With tyrant Saddam Hussain sentenced to hang, what difference will this make to Iraq’s future?
Will it mark a turning point towards a more peaceful democracy? Or will his supporters seek to avenge his death, with Iraq continuing to self-distruct?
I fear the latter will happen, it will be inevitable, and sectarian violence will continue to force the bloodied and battered country to the brink of civil war.
Saddam was given a fair trial, unlike that meted out to the thousands of innocent civilians who were tortured and murdered under his barbaric rule, and many brave judges and lawyers were assassinated in this quest for justice. And although I do not support capital punishment, there is no other sentence suitable for such a monstrous man, this has to be an exception.
Here are some responses to Saddam’s death sentence: the Spanish Prime Minister is not in favour of the death penalty, but offers no alternative suggestions, the Russian spokesman does not believe the death penalty will be carried out, and the French Prime Minister seems quite detached about it.
Do let me know your views to this, and Iraq’s future, can it ever look forward to becoming a stable and peaceful country?
IRAQI PRIME MINISTER NOURI MALIKI
Maybe this will help alleviate the pain of the widows and the orphans and those who have been ordered to bury their loved ones in secrecy, and those who have been forced to suppress their feelings and suffering, and those who have paid at the hands of torturers, and those who have been deprived of the basic human rights, like education and profession.
US AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ ZALMAY KHALILZAD
Today is an important milestone for Iraq as the country takes another major step forward in the building of a free society based on the rule of law.
Although the Iraqis may face difficult days in the coming weeks, closing the book on Saddam and his regime is an opportunity to unite and build a better future.
UK FOREIGN SECRETARY MARGARET BECKETT
I welcome that Saddam Hussein and the other defendants have faced justice and have been held to account for their crimes.
Appalling crimes were committed by Saddam Hussein’s regime. It is right that those accused of such crimes against the Iraqi people should face Iraqi justice.
Today’s verdicts and sentences by the Iraqi Higher Tribunal comes at the end of a trail during which evidence has been offered and challenged in the full glare of media scrutiny.
SPANISH PRIME MINISTER JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO
Saddam Hussein, like any other citizen or political leader, has to answer for his actions, for what he has done in his government task.
It is well known that for a long time the EU has not been in favour of the death penalty. Obviously it is a penalty which is not provided for in any legal system in the EU or, of course, in our country.
KONSTANTIN KOSACHEV, FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN OF RUSSIAN DUMA
Today’s ruling was quite predictable, given the attitudes to Saddam Hussein’s regime that exist both in and beyond Iraqi society.
The punishment was deliberately chosen to be the harshest. It is another matter that the death sentence will clearly split Iraqi society still further.
On the other hand, I think that the death sentence on Saddam Hussein is unlikely to be carried out. It will be stopped one way or another, either at the level of the Iraqi president or by other means.
This is more of a moral ruling, revenge that modern Iraq is taking on the Saddam Hussein regime.
FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER PHILIPPE DOUSTE-BLAZY
France notes the sentence made by the Iraqi court at the end of the Saddam Hussein trial. This decision belongs to the Iraqi people.
In the climate of violence Iraq is currently experiencing, I hope this decision will not lead to new tensions and that the Iraqis will show restraint, whatever community they belong to.
Like you, Ellee, I fear that there will now be even more bloodshed. I read this morning that there will now be an appeal and that it could be months before that court comes to a decision.
WL, I think the appeal will be dealt with as quickly as possible, the courts won’t want to prolong it. You can’t help asking yourself why SH has the right of appeal when his unfortunate prisoners did not. He has also been denied the choice of dying by firing squad as he was not an official officer, but a self-appointed one.
I think there will be more bloodshed the longer it’s left to continue. My preference would be to move the appeal on as quickly as possible and as professionally. I haven’t seen much by way of judicial control in that court room.
Can you imagine a defendant shouting out and carrying on the way saddam did in one of our courts? It’s been badly handled from start to finish in my view.
What concerns me is that saddam didn’t get to put forward his defence. The Judge wouldn’t allow it. He was always going to be found guilty no question. The evidence was there for all to see. But in the interests of justice and judicial protocol, it should have been played by the book. If nothing else, to prevent any recriminations down the line.
