The true lesson of hanging Saddam
Saddam was in US custody until Iraq was ready to execute him.
US custody. Not Iraqi custody. He was on trail in an Iraqi court for offenses committed in Iraq. These were not international crimes, they were not crimes against American or Americans. An Iraqi court for Iraqi crimes. And Saddam Hussein was in the custody of the United States Army?
Why?
The US Army said it was to prevent "security breaches". To me it's pretty clear that the United States did not trust Iraq to be able to keep alive one prisoner who everybody knew would eventually be executed. They couldn't protect one man.
Do we think that's because they don't have enough training?
How are they ever going to protect the residents of Baghdad if they cant' protect one man that they can keep locked in a room? How? Are we going to train them to do that?
Forget all about the hanging. About the goons that had to dress up as ninjas with their face masked because of fears of retaliation from Sunni's. Just think about their lack of ability to keep one man alive long enough to hang him. Think about that.
This war is hopeless. If the Iraqi government can't do that one thing (and the US Army didn't think they could) then there is nothing we can do to prop them up. Nothing.
There is not an option. We simply have to get out of Iraq now. Not next week. Now.
We just need to pull a Saturday Night Massacre. That was the night Nixon kept firing Attorney Generals and the next in line until he got to somebody willing to fire the special prosecutor. We need to just start impeaching Presidents and go right down the line with impeachment until we get to one who's in touch with reality strongly enough to just get out.
Iraq can't be trusted to keep one man alive long enough to hang him. You don't need to know anything else to realize it's time to give it up. Fold and walk away.
Of course the hanging of Saddam has been all over the news, and him being kept in US military custody until it was time for the hanging was mentioned in the news, although I've not seen any news story on the implications of that.
And bloggers have covered the whole thing also. Some that have mentioned the custody question (although I don't think bloggers have really talked about the implications either) can be found here and here and here and here and plenty of others.
US custody. Not Iraqi custody. He was on trail in an Iraqi court for offenses committed in Iraq. These were not international crimes, they were not crimes against American or Americans. An Iraqi court for Iraqi crimes. And Saddam Hussein was in the custody of the United States Army?
Why?
The US Army said it was to prevent "security breaches". To me it's pretty clear that the United States did not trust Iraq to be able to keep alive one prisoner who everybody knew would eventually be executed. They couldn't protect one man.
Do we think that's because they don't have enough training?
How are they ever going to protect the residents of Baghdad if they cant' protect one man that they can keep locked in a room? How? Are we going to train them to do that?
Forget all about the hanging. About the goons that had to dress up as ninjas with their face masked because of fears of retaliation from Sunni's. Just think about their lack of ability to keep one man alive long enough to hang him. Think about that.
This war is hopeless. If the Iraqi government can't do that one thing (and the US Army didn't think they could) then there is nothing we can do to prop them up. Nothing.
There is not an option. We simply have to get out of Iraq now. Not next week. Now.
We just need to pull a Saturday Night Massacre. That was the night Nixon kept firing Attorney Generals and the next in line until he got to somebody willing to fire the special prosecutor. We need to just start impeaching Presidents and go right down the line with impeachment until we get to one who's in touch with reality strongly enough to just get out.
Iraq can't be trusted to keep one man alive long enough to hang him. You don't need to know anything else to realize it's time to give it up. Fold and walk away.
Of course the hanging of Saddam has been all over the news, and him being kept in US military custody until it was time for the hanging was mentioned in the news, although I've not seen any news story on the implications of that.
And bloggers have covered the whole thing also. Some that have mentioned the custody question (although I don't think bloggers have really talked about the implications either) can be found here and here and here and here and plenty of others.
posted by Gary Carson at 4:10 AM
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