Death of a dictator..

[Dreamer128]

Saddam Hussein executed

Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging in Baghdad at sunrise this morning. Television footage showing the moments before his execution has been released. The pictures show masked men placing a noose around his neck. According to unconfirmed reports, just before his execution the 69-year-old former dictator was given a red card signed by the justice minister. This is symbolic because opponents of Saddam Hussein received red cards before they were executed. The Iraqi government wanted the execution to take place before the start of the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha, which begins today.

Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death on 5 November by a special Iraqi tribunal for the massacre of 148 Shiites in the town of Dujail in 1982. The massacre was carried out to avenge an attempt to assassinate the dictator. An appeals court upheld the sentence on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said the former leader would be buried in Iraq, but he declined to say where. One of Saddam Hussein's lawyers had earlier said he would be buried abroad.

Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq with an iron fist from 1979 until 2003. He was driven from power in April 2003 after the US invasion of Iraq and was discovered by US troops in an underground hideout the following December.

The former dictator was brought before a special Iraqi tribunal on 1 July 2004. The first trial against him and other representatives of his regime began in October 2005. The proceedings were chaotic: three lawyers were killed and the presiding judge had to be replaced.

The organisation Human Rights Watch said the trial was flawed and a poor example of justice. It said Iraq had missed an important opportunity to demonstrate the fairness and credibility of its legal system.

Washington praised the trial, saying that Saddam Hussein received legal rights his people had been denied.

(Rnw.nl)

[robertthebard]

The option I would prefer isn't there. But reading through his charges, they should maybe hang him once for each of the people that were slain at his insistence? That being said, let the punishment suit the crime. An eye for an eye is how I believe the passage goes, and as far as I can tell, justice was served.

[bubbe]

I choose "He may have deserved to die, but no one has the right to sentence another human being to death." BUT I think he needed more trails. :S
This was just one trail for one crime and he did a lot more than just one.

I believe that being sentence to death is a low penalty for any crime.
Even his crimes...
What I mean is: I rather being sentence to death than sitting behind bars for several years.

But that is just my opinion.

[SpiritWarrior]

I am of the same opinion. They shoulda just holed him up for years. The display covered by the media was another horrible thing, it was like a circus show with countdowns etc. All this around the christmas season of goodwill. I don't pretend to know what people went through under his regime and I don't deny he did terrible things. But some part of me doesn't like seeing anyone killed one way or the other.

[pritchke]

Originally posted by SpiritWarrior: I am of the same opinion. They shoulda just holed him up for years. The display covered by the media was another horrible thing, it was like a circus show with countdowns etc. All this around the christmas season of goodwill. I don't pretend to know what people went through under his regime and I don't deny he did terrible things. But some part of me doesn't like seeing anyone killed one way or the other.

I kind of felt exactly like this, with all the chritsmas cheer, the hanging felt hollow, and empty, like it should not have taken place. All I saw was an old beaten man having his life taken away. Basically Iraq is and always will be a third world barbaric country because of things like this. Not sure if it was the best solution or not, weather it will decrease or increase killings. Don't know and don't care, just know it felt wrong.

[Iron Greasel]

I, too, picked the second option. You can't go around killing people just because they deserve death. Not that I didn't expect him to be killed. Ex-dictators tend to die, be it by assassination or execution.

Rest in Peace, Saddam. Those who live by politics die by politics.

[Felix The Assassin]

I fully support the death penalty.

Some people are correct. Others do not have the right to sentence other human beings to death. With that said. I fully support the death penalty. Any smuck that kills another human by means of assault without cause has 'in my eyes' signed his own death warrant, and should face death!

Westerners do not grasp the ways of the Middle Easterners, and therefore, by having his execution served at this time of year, is the most 'Holiest Cleansing' for all of the people.

We have evolved into a materialistic people, and have lost sight of the ways of others. If not for the media, we would have forgotten about everything outside of our own "little paradise"!

Death may be too easy, but it is cheaper than long term incarceration, and there are no worries about an escape, or follow-on atrocities from within!

Just my [img]graemlins/2cents.gif[/img]

[Szass-Tam]

Felix, I realise what I say will probably have no effect on your views concerning this issue but I feel I should stand up against Capital punishment just as you have defended it.

In my opinion execution is, in simplest terms, state-sanctioned killing, and it devalues the respect we place on human life; how can we say that killing is wrong if we sanction killing criminals? Furthermore - and I know this does not apply to Saddam Hussein - the whole principle is outweighed by the proven risk of executing innocent people. 23 innocent people were executed in the USA in the 20th century. The avoidable killing of an innocent person can never be justified, in any circumstances.

Once more, I am just giving my opinion rather than attempting to deny or invalidate yours.

[ 12-31-2006, 02:56 PM: Message edited by: Szass-Tam ]

[Felix The Assassin]

Originally posted by Szass-Tam: Once more, I am just giving my opinion rather than attempting to deny or invalidate yours.

That my friend, makes us equals as humans.

[Kakero]

A blood debt must be paid in blood, he has killed people, he can expect the same to happen to him.

Though I fully supported death penalty, I felt strange as to why he was executed on the eve of a muslim celebration.