Should Sadaam Hussein get the Death Penalty???

[La_Serpiente]

Poll question: Should Sadaam Hussein get the Death Penalty???

Just wondering.

[impeach the gop]

1. sharon will whack him for smirk

dead men tale no tails. smirk inc doesn't want the world to know what sadam knows

[cthrumatrix]

41. I want him on trial and "talking for months".... my gut says we will not

[KittyWampus]

43. Bingo- On Trial In The Hague

To bolster the cause for International Law.

[JailBush]

2. My thoughts...

I generally oppose the death penalty in the U.S. because our justice system is too flaky, too corrupt. But I'm not philosophically opposed to the death penalty. Saddam Hussein obviously deserves the worst punishment that can be meted out (short of torture, which would be far too sloppy for any judicial process and would only encourage Republicans), which means death or life in prison - which would be far worse.

[tom_paine]

3. Yes, he's a torturing, murdering bastard...no doubt

He should be publicly tried in International Court, even though it probably won't happen, and he should get a defense like the Nazis at Nuremburg.

And they should be public, which the Busheviks absolutely cannot afford.

But ideally, after due process...execute the bastard.

[soothsayer]

4. I find it bizarre that we all think we know what Saddam's "crimes" were

Surely we know we've had years of propaganda against this guy, so who knows what the truth is? Prolly a very bad guy, but prolly not nearly as bad as we have claimed.

And since when have human rights violations ever stopped the US from being friends with the leaders responsible? Wasn't * entertaining a big ol' chinese human rights creep in the WH the other day?

On edit: I feel like I've fallen down the rabbit hole into freeperland...

Icky.

[dpibel]

10. Allow me to join you in the flames

It is amazing how many people here claim that, if GW Boosh told them the ace of diamonds was a red card, they'd get a deck and check it out. Yet those same people act as if they know for god's own truth that Saddam did this that and the other, and are unshakeable in their belief that OBL pushed the button on 911. I'm not advancing a conspiracy theory here, I'm just saying that it's odd to so utterly take the word of a regime which has lied about every damn other thing it's ever done.

And, for an example of killer coddling that is much more applicable to this situation, the US welcomed in its dear friend the Shah of Iran. And he was a murdering bastard, complete with utterly feared secret police and mass killings.

But he was our killer.

Excuse me if I decline to wax too hysterical over this rilly big news.

[SahaleArm]

16. I'm guessing there were a few - HRW Link

http://www.hrw.org/mideast/iraq.php

[dpibel]

18. Too cryptic

edited to add an "era" and a question mark

For my simple mind.

You appear to be responding to me, and I'm at a loss to identify what in my post there must have been a few of.

Your link to HRW is interesting, since it leads to a whole bunch of stories about civilians dying in the US military operation.

If you mean there were some human rights violations under SH, you state something unremarkable. If you want me to believe that he was the second coming of Hitler, you will have to do better than that.

In fact, in the runup to the invasion of Iraq, when there was all the hysteria over what a bad, bad, bad man was SH, I had a look at the Amnesty International reports on Iraq for the past five years or so. They reported "hundreds" of deaths for all the years except the last one, in which they reported "dozens."

Now, I don't know about you, but I expect, if anything, Amnesty Int'l to overstate human rights violations. The official story here is that SH was slaughtering Iraqis by the thousands. How'd Amnesty miss that?

Then again, I may be taking an entirely wrong read on your post. Like I said, that degree of cryptic is really challenging for my limited capabilities.

[Gore1FL]

5. The Death Penalty is wrong in all cases

n/t

[soothsayer]

6. finally! a voice of reason

yay

[corporatewhore]

7. Against killing someone because they killed

just dont make no sense. any way i think he will be most conviently killed in prison before a trial because then it would show who gave him weapons and helped propped him up

[tom_paine]

8. Wow... 14 to 3 AGAINST death penalty for Saddam?!?

Hey, I respect everyone's opinion, but I'm pretty stunned.

Hitler & Stalin should've gotten life inprisonment...gotten to loive so they could savor their triumphs ad glories...could maybe have been freed by followers or otheriwse escaped... had they been brought to trial for their millions of murders?

Wow, sometimes I am a little ashamed of DUers.