I’m saddened by the loss of life at his and his henchman’s hands.
I do believe that today he finally received what was owed to him. I suspect he must quite twisted that Iraq is no longer under his despotic rule and democracy – everything he despises has dealt the ultimate blow from the very people he has terrorised for years.
This will turn into a mess I am afraid, the US thinks it is a boost for the Republicans, timing is just too suspect for my taste, the trial should have been held in the Hague, but the Americans are not signatories, the EU cannot sanction the death penalty, and Beckett would have been better keeping her mouth shut. This will throw another log on Sunni/Shia division. Major beneficiary, Iran. Well played chaps.
Guthrum makes a number of excellent points. The appeal process is scheduled to take only 1 month. The verdict will change nothing politically in Iraq -the Kurds and Shia will celebrate by firing their AK-47s into the air for a day or two and that’s about it. The country has now splintered firmly, perhaps permanently, along ethnic-sectarian lines. Southern Iraq is effectively run by Shia militias with close links to Tehran, the centre of the country is lost to a bloody Shia-sunni civil war and the Kurds in the North are biding their time. The killing will go on unabated…whatever happens to Saddam is no longer of any real importance or relevance to the future of Iraq (if it has a future).
How complicated, how very depressing and difficult. So how does that leave our troops, as well as those from other countries? Will we still be planning to pull out within a year, which I believe has been mentioned, if the bloodbath continues unabated?
Didn’t we have the same problem with Iraq between 1915-1920?
In the long run, nothing will change in Iraq.
Will it make any difference? He was put there by the USA. Encouraged and then when he threatened to use the Euro rather than the greenback… they ditched him.
He was a tyrant for sure,killed people for sure… but Bush has not??
The true measure of humanity will be for the Iraqi people not to hang him.
Has any world leader come out against the death penalty in this case? Why? Saddams biography , who he knows, and who supported him would too good a read. (am i being too cynical?)
I agree woith most, that increasing turmoil seems inevitable. Not sure how the “triumph for democracy” fits in.
You are right, HS deserves the punishment and as you rightly said the bigger issue is how it affects Iraq. Like many others feel, it may not make much difference as Iraq is deeply divided on ethnic lines. Infact the issue may give more reasons to the trouble makers to create distrubance and violence.
I think the responsibilty now mainly rests with the Iraqi government. It should work to create an atmosphere of stability and understanding. The countries involved in the issue should undertake confidence building measures like withdrawal of troups and giving more power to the local forces. People should be made to realise that only peace and stability can bring lasting development.
I know it’s a very difficult task. But there is nothing wrong to be optimistic when the future of so many innocent people is also involved.
Jim, “triumph for democracy”, meaning being able to vote in elections, something that was denied the citizens of Iraq under SH’s demonic rule.
Ellee, yes I have heard that, I have also heard that maybe we shouldn’t be too triumphalistic when we take into account the enormous fianancial and human costs of achieving this. We can only hope for long term peace and stability.
Definintive answer to the question: “Is Saddam’s sentencing a “triumph for democracy?”
“De jure, yes. De facto – not really.”
And that’s from a political correspondant 😉
Jim, Thank you, That’s a sad indictment of what it really means, there are no winners, of course.
I agree with you, Ellee. Things will only get worse. I am inclined to think that the trial was as fair as could have been in the circumstances. No doubt there were procedural ‘irregularities’, but whether these were such as to imperil a fair trial, I am not convinced. Saddam’s people are not going to take this lying down. There may be a cooling of rage until the 30 day appeal period is up, and the appeals court returns its verdict – the appeal will be rejected. Then, there will be mayhem of unimaginable proportions. As the execution must be carried out within 30 days of the appeal decision (so I hear), expect this to continue throughout that period. Whether the Iraq Government will actually carry out the execution, we do not know.
It is likely to lead to a lot of bloodshed, but that can’t be avoided. The man has to answer for his crimes. One can’t avoid giving him the right punishment just because it might upset a group of people.
[…] I am delighted this is happening, I was appalled by our lack of strategy following the invasion, the deliberate lies told about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, though exalted at Saddam Hussein capture, and yes, his death was necessary. Yet daily life in Iraq is still one of bloodshed and carnage. I simply have no idea how this will ever, if ever, be resolved. […]