What did Saddam DO...and why didn't they kill him like Uday and Qusay?

[linazelle]

Why take hime alive?

I just woke up to Russert's and Brokaw's interviews full of hype. "The most ruthless dictator of all time", "terrorist connections"...

Now cut to celebration in the streets in Baghdad.

[soothsayer]

1. killing the sons backfired

no one believed it was them, even when we polished 'em up and showed the photos, against the geneva convention prolly

and nobody (except maybe freepers) bought that propaganda about how they had suitcases full of viagra and sex toys and other stuff that emasculated them

so the US again looked stupid

This way we ALMOST look humane and decent, like the US used to be before *

[caledesi]

2. Saddam Hussein used to be our friend, remember?

[soothsayer]

4. and we never betray our friends

right?

[linazelle]

3. Saddam was not a threat...bottom line

so it will be interesting to see all the hype that is put out there about his capture.

[beardedOldMan]

5. Saddam is full of hot air like alot of the tough guys

in the middle east. Mr. Martyr didn't get his AK fast enough. Maybe as Fred Sanford would say, "I couldn't hold tha gun on account of my athuritis" :)

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Capturing him without a fight

makes him look weak and cowardly, which counteracts his earlier tapes calling for resistance.

Now, will he get the death penalty? Would that make him a martyr to anyone? The death penalty was apparently suspened in Iraq by Bremer and the IGC:

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/12_12_03/art18.asp

"Dara said the Governing Council had suspended the death penalty in Iraq, but that it would be up to a new government to decide whether to legislate for capital punishment."

[Renew Deal]

7. The difference

with the information I have now is that Saddam didn't go down shooting. I do wonder why he wasn't being protected.

[supernova]

8. Saddam did business with Reagan

and up until GulfWarI, GHWB. We built him up. So in some ways it was right we were the ones to take him out.

But like another poster said in LBN, What's he going to say? That he was a friend and business parter to St Ronnie Reagan? Oh yeah, I'm waiting with baited breath to see him say that in open court.

[rasputin1952]

9. Let's see how long Saddam lives...

"He was shot trying to escape".


Must admit though, he looks like he's been living under a bridge for a long time!

NOW.....let's try him in the Hague, and see what he has to say!


Wonder about all of those deals he made from Reagan onwards.

O8)

[deminflorida]

10. They will try him......

All the way to November.

[Bucky]

11. Why he was taken alive and he wasn't being protected

Saddam quit mattering to the Iraqi resistance the moment his pissing off the Bushes brought his corrupt regime down. The greater Iraqi defense establishment has no need for his services when it comes to fighting US occupation. The only people protecting him were his cousins in Tikrit and apparently even they weren't hugely committed to protecting him.

This will have a psychological effect on the insurgency, but won't really impact their organization or tactics

The reason he was taken alive is because the people doing the search and capture operation were loyal, honorable American troops. US citizen soldiers are crappy at occupying, conquering, or oppressing foriegn countries. We're only good at winning wars. When it comes to be oppressive empire builders, we're just no damn good.

I think it would've been impossible to assemble a force of troops willing to carry out a rogue operation that captured and faked the shoot out death of Saddam.