was a damn if they do, damned if they don't situation.
They've made a martyr of him by executing him, but if they left him alive, even in a solitary confinement, he still would have been a rallying point for Sunnis want to free him.
I personally don't agree with the death penalty for any crime. And the way it has been splashed across the media is just morbid. But let's not forget he was utterly ruthless to those who he considered to be his enemies.
I'm afraid in this case there is no right or wrong solution. For him, at least it's over, and I can't see it being that much consolation to those whose lves have been ruined. After all, executing him won't bring back the dead.

I don't think 'biblical' is the right word somehow.

Surely the difference between SH and GB/TB is that SH committed atrocities against his own people whereas GB and TB might lose elections if they did that...

The whole thing makes me sad. I don't feel sad for Saddam, he got what was coming. I feel sad for the people of Iraq that are caught in the middle of this international power play, I feel sad for the troops that are risking their lives in a war that is getting no where, and I feel sorry for people like us who have terrible leaders that.

As an American I think that Bush is probably the worst "elected" official we've ever had, and I see Blair like a little puppy following after him.

Er...I don't think it was 'morbid' to 'splash it across the media'. It's news, at a very slack news time!

I think some of images shown on the news are incredibly gratuitous: I can understand those in Iraq who suffered wanting to see proof, but I really don't think it should be shown here.

I am also extremely dubious about the timing- call me cynical but the appeal being refused on Christmas day, the execution before New Year- no symbolism there then

(sorry of repeating earlier posts, only read OP)

I an understand why some people would want hime xecuted, of course I can- had he gassed my kids I'd be up there begging to do it myself I am sure. But I really don't believe in the death penalty, and I think the punishment of life imprisonment (genuine life) in solitary would ahve been more appropriate. Apart from the basic truths of not creating martyrs and two wrongs not making a right, we don't allow the death penalty in this Country (hurrah to that), we must be very careful about criticising it in the same way we would elsewhere. I appluad the speech of Margaret becckett today, but that has been edited in certain places (I note teletext) to sound like a speech in favour of his death, whereas it seemed to me as a speech (in its entirety) in favour of the sucessful prosecution.

they wanted cameras there to prove that he had actually died - otherwise they knew that Iraqis (and others) would question whether he was actually killed

mt it is Biblical, but also Qur'anic (2:178 states a free man for the free man unless gorgiven by all aggrienved parties; 5:33 says 'thiose who wage war against God and his messenger 9and remember God prescribes against allt he thngs Saddam was convicted of) and strive to spread corruption int he land should be punished by death'.....

still don't agree with it, just thought it was worth a dig around in my Qur'an to see what it says.

FIS I understand why the cameras were there- and I think they should have been, as it at least cuts down the likelihood of cruelty and abuse to the prisoner- that doesn't necessitate broadcast though

peachey - you're wrong about Christmas day. there are huge swathes of the world where Christmas day is just another day. there was no symbolism there

peachy, we posted at the same time there

the thing is, had they only shown the pictures in Iraq, they would have ended up on the internet and eventually, a paper or news channel would have broadcast the pictures (claiming public demand, whatever). Most people love a good conspiracy theory and there were a lot of people interested in this execution who weren't Iraqis. I actually felt the execution was as much political as biblical and Bush's reaction quotes were quite upbeat and sort of chest-beating in tone.

I know that there are huge swathes, of the world thanks, I'd be shite at my studies ahd I not realised that, I also firmly believe it was an American influence that caused what many Lawyers did say to be an unusually quick appeal decision to be released that day. However, I am quite willing to disagree on that as there is no evidence, call in personal interpretation.