Saddam Hussein is dead.

Meh.
I'm more concerned with you changing your damn avatar...

Meh.
I'm more concerned with you changing your damn avatar...
Thank you for that intelligent and content-filled post. Together, we can all help make the internet a better place.

Meh.
I'm more concerned with you changing your damn avatar...
Isn't it wonderul that members coming to this thread will be gretted with such wisdom and intelligence?

I don't think they should have done it. It's an easy way out for him, he should have been put in prision, so he can face what he's done and regret it. Dead, there's no punishment for him.

I don't think they should have done it. It's an easy way out for him, he should have been put in prision, so he can face what he's done and regret it. Dead, there's no punishment for him.
Wait, didn't he like what he did?

I don't think they should have done it. It's an easy way out for him, he should have been put in prision, so he can face what he's done and regret it. Dead, there's no punishment for him.

I think you'll find people are much more scared of death than prison. Unless you're going to torture a prisoner until he's in so much pain he'd welcome death, being hanged it pretty much the worst punishment you can give.

With such a long trial I should think he'd already faced what he'd done, but I doubt he'd ever have regretted it, exceot maybe out of self pity.

Isn't it wonderul that members coming to this thread will be gretted with such wisdom and intelligence?

I don't think they should have done it. It's an easy way out for him, he should have been put in prision, so he can face what he's done and regret it. Dead, there's no punishment for him.It was never about him though. Killing him is an easy way to reduce the violence in Iraq. Out with the old, in with the new. Also it's a nice distraction in an attempt to hide the true failings of the war.

I think you'll find people are much more scared of death than prison.

But if he's so sure that what he's done is right and he's going to heaven, I don't think he'd be so afraid of dying. I think prison would be better.

But if he's so sure that what he's done is right and he's going to heaven, I don't think he'd be so afraid of dying. I think prison would be better.
If so, he would have killed himself.

Yeah, because suicide isn't a mortal sin, right? :p

Yeah, because suicide isn't a mortal sin, right? :p
If you take down an enemy with you, you'd become a martyr even faster.
Ask some people with explosives strapped to their body.

If so, he would have killed himself.
Islam forbids suicide. Though it's something suicide bombers seem to have overlooked.

It was never about him though. Killing him is an easy way to reduce the violence in Iraq. Out with the old, in with the new. Also it's a nice distraction in an attempt to hide the true failings of the war.
That's very true. It's nice for the US to be able to say they've finished with him, to claw back some kind of victory in the face of falling public support for the war.

But killing him won't reduce the violence. Instead of insurgents killing in his name, they'll be killing to avenge him. In death they've made him a martyr. And it was never really about Saddam any more - the violence in Iraq is more about extremists against the US, a way for them to fight the west, than for a return to Saddam's control.

But killing him won't reduce the violence. Instead of insurgents killing in his name, they'll be killing to avenge him. In death they've made him a martyr. And it was never really about Saddam any more - the violence in Iraq is more about extremists against the US, a way for them to fight the west, than for a return to Saddam's control.

I don't think it's just about that, and even the US should have has the foresight to work out that if reducing violence was their plan it wasn't going to work.
I think it was more about justice. He was the one who really caused this war, and he had killed thousands of people. I don't think even had the US been told killing him would lead to a rise in violence they'd never have let him get off with anything less, Bush would get even less respect that way.

But if he's so sure that what he's done is right and he's going to heaven, I don't think he'd be so afraid of dying. I think prison would be better.

Saddam was not much of a practicing Muslim or religious fanatic. He was pretty much of an atheist.

Isn't it wonderul that members coming to this thread will be gretted with such wisdom and intelligence?
THAT'S going to take some time.


I don't think they should have done it. It's an easy way out for him, he should have been put in prision, so he can face what he's done and regret it. Dead, there's no punishment for him.
I wouldn't be so sure.
I read a book once on some guy who's died 3 times, (still alive today, believe it or not) and everything you do, good or bad, you'll feel it. If you punch someone in the face, you'll feel that person's pain from the punch, and whatever is linked to it.
Near death experiences is what some people in certain places need more of.

