Death penalty for Saddam Hussein

After discussing whether he should be put to death or not (Punishment for Saddam Hussain), you can now share your emotions on his receiving the death penalty.

He shouldn't be executed. Let him rot in prison.

Now we can expect, appeals, counter appeals and probably clemency with the sentence reduced to life imprisonment (his victims had no such luck, they are still being exhumed from the mass graves or remain undiscovered).

Personally, I do have problems with "death sentences" but sometimes circumstances can arise, imo, to justify it.

What do people think about the Nuremburg trials, was it correct to hang so many or should they have been jailed too?

Great innit. The UK dosent agree with nor support the death sentence.. but its the action of the US and the UK than have resulted in the sentence. Will be interesting to see how Bush sufferes in the Mid term.

Nope, it wasn't correct. It's the easy way out. They should be left to rot in gaol...just like Saddam should be.

The death penalty is incorrect altogether.

What will it achieve (other than making him a martyr in the eyes of some)? Absolutely nothing.

I don't think the death penalty can ever really be justified. However, there is a continuous problem that the public profile of Saddam the martyr is a focus for revolt, particularly among ex-baathist Sunnis. I can understand why they have opted for the death penalty as expedient even if I do not personally approve.

@ canaryman

Wrong again. It looks as if he'll be hanged in short order. I think there's a 60 day period for appeals.

Besides, with so many Iraqis calling for his return as the country implodes they won't dare leave him alive for long.

I think the death penalty is wrong and find the spectacle of people revelling in the verdict disturbing.

But what about the second trial that he is currently the centre of?

No idea. Maybe they'll just carry out this penalty first. I doubt he'll be around much longer, with Iraq in the state it is now it's too dangerous.

BTC's saying, "I don't think the death penalty can ever really be justified."

I fully agree with you that in This Case death penalty is just not enough punishment for Saddam Hussein. It's just too easy solution. It would be too much grace for him.

I would prefer to put him in some dungeon may be something similar to Alcatraz but only beneath the earth and entirely isolated from everything and everyone. But he should work also to earn his bread and water himself. Why shall public pay for such parasites and murderers ?

Innt that called 'Hell'?

Anyone else thinking of Saddam in Southpark The Movie?

It's damn if you do, damn if you don't regardless of what the sentence will be. If he is given life in prison, there will alway be the hope that he will "rise again" and lead the Sunnis/Baathists to power. The relative clemency of life imprisonment a sign of the Iraqi government's weakness (considering that people are put to death for much less than that under strict Sharia law). If he is executed, he becomes an instant martyr to his supporters and it could give them a short-term boost that will obviously do nothing to help resolve the imbroglio in Iraq. It all depends on how these things get spun, obviously.

From a moral point of view, I think that he should be given life in prison, however I think that he must be executed for Iraqis to move on and experience some kind of "closure" with the regime.

"under strict Sharia law"

I don't think Iraq was EVER under that law system...

I think the legality of the court should have been allowed to be challenged by the hundreds of lawyers around the world who are questioning it officially before it starts handing out death sentences...

For once i am in full alignment with you JW, it is probably not morally correct but it is almost certainly the only way to put a line under a shameful saga.

When and where are they going to do it anyway ? That is going to be a security nightmare.

just an update: watching BBC- apparently he has requested to be executed by a firing squad, not the hanging he was sentenced to.

Well, we'll see what happens over the coming weeks as a result of this decision. But, it was interesting to read that The Iranians very quickly supported the decision. I guess the precedent is now set, any political leadership responsible for the mass deaths of innocents should expect to be hanged. Are you listening Tony?

He has always said that he would prefer the gun over the rope. He has 10 days to file an appeal and once the appeal has been turned down (which it will be), they have 30 days to hang him. As for the other trial, as they have said previously, you can't try a dead guy.

I suppose, in a way, with Saddam gone and no longer an issue, focus can be diverted back to the Iraqis fighting to gain their country back. I don't seen the resistance diminishing as a result of today's decision. After all, one could hardly pin the blame of Shia resistance on their sworn enemy.