But I respect your opinions. Please respect my opinion that I am ashamed of all the "no" votes.

having said that, flame away!

[JailBush]

9. The decision should be made by the Kurds.

And I think we all know what they would choose.

[soothsayer]

11. the reason you don't let victims set the sentence is because

they are not level headed---too close to the case. Justice is supposed to keep a cool head, not fire off emotionally.

[JailBush]

15. Surveying America's right-wingers and muddled liberals,

do you see any level headed people?

[soothsayer]

17. well

not right this minute...!

[Muddleoftheroad]

26. Justice and survival

It IS justice to try and execute this son of a bitch. Even more so because that way the Iraqis can move forward in their nation with no fear of him ever coming back. He is NOT Noriega. He had a pretty big power base and the threat would always be there.

And frankly, we cut victims out of the process of trial and sentencing too much. If they were more involved, we might have a more just system.

[soothsayer]

13. I'm ashamed of the "yes" votes

Or did I stumble intp\o freepeville?

We could care less about Sharon's war crimes, China's human rights violations, but we buy every bit of propaganda about Saddam. I'm not saying he's a great guy, I'm just saying I doubt he's as evil as we've been sold. I still think he was justified in attacking Kuwait, if they were really slant drilling his oil.

[Beaker]

47. I'm against the death penalty in most cases-

but "Brutal Dictator" is one of the exceptions where I support it.
(sharon's war crimes, and Chinese human rights aren't the topic du jour)

[soothsayer]

49. but are you all for killing them, too? and others

prolly lots of others

seems relevant

so what, you want to stone him to death? behead him? what's your pleasure?

[aneerkoinos]

23. No respect

For feeling ashamed about those not believing in capital punishment, that shows disrespect and intolerance from your part, but respect your right to have and express your opinions.

[VermontDem2004]

29. Be ashamed of me all you want

I don't give a fuck.

[durutti]

51. No one should be executed.

Why kill one more person? What difference would it make? It wouldn't bring any of the millions he killed back to life.

He should have the rest of his life to reflect on his sins. Justice and revenge aren't the same thing.

[ozone_man]

55. Was it the U.S. that gave SH chemical weapons technology?

Maybe we should also be on trial here? Letting SH live to speak freely at a trial could be dangerous.

[mb7588a]

12. Iraqis will decide.

Iraqi Council has said all along it would be Iraqis trying Saddam.


Iraqi council OKs war crimes tribunal - U.S. administrator must sign off on plan to try Saddam's regime -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/12/08/sprj.irq.main/


Iraq War Crimes Tribunal Planned
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/05/iraq/main587125.shtml
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 5, 2003
The law calls for Iraqi judges to hear cases presented by Iraqi lawyers, with international experts serving only as advisers.
(AP) Iraq's U.S.-appointed government will establish a tribunal for crimes against humanity in the coming days that could try hundreds of officials, including Saddam Hussein and his top aides, Iraqi and American officials told The Associated Press on Friday.

[maddezmom]

14. thanks for posting this info

thought I'd seen this info. This is why I'm not surprised that he was captured alive.

[RC]

19. I know I'm probably tripping out here, but

if they try those hundreds of officials and follow the rules, gwbu$h & cabnet would be on the World Court docklet in a few years.
Sounds good to me.
Maybe Peace could break out after that.

[dpibel]

21. Get real

Rules are for the losers, doncha know?

[Kamika]

25. HMM I wonder if Saddam will get the death penalty in that case

Will they DARE to give him the death penalty??

I'm serious couldn't that start riots in Iraq?

[Kamika]

20. absolutely

The guy is responsible for alot of deaths and torture.. he ran a goverment where torture etc was common practice.. death penalty sounds totally ok.

One thing though I really think an Iraqui court should convict him

[soothsayer]

30. ok, so we believe everything we're told

about the "enemy"?

rightio

off with his head!

lol

sooooo much easier than dealing with the shades of gray

[VermontDem2004]

35. Yes lets let him off the hook

Good god, if I was a convicted murderer and I had the choice between life and prison and the death penalty I would pick the death penalty all the way. Get my life over with now, no point in spending the rest of my life in a cage.