Normally, being against the death sentence, I would take the "throw him in jail for life" approach, but there would be issues with that:

Throw him in an Iraqi jail, and you could be damn sure people would try to free him.
Send him to an American prison (or whatever certain prisons, such as Guantameno Bay (I know I haven't spelt it right), are classed as), and people would proclaim that it's all about American pride.
Send him to a UN-based prison (if they exist), and people would think that the Iraq government are incapable of delivering justice.

And, forgetting comments around American pressure and the current controversy about the guards and people in attendance, that is why he was executed. It wasn't meant to be some American statement (though some will see it as such), it was the new Iraq government confirming they are in control, that they won't be bullied by dictators such as Saddam. Which is also why they were adamant to execute him before 30 days had passed since the end of the trial, because that was Iraq law, and if anything prevented that from happening, it would have shown the government as weak.

Ultimately, while I don't believe the death sentence was the correct choice, the Iraqi government needed to show they weren't weak, weren't going to be pushed around and that they can deal with their own problems. I suppose it was also the fact that they were killing Saddam, not anyone else, and as evidenced by the cheering afterwards, it was definitely something that was needed by the people.

In many ways he has been turned into a martyr, but that was also emphasised by the controversy around the execution, which is now being investigated by the Iraqi government - not anyone else. It remains to be shown how they will keep the loyalists under control, but I hope the old saying, "Cut off the head of the serpent...", remains true today.

In many ways he has been turned into a martyr, but that was also emphasised by the controversy around the execution, which is now being investigated by the Iraqi government - not anyone else. It remains to be shown how they will keep the loyalists under control, but I hope the old saying, "Cut off the head of the serpent...", remains true today.

I don't think he's any more of a problem as a martyr than he was alive. He was always going to a figure to rally round for the Sunni Muslims when he was alive, as he was a hero to them. At least now there won't be any bizarre inevitable plots to try to restore him to power. Putting him in non-Iraqi prisons wouldn't have stopped people wanting him back in power, they'd have just made it impossible to rescue him.

The serpents head *has* been cut off, as you said, and while it will lead to more violence in the short run as the loyalist Sunnis become angry and vengeful, with their old leader completely out of the picture I think their violence will lose some of its meaning, and we'll find it decreases. They can't remain loyal to Saddam for much longer now he's dead, so we can only hope they don't find another strong leader to stop them getting bored.

Look, *prepares for a stoning* Saddam is still alive somewhere safe, they hung one of his doubles!

Damn conspiracy nut.

Look, *prepares for a stoning* Saddam is still alive somewhere safe, they hung one of his doubles!
Yeah, a few people had thought that.

I can't see the point of keeping him alive but telling everyone he's dead

One could imagine that all of his doubles have stopped being such since they cought him in 2003 or at least since he was sent to trial with a possible death sentence.

Look, *prepares for a stoning* Saddam is still alive somewhere safe, they hung one of his doubles!
Are there any women here today?

Sorry, couldn't resist :D


Back on topic, I don't really have any views one way or another about Saddam's death - I couldn't really care less as long as I don't get caught up in any consequences, directly or indirectly

I think saddam didn't die. He just went home.

I think saddam didn't die. He just went home.

that explaines the dead guy in that movie made by the security guy of the execution room thingy.

I can link you to a couple of so called ufo-sightings, does that proof ufo's exist? :p

Look, *prepares for a stoning* Saddam is still alive somewhere safe, they hung one of his doubles!
why the **** would they do that, they have absolutely no purpose for keeping him alive and staging a death is pretty much impossible if you have that many spectators
I think saddam didn't die. He just went home.
I'm not even going to comment on this

I'm not even going to comment on this

That suffices as a comment.

I kinda feel the same as thomas. Though I do generally think there's something deeply wrong with the death penalty.

Are there any women here today?

LOL, stop looking at "The life of brian"

LOL, stop looking at "The life of brian"
Yeah, he's not the Messiah, he's a VERY NAUGHTY BOY!

Lol, I watched that movie just a few days ago. :D