The fact that the War on Terror has now killed more Americans than Sept. 11th, destabilized the Middle East, opened up Iraq to a flood of Islamist extremists, and yielded Islamist terror bombings in Britain and Spain, doesn’t seem to register. It’s a “success” because no-one has succesfully attacked the US again (although you get the feeling many of the loonier right wingers are just slavering for a nice, juicy domestic explosion – nothing TOO horrific, mind you, just enough to justify their five years of paranoia, a malady to which they are becoming disturbingly addicted).

SL is entirely correct re the predictability of the verdict. The fact that Saddam’s capture would not make things better in Iraq should have been easy to predict, too. One look at the bedraggled former dictator should have told anyone watching that he was no longer in a leadership role.

The public trial, killed lawyers, resigning judges, hunger strike, courtroom antics all contributed to the public relations rehabilitation of Saddam. Those who would follow the madman were encouraged by the fact that he was alive and trying to assert his authority. I imagine there are still those who may be watching, waiting and plotting the best way to break him out. With the chaos mounting, they may be getting their hopes up.

With all of the American secret prisons and detentions without trial, they could have dealt with Saddam much differently. Instead of allowing him to grandstand and cheer the insurgency, they could have simply made him disappear – or, remain disappeared like he was prior to capture.

There is little doubt that the death sentence verdict will inflame a certain segment of the Iraqi population. Curfews and cancelled leaves for the military and police speak to the authority’s acceptance of the fact. Whether or not Saddam is executed sooner, later or not at all, violence will increase and people will die in the wake of the trial. Given the circumstances – even at the time Saddam was captured – such violence was entirely predictable.

The US gambled on a highly publicized trial. I suspect they thought it would raise support at home by tacitly implying that with a war crimes trial underway, the war must be pretty much over. The appearance of a society being governed by the rule of law with courts and defense lawyers was likely meant for positive PR.

The Bush team seems unbelievably incompetent at predicting the predictable and puts its faith in their perception of an ignorant populace that does not see through their clumsy attempts to hide the fact that the war is going extremely poorly.

By locking down Baghdad untill at least tomorrow night when the US elections are over, the Bush administration may be able to mitigate the damages to US Republicans. Baghdad and the rest of Iraq are poised to erupt into a new fireball and the spark igniting the next wave of sectarian violence will be this verdict.

James Robert

Look at the Nuremburg trials. One high ranking German (Nazi)officer (and you’ll have to forgive me for forgetting his name….hell, I wasn’t even born untill a few years later) lasted all through the trial and upon sentencing, he commited suicide. To some Germans, he was revered as an icon for sometime.

President Bush celebrated Saddam Hussein’s death sentence as a victory for “Iraq’s young democracy”

Here’s the rundown:
Saddam Hussein
Charged: The 1982 killings of nearly 150 Shiite Muslims in Dujail
Conviction: Crimes against humanity
Sentence: Death by hanging
Barzan al-Tikriti
Conviction: Crimes against humanity
Sentence: Death
Awad Hamed…

I’m very ambivalent about this execution, because I don’t generally believe in the death penality, and this guy is a scumbag practically in a class by himself.

Why not just stick him in Guatanamo? At his age, he’s not going anywhere. He’s finished.