Palestinians mark 'black day' of Saddam capture

[Gimel]

Disbelief and gloom seized many Palestinians on Sunday at news of Saddam Hussein's capture while Israel, which came under Iraqi Scud missile attack in the 1991 Gulf War, hailed the United States for capturing Saddam.

The former Iraqi ruler was a hero to many Palestinians for his stand against Israel and its U.S. ally, as well as for giving financial aid to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers and others who died in a three-year-old uprising.

For Israel, he was a menace over the horizon who long bankrolled the enemy and the Iraqi leader rained at least 30 Scud missiles on Israeli cities during the 1991 Gulf War.

"It's a black day in history," said Sadiq Husam, 33, a taxi driver in Ramallah, West Bank seat of the Palestinian Authority.

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/371883.html

[zubeneshamali]

1. Plