Saddam’s Trial
Posted By Russ Emerson on December 18, 2003 at 1:05 pm
Misha, er, “examines” the commentary at the BBC questioning the handling of Saddam, now that he’s been, er, “incarcerated.”
[Sorry, the link is broken, and I can’t find the original post. There is, however, this at archive.org.]
The European chattering classes, and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, want Saddam put on trial in some nice neutral place, where the worst that will happen is that he be locked away for life in the latest equivalent of Spandau. I’m sure *spit* Jacques Chirac *spit* would no doubt like to see Saddam held in comfortable house arrest somewhere on the French Riviera, where perhaps they might sometime get together to reminisce about their arms deals and their hatred of Israel. Our Friends The Saudis, who had no qualms about setting up housekeeping for Idi Amin, might even be persuaded to take him in as a retired refugee.
Anything to spare the former dictator from that tres gauche oh-so-American punishment, the death penalty.
Wrong.
Deliberately or otherwise, the EU-UN-weenies miss the point.
Understand this: the purpose of Saddam’s trial is not to prove innocence or guilt. Saddam is manifestly guilty. Rather, the purpose will be to lay out the extent of his crimes for all the world to see, to count and put names to the victims, and to show despots the world over what can (and, G-d willing, will) happen to them, too.
Only then will he be hanged, or shot, or beheaded, or stoned, or be thrown off a roof, or whatever other manner of execution might be gleaned from the records kept of his tyranny.
Seriously, does anyone think there is the slightest chance he’d get off on a technicality?
Saddam’s guilt is not in question, and frankly, a trial is a courtesy we offer only because we are in fact better than he is. But the result cannot be in doubt, because it is no trial. It is merely the sentencing hearing, with the only thing in question being whether Saddam spends a lifetime in Spandau, or his own personal eternity dangling at the end of a rope.
[Or perhaps *spit* Chirac *spit* would rather he’d had a “Ceaucescu” done on him? That would at least have had the benefit, from the French perspective, of shutting Saddam’s mouth.]
The Hague will never have to deign to endure the touch of Saddam’s shoes, nor will the ground of Geneva be soiled thereby. The free people of Iraq deserve the privilege of dealing with the monster that ruled over them so bloodily for so long. And they will.
12/30/03 UPDATE: Misha has a few more four-letter words on the subject. [Archived link.]
01/31/2006: Why am I getting so many hits on this post today? Someone linked it, but the referrer logs aren’t telling me from where all y’all are coming. Someone drop me a comment, eh?
I wonder what we’ve done with those shredders we’ve been recovering. That might be a nice adornment in the corner of Saddam’s interrogation room…just to get him thinking…
I don’t think justice can be done in this case by anyone but the Iraqis, even if we put together a military tribunal a la Nuremberg. They need this. To exorcise the demons of the last 35 years. To come together not just as a group of disparate demographic groups, but as a people united in bringing justice for the hundreds of thousands, both living and dead, whose lives, families, culture, society, and psyches have been so brutalized by this man. It may be a somewhat dysfunctional context for such a step in the direction of unity for them, but they didn’t choose these circumstances (though it can be argued that they allowed it to come to this point. That’s for a different post, though – or just read Bill Whittle’s FREEDOM). It’s an important step, nonetheless.
I really think we need it to happen this way, too. There are still those out there who stand fully behind this man and his agenda. If they can’t have him to try to restore to power, they would love nothing more than a martyr. I suppose it’s a bit more difficult to make a hero of an Arab leader who had his stinking carcass drug from a hole in the ground by the Americans as he all but begged for his life in English. But we need more than that. Imagine if it’s not just ‘fellow Muslims’ that put him to death, but his own people. The psychological ramifications would have to be beyond significant. Yet another chink in the armor of the cult of personality, the ‘us vs. them’, the ‘opressed by the Great Satan’ mentality that the Wahabbis have been working so hard to craft and sell to their people. Another hand to lift the veil of lies and deceit so rampant from the self appointed leaders of that culture.
And I guarantee that the Iraqi people won’t hesitate to repay in kind. No spineless UN brand of justice here. It won’t be pleasant for good old Uncle Saddam.
And I won’t waste a nanosecond feeling sorry for him.
And how about this crap??? Will these people ever give up?
Concur yr analysis.
Clear from the start, (this should be made) that there is NO concept or option or exception or way or possibility that Saddam will skate.
This is closure, documenting, warning, justice and healing… for those MOST DIRECTLY involved, as well as the rest of the civilized world!