Saddam Hussein has been found guilty of committing crimes against humanity, and has been sentanced to death by hanging for masterminding the 1982 Dujail massacre, murdering 148 Shiites. He will also face charges of committing atrocities during Operation Anfal, the 1987-1988 campaign of genocide against the Kurds that killed an estimated 180,000 in another trial. Also sentanced to death by hanging are Saddam's half brother, Barzan Ibrahim, former chief of intelligence and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, head of the former Revolutionary Court, for their role in the Dujail massacre. The death sentance will go to an appeals panel, consisting of nine judges, who have an unlimited amount of time to review the case. If the sentance is upheld, Saddam must be executed within 30 days. Saddam's lawyers plan an appeal on the Dujail conviction; he remains unrepentant.
Reaction to Saddam's death sentance has been a mixture of celebration and protest.
Let's consider those supporting Saddam:
1) Saddam has used innocent people as "human shields" in his battle for jihad against the West (Saddam openly declared jihad against the US, Britain, Israel, NATO and all Allies and also referred to the war he waged against us as "The Mother of All Battles"). Saddam has built military installments in residential neighborhoods, with the purpose of using civilians as "shields" to prevent attacks--or to gain sympathy when innocent people are killed in attacks against his own military installments. He has also used children as soldiers, and tied unarmed people in front of tanks.
Saddam's recent attempts to incite bloodshed in Iraq, and fuel attacks against Coalition troops and the new Iraqi government are employing the same tactics, using the Iraqi people as "human shields" and using Iraq as a battleground, to further his own agenda. Saddam has no regard for human life, he is a dictator without conscience.
2) Considering the extensive propaganda, intimidation tactics (including torture), and media censorship Saddam imposed during his regime some support of Saddam is hardly surprising. I do question what percentage of the "supporters" truly support Saddam and his cause, and those who are suffering from the horrors of his regime--or are afraid to show resistance to Saddam. I am putting forth the theory that some of the Saddam sympathizers are suffering from psychological problems and the effects of torture and extensive abuse suffered over long periods of time.
3) There are still terrorist cells operating within Iraq; who have been trained extensively on how to manipulate the media to their cause, and also on how to deliver brutal attacks against the opposition--Coalition Troops and Iraqi forces. Some of the attacks are fueled by those people who do support Saddam, and wish to see him in power again.
However, many Iraqis celebrated the verdict of Saddam's death sentance and took to the streets. In Dujail, people cheered and burned pictures of Saddam. Iraqi government-backed Al-Iraqiya TV broadcast footage of people celebrating the verdict and played a song called "Iraq Today" which calls for Saddam's execution. In Baghdad, and throughout many parts of Iraq, curfew has been called, and security remains on high alert in response to the verdict.
The trial of Saddam is a great accomplishment for the people of Iraqi, whose resolve and courage to fight for their own freedom has empowered them to not only build a system for justice in the face of great tyranny, but also laid the foundation for freedom to continue to grow.
Thoughts on the Verdict:
" The justice handed out to him is a response to the call from thousands of sons and sisters of those sentenced and executed by Saddam... Maybe this will help alleviate the pain of the widows and the orphans and those who have been ordered to bury their loved ones in secrecy, and those who have been forced to suppress their feelings and suffering, and those who have paid at the hands of torturers, and those who have been deprived of the basic human rights, like education and profession.", Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki (BBC, Nov. 5, 2006)
"Iraq has a lot of work ahead as it builds its society that delivers equal justice and protects all its citizens. Yet history will record today's judgment as an important achievement on the path to a free and just and unified society. The United States is proud to stand with the Iraqi people. We will continue to support Iraq's unity government as it works to bring peace to its great country..." President Bush (World Net Daily, Nov. 5, 2006)
"For a nation to have persevered with a transparent fair trial with a man like this, through all the difficulties in his passing, that to me is a nation that wants to embrace democracy and isn't that something that is worth supporting " Prime Minister, John Howard, Australia (ABC Newsonline 11/6/06. Hundreds of Iraqi Australians celebrated in the streets of Sydney when the verdict was read).
Sources:
WorldNetDaily: Bush cheers Saddam's conviction
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52786
Howard hails Saddam verdict. 06/11/2006. ABC News Online
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1781650.htm
BBC NEWS In Pictures In pictures: Iraq's reaction
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6118542.stm
BBC NEWS Middle East Media broadcast scenes of jubilation
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6118170.stm
BBC NEWS Middle East Timeline: Saddam Hussein Dujail trial http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4507568.stm
Putting Noncombatants at Risk: Saddam's Use of "Human Shields" https://www.cia.gov/cia/reports/iraq_human_shields/index.html
BBC NEWS Middle East Saddam sentence: Reaction in quotes
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6118298.stm
Saddam sentenced to death - Conflict in Iraq - MSNBC.com
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15567363/
'Saddam signed 148 death warrants' - World - Times Online
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-2062188,00.html
Saddam trial hears of mass killings - Conflict in Iraq - MSNBC.com
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15285264/
“The desert was full of mounds that had people buried underneath.” -Anwar, a detainee quoted in this article.
Scotsman.com News - Iraq - Soldier used as human shield for Saddam goes back to the desert
http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-11-04T230900Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-274971-1.xml
Torture and death: The crimes and trial of Saddam - 06 Nov 2006 - World News http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10409346
The Widows of Dujail by John Moore- The Digital Journalist
http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0512/dis_moore.html
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1 comment:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/03/08/international/i082910S69.DTL
An AP article printed in the SF Gate in March 2006 shows that most people in the US support that Saddam be given the death penalty, "..Almost six in 10 in the U.S., 57 percent, said Saddam should be executed if he's convicted in the trial.."
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