The Execution of Saddam Hussein Seems To Have Backfired

As was predicted by most sane observers (including myself), the execution of Saddam Hussein at such a fragile time has begun to backfire. Sunni's are now enraged even more than before. Anti-U.S. protests have been going on all week in Iraq.

Hussein has become a Martyr to his people (disenchanted Sunni's) and for Arab militants from outside Iraq. The Bush administration and the Iraqi government have dug themselves a hole with this decision. They irritated an already fragile and volatile situation. It is like adding salt to the wounds of Iraq.

Now there are thousands of Sunnis willing to take up arms (if they were not already involved in the insurgency) to avenge the death of Hussein.

The situation could have been handled better if Hussein were brought before an international UN recognized Court (although that might have eliminated the death penalty). He could have also been held outside of Iraq, eliminating the possibility of a return to power at some later time.
But the Iraqi government had a right to handle it as they saw fit, however, U.S. Soldiers should not pay for the decision.

And what about the U.S. role in Iraq before 1990 (when Iraq invaded Kuwait)? The U.S. and Iraq were allies..... against Iran. The U.S. assisted Hussein with political and economic support (among other things). The U.S. knew that he had chemical weapons, assisted (or turned a blind eye) when he was procuring WMD technology from abroad, etc. The U.S. said nothing when Iraq used chemical weapons (banned by international law) against Iranians, killing thousands. There was not a peep from the White House on that. They made sure Hussein stayed in power. When he was a gangster for the U.S., everything was alright, but when he no longer wanted to be a puppet for the U.S., he had to be eliminated.

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There is a great roundtable discussion on the Saddam execution from the Democracy Now program. Watch/Listen Here


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