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November 5, 2006

Death and Democracy

I
f Iraq is truly headed on the path to an American-style democracy, then we can expect Saddam to be executed . . . oh . . . maybe in 15 years or so. After all his appeals are exhausted.

It seems from here that his trial's been a sham, on the order of Stalin's purge trials. Was there any doubt as to the verdict or sentence?

Really, justice called for a Mussolini-style "trial" in the center of Bahgdad when Saddam was captured. He should have been executed then and there.

As for this Administration's and the GOP's crowing about the Saddam verdict proving that democracy has taken root in Iraq, let's be serious.

First, there's question of convenient timing. I vaguely remember Republicans screaming bloody murder when Independent Counsel Larry Walsh obtained indictments in Iraq-gate on the eve of the '92 Presidential election. This hardly does much but reinforce that Saddam's trial -- while satisfying and necessary -- has been manipulated to help Bush & Co.

More to the point the question that should be on the table for today's talking media heads is, was a trial of Saddam worth the nearly 3,000 American lives, 16,000 American wounded, scores of tens of thousands dead Iraqis, and a $320 Billion price-tag?

This is another of the famous corners being turned in the expanding polygon that is Iraq.

Posted by shertaugh at November 5, 2006 8:20 AM

Comments

Actually, I heard on NPR that after the appeals court rules (whenever that will be), if they uphold the death sentence then by law he must be executed within 30 days, even if he's still on trial for other crimes.

And isn't it convenient that he was tried first for something without much embarrassing US involvement...

Posted by: Lis Riba at November 5, 2006 9:26 PM