Bush talk of death penalty for Saddam stirs unease

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L17640940.htm

<snip>"I don't believe in the death penalty...but I respect the views of others," British Home Secretary (interior minister) David Blunkett told BBC Radio. "I believe it would be right for the Iraqi people to make the decision."

Spain's Foreign Minister Ana Palacio said she opposed the death penalty for Saddam and that his trial should showcase the power of humanity over inhumanity.

"Saddam's trial must be a symbol of human ethics and morality in the face of the most miserable and inhumane qualities," she said.

Italian Defence Minister Antonio Martino was also against a death sentence. "I am not willing to give political powers a licence to kill," he told a news conference.

more

[Zero Gravitas]

1. Death Penalty

We are supposed to be BETTER than Saddam. We are supposed to be the CIVILIZED ones. Obviously Former Governor Bush cannot grasp such concepts. HE wants a humiliating show trial then a grisly execution. His only regret is no doubt not being able to presonally kill Saddam on national television during the Republican Convention.

[Sequoia]

10. He misses being the Killer Governor of Texas

these days and you can see the glint in his eyes when he talks about what "he would like to do" to Saddam. Bastard. He's a bastard with no heart or love for anyone. He thinks it's so great SH got caught in a hole and don't think we Americans know this wasn't planned because, yes, GWB knew where he was and was only waiting till Christmas to do this. He is so transparent.

[mikehiggins]

2. Bush put Americans to death in Texas

Why should he balk at Saddam.

Anyway, he probably thinks Christ told him to kill Saddam.

[lindashaw]

5. Yes, and after executing the first woman ever in Texas and then

mocking her plea for mercy, he would be hard pressed to let Saddam live.

[PennyLane]

23. I heard the tape of that!

He was.........unbelievably rude. If he keeps trying, he'll get his
shot at death row, when he is tried for war crimes against the Iraqi people.

[Sugarbleus]

26. I talked about this..

In a post a couple days ago and I referred to his mocking that woman on death row. It was OBVIOUS to me he was just "wetting" himself with murderous glee when I saw him on with Sawyer re SH capture. This guy is a malevolent narcissist. He has no feeling, no soul. He is DANGEROUS.

Get the NET I tell ya! I'd like to see him sitting on death row. Sorry. He is evil

[Goldmund]

3. Anyone notice...

...the absurdity of sentencing someone before the trial has even started?

I can't really figure this one out. I don't see how a public trial of Saddam could help out * -- yeah, there will be a lot of "oh, what an evil monster he was" moments, but Saddam has a lot of beans to spill on Halliburton, Rumsfeld, etc. I'm frankly surprised they didn't just kill him. I think something's up Shrub&Co.'s sleave, but I can't figure out what.

[schultzee]

4. I think they are going to get him to say he had WMDs. If he did or did

not, and they will use torture or other means.

[pink_poodle]

7. I see what you mean. Yes, it looks this way. I wonder if.............

Saddam will fall and "hurt" himself down a flight of stairs or in the shower or something and then no sticky details will come to light about his former friends. hmmmm......

[tom_paine]

30. Shot while trying to escape, went for a walk in the woods

and disemboweled himself with a popsickle stick?

Very possible.

[iam]

16. Precisely

A public trial will expose both bush admins and reagans admin complicity in developing WMD for SH and lookin the other way when he used them. Clintons entire admin was during the sanctions so I doubt he had ties as dep as the others. As well as many capitalists selling him weapons. I predict SH's death before the trial begins.

[PennyLane]

24. You are right on it!

They ARE up to something..........we'll just have to stay tuned to find out what!

[PennyLane]

25. I say........

Send his arse to Great Britain, and let them have all the fun and publicity! We caught him, now let them handle it!

[pink_poodle]

6. Yeah, well this guy Bush is sooooo into death and death ...........

penalties. We've (the world) all noticed.

[adriennel]

8. this should surprise no one

this is the man that catapulted the United States into third place for the number of executions world-wide.

check out the company we keep:
"The United States, China, Iran and Saudi Arabia account for over 80% of the executions recorded by Amnesty International."

lovely.

http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/

[muriel_volestrangler]

27. But now the Iranian President says he opposes the death penalty

Which way is the Axis of Evil pointing now?

[fishnfla]

9. They should just shoot him now

all them other dead innocent iraqi's didnt get a trial.we didnt even wait for the UN inspectors to finish their job.
the trial will just be a farce and a sham and a reselection prop for shrub, and the outcome will be the same.
just get it over with.

edit, added the word innocent

[DuctapeFatwa]

11. I don't think that "unease" is going to be very effective

The British have the same choice as the rest of the world. Either form a coalition and disarm the regime, or sit quietly with their "unease" while waiting for bush to decide when they too, will die.

[Jen72]

12. I agree it should be up to the Iraqi people.

nt.

[jmcgowanjm]

14. exactly right,Jen72, now what does "it"mean

"It" should mean Iraqi Sovereignty. And until they get it
nothing the US does intoby Iraq has any legal
standing.

The American media coverage of the Hussein
arrest,
so heavy-handed, so “over the top,” contains a
pathological element. It becomes more
unrestrained
in proportion to the lack of response, except
in the most depraved and disoriented quarters.
Whatever political and even moral confusion
may and certainly does exist in America, it is
clear that the capture of Saddam Hussein did
not send some electrical charge surging through
the population.
wsws.org

[Paschall]

22. No, I favor an international trial

The Kuwaiti and Iranian victims need to be heard, too.

And until we are certain that the power in place is truly representative of Iraqis, any Iraqi government "sponsored" by the US cannot be considered impartial.

The only chance we have of hearing anything about the invasion and its darker motives is holding an international trial.

The international community (UN) has been criticized heavily here--wrongly, I think--for "rubber stamping" the invasion after the fact. But when it's a choice between the UN or Shrub and his puppet government in Iraq, I'll put my money on the UN.

Of course that means the US would have to hand over Saddam for trial. Not likely.

The most likely outcome is some ridiculous form of photo-op "sovereignty handover" as planned June 30 and Saddam's execution at dawn on July 1.

[Hobarticus]

13. It should be none of his damn business!

If Iraq is truly going to be the autonomous nation he claims it will be. Spin, spin, spin...

[noonwitch]

15. I'd like to see a trial first

I want to hear Saddam testify that he destroyed the WMD after President Clinton bombed Iraq in 1998. Or that he did business with Dick Cheney/Halliburton. Or that he was given weapons and intelligence info from the Reagan administration.

[kentuck]

17. I still say....

Saddam knows too much to live very much longer...

[sleepyhead]

19. I predict "suicide"

by multiple bullets to the head!

[LizW]

18. As we bring our superior form of government

to Iraq, what will we put in place first?

The vote? No.
Freedom of speech? No.
Freedom of assembly? No.
Freedom of the press? Uh-uh.

Right to petition the government for redress of grievances? No way.

The presumption of innocence? Um, no.

The death penalty? BINGO!!!!

[Undemcided]

20. Should be up to the Iraqis

n/t

[tlcandie]

21. Ahh yes the biblical verse that says ..

Love thy enemy. I'm sure that God spoke to him about this somewhere in all those morning talk sessions. :shrug:

[metisnation]

28. this is why george ryan is going down

he opposes the death penalty. oh yeah he is also a big time crook but give me a GOPer that isnt.

[NeoConned]

29. NM

no message

[tom_paine]

31. If they expect Bushevik Imperial Amerika to impress with ethics/morality

well, then they'll ave quite a long wait.

However, if they are expecting an Orwellian sham that tries to present itself as such, or a "shot while trying to escape" scenario, then they won't be dissappointed...