What strikes me now I have had time to think about this is that Saddam is to hang after being convicted for his role in the killing of 148 people in Dujail in 1982. No mention of the gassing of The Kurds in Halabja. Strange.

he was due to be tried for the Kurds after this. But the present trial lasted so long and led to so much violence it is more expedient to end it here than carry on with another.

So... the Kurds don't get their way?

*Sorry. Had to be done.

although there is a serious point behind that. The Kurds will not have had their day in court over this.

Wonder if in time they will have a truth and reconciliation court in Iraq?

Well, that's kind of what I meant, but I just had to use the pun.

No, however the yahoos blowing people up and causing mayhem certainly don't favor a moderate interpretation of Islamic law.


Nuremberg's legitimacy was challenged too, however it was something which had to be done despite its shortcomings (see "closure").

I believe that death by firing squad is a more honorable way to die for someone who is in the military.

Vengeance has its place but as a goal it blinkers you.
His execution may come to be regretted but not executing him wouldn't be regretted as there would always remain the possibility of redressing the decision at a later date should the fall-out prove another course of action would have been more beneficial for Iraq.

What purpose will executing him now serve? 1. It will create a martyr: martyrs + lunatic extremist bloodthirsty supporters = bad news.
2. It will remove any opportunity for other victims to have their day in court and see him officially held accountable for other specified atrocities. At the moment they can only take the dajail trial as being symbolic for their grievances. They should keep him alive and only remove him from his solitary confinement to take him to court case after court case, making conviction after conviction until mother nature says time is up.

What has he to fear in death when he knows the alternative is life imprisonment being constantly held to account by his victims? It is an escape; there are fates worse than death.

Very strong point, mehithabel. Will Switzerland as a neutral country be ready to imprison him? How about St. Helena?
What I mean is, where is a safe place to imprison someone who is to blame for so much misery?

that hole they found him in looked pretty good Seriously though, you're right sarabyrd, the practicalities would probably cause many to balk at the option of imprisonment and he would need to be taken absolutely out of circulation and not be able to direct any kind of movements from his cell or communicate with the outside world from anywhere but the courtroom; it is easier to dispense with him but that seems like such a shortsighted move: Alive, his enemies can take solace in his being brought to justice and imprisoned and his supporters' flame will burn minus the added fuel of his death. For the life of me I just can't see the benefit in executing him after his first trial for one atrocity. Perhaps there are some who simply need to see his dead body in order to expunge him from their souls... But there will be a price to pay for appeasing these poor people. A neutral country seems like the best solution. Poor Switzerland...!

Why bring Switzerland into it when there's at least one empty cell at The Hague? (Yes, I know what ICTY stands for, but if need be they might as well use the facilities that exist already.)

They could always scribble out Yugoslavia on the sign...
Though it is also the international court of justice so it could be a contender.. I hope these peeps read TT and see how wise we are, world's problems are no problem to us

... just spoke my Dad and the spare room is free; Ireland's a neutral country and he can be quite scary

I don't think so, it was set up specifically for the former Yugoslavia. Perhaps you mean the International Criminal Court?

The ICJ is in The Hague, as well as the ICTY and ICC. Although I must admit he probably couldn't be tried in the ICJ, it's more about resolving disputes between member states so I should have said the International Criminal Court where he could be tried for genocide, crimes against humanity etc, that'd be ok. Gotta find some way to make The Hague a contender!

I dunno about that. Oh, hey! Look at the date!

Is it THIS COMING TUESDAY that the US is holding mid-term elections? What a coincidence that Saddam was convicted this weekend.

He deserves to die. Glad he's going to be executed, though there is no possible way such a punishment could ever serve as justice to the families of those he murdered...then again, prison wouldn't either. Double-edged sword that one.