[Junkdrawer]

22. The longer he lives, the more likely he'll spill the beans...

I wouldn't be surprised if a 'Jack Ruby' appears...

[VermontDem2004]

24. Death penalty is wrong in all cases

[Malva Zebrina]

27. No, he should be kept alive

and forced to tell all he knows .

[Chovexani]

34. Exactly!

This is why he'll end up having a very convienient "accident' of course. You know what happens to people who know too much about the Bush Crime Family.

FWIW, I voted No. He was (and is) evil, this is true, but revenge is not the same thing as justice. I believe the death penalty never moral, not even when the person is someone we don't like--I think it's especially wrong then. Just shows how bloodthirsty people are, IMO. Maybe I'm just simple but I don't see how killing someone because they killed people makes sense. I don't believe in an eye for an eye.

Anyway why make him a martyr?

[soothsayer]

39. forced to tell all he knows about....?

the war for his oil?

the illegal invasion of his country?

the fact that he had no WMDs?

about what?

[Junkdrawer]

46. How about..

US support for the Baathist uprising in the 60s...US support for Saddam's rise in the 70s...US supplied WMDs during the Iran-Iraq war...

[soothsayer]

48. agreed!

that would be....groovy!

[Exultant Democracy]

28. The man has a lot of info up in his head

To kill him at any point in time would be a real bad call, who knows when you would need to ask him something that only he would know.

[soothsayer]

44. ya'll gonna make me lose my mind, up in here, up in here

ya'll gonna make me act the fool, up in here, up in here

ya'll know saddam has got info, up in his head, up in his head

[seventhson]

31. I always oppose state sponsored murder. We need his mouth alive

he knows where a lot of the Bush and corporate skeletons are.

I expect a Jack Ruby to emerge though in Iraq.

They want him dead and if he is whacked then there is much we will never know for sure.

I want to read his book and his expose on how the Bushes were his good friends and they encouraged him to invade Iraq.

[Iverson]

32. who has the moral authority?

This question implies that the death penalty may be appropriate, that the result of due process - if any - is known beforehand, and that some agent has the moral authority to execute the guilty party.

The role of the United States, especially in the last three years but before then too, has been to aggressively squander its moral authority in the naked exercise of power. If we get caught up in questions like these, we are in danger of leaving behind questions of preventive invasion. You just know that unthinking and organized faux-patriots will be waving their flags and thumping their chests in an idiotic triumphalism that supposedly justifies our invasion (and killing civilians who we then don't count, etc. etc.).

Let's not give that a free pass.

[Jose Diablo]

33. No, I want SH to tell the story of how

he managed to get and stay in power for so long. Who was it that promoted him? Who was it that supplied him weapons? How did he manage to keep the Iraqi people under his thumb as he enslaved them?

I think this is the real story that needs to be told.

[RebelOne]

36. No, let rot in jail for the rest of his life.

He's probably not going to live but another 10 years anyway.

[Padraig18]

37. Absolutely not!

The death penalty is WRONG, period. cage him like an animal, sentence him to life at hard labor, whatever else, but murder is murder, whether judicial or extra-judicial.

[msmcghee]

38. I like that idea.

How about a public cage where he could be on display for those who wanted to drop by. Spectators could look through a one way glass, soundproofed - to prevent any possible communication.

[Padraig18]

40. I have no problem with that.

Display him publicly in the Baghdad zoo, where they keep all the other dangerous animals...

[msmcghee]

42. Reading your great sig line . .

. . reminds me of reading the ancient gravestones as I walk over the soggy ground of an old cemetary . . in a light mist somewhere along the west coast of Ireland.

The world's history is one of oppression and suffering. I like to believe that I am on the side opposed to that.

Thanks

[Padraig18]

45. thank you.

:hi:

[Rose Siding]

50. Other- I defer to the Iraqi people

Personally, I lean anti, but only if the abnormal personality can be studied to the benefit of society. but my leanings are moot. It is not my country.

[youngred]

52. Not under any circumstances

let this man rot in solitary for the rest of his horrid life

[goobergunch]

53. No - let him rot in jail for the rest of his life (n/t)

[Kitsune]

54. No one should get the death penalty. *nt*