Saddam Hussein Executed

Saddam Hussein has been executed

It looks like Bush got a little gift for the Holidays. His sagging ratings will probably go up quite a bit. But what does it mean for Iraq? And why was there such a rush to kill Hussein?

The original plan by the U.S. was to carry out trials on a long list of crimes by Hussein. The purpose was the show the Iraqi people and the world what Hussein was responsible for. However, since the trials were not going as planned due to Hussein stealing the show, and lawyers & judges being killed every few months or so, it appears that the U.S. (and the Iraqis) decided to pull the plug on the show early, after just one case (The Dujail Case), although several cases were originally scheduled.

The Court never got around to the main charges that Hussein faced.

U.S. policy makers also did not want to deal with a situation where they would leave Saddam Hussein still alive in Iraq, if the U.S. eventually decided to leave.

Hussein is now a Martyr, and he will likely haunt the U.S. and Iraq for years to come. This will provide even more fuel for radical Sunni elements in Iraq.


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Monsters and Critics has more information on the legal charges against Hussein.