BTC- definitely thinking of the Southpark movie with SH. THat is friggin' hilarious

Death is too easy a way out for the man. Life imprisonment would prolong the misery...

Whatever happens, it will provide the extremists with an excuse to carry out further attacks, not that they need one mind... There will be a new excuse next week no doubt..

I see that Chancellor Merkel has condemned the sentence of a death penalty. But, she agrees (as do I) in the conviction.

Merkel bekräftigt nach Saddam-Urteil Ablehnung der Todesstrafe
EU presidency against death penalty in Saddam verdict
South Africa opposes Saddam's death sentence
World applauds Saddam verdict, some condemn death penalty

So far Germany, Spain, The EU, South Africa and Ireland have officially condemned the sentence. The United Kingdom and France have specifically worded their official statements to only comment on the conviction, and not on the sentence (probably because of future ramifications of European Law). Obviously, the Human Rights organisation have also publicly condemned the sentence.

Actually Iran's government is so catious on supporting this order. Sure Saddam started an 8 year war against us, but then it was USA who finally arrested Saddam not Iran. So the government does not want to support this, as USA's(read it their enemy) achievement. Looking at Iranian TV one can clearly observe lack of a clear cheerfulness from political leaders' side.

But one annoying issue here for all Iranaians is that none of Saddam's crimes related to the war against Iran were investigated during the trial.

This could partially be due to lack of competency of Iran's political leaders and also weak position of Iran on nuclear powerplant story at the moment.

..and I find it strange that Mr.Bush doesn't get the death penalty for giving the order to invade Iraq in the first place which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Iraqi people and American (et al) soldiers. Who's the bigger devil here. Killing Sadam won't bring anybody back to life. No government has the right to put its citizens to death. No government has the right to attack another without any valid reason. This definitely does not set the right example for a country trapped in violence.

I think the timing, two days before the American election, is a little bit more than coincidential.

maybe I misunderstood this, who are these Iraqis fighting to get their country back?

Do you mean the ones that are fighting against a democratically elected government. The ones that are using car bombs, kidnappings, and other methods of terror to undermine the leaders that the IRAQI PEOPLE selected in internationally verified election.

are those the people you mean? Those that want to reverse the advances in Iraq and deny the Iraqi people the right of self determination and participation in their own government, are these the people that you mean?

You can say the invasion was wrong and unjustified, hell I'll agree with you. It never should have happened, but it did. And mistakes were made, but let's put in the proper light,

These people are fighting against a democratically elected government! They want the control and power in their hands, not in the hands of the Iraqi citizenry.

Now please, try to convince that democracy is a bad and immoral thing.

or maybe I just misunderstood your post.

Koorosh - I seriously doubt with the U.S. pulling the strings, that there would be any day in court for Iran..right or wrong.

Vindicated! Some of my friends have pooh-poohed my "conspiracy theory" (and not just mine) about the Saddam verdict and its relationship to the elections tomorrow.

Here's what Bush had to say on the campaign trail yesterday:


The White House is claiming it had nothing to do with the timing of the verdict, but they're using it for their own ends, anyway.

I would have thought it was blindingly obvious. And if the American public can't see the "coincidence" for what it is, then they fully deserve what they get.

Exactly - Saddam Hussein has been sentenced to death for being responsible for the killing of 148 Iraqi villagers. George Bush has also been responsible for more than 148 deaths in Iraq.

Where's the consistency?

Yes, wasn't the Supreme Grand Dragon Bush going to "capture" Bin Laden (i.e. force him to check-out of his suite at the Four Seasons where he's been staying at) just in time for the 2004 elections too? Could these things possibly be coincidences?

There is an excellent piece by Robert Fisk in the Independent Today..some choice quotes.

The Independent & The Independent on Sunday
6 November 2006 11:11 Home > News > World > Robert Fisk

Robert Fisk: This was a guilty verdict on America as well
Published: 06 November 2006



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Another opinion from Max Hastings:

Bit of bad press and you all wanna kill the prick! jeez, i don´t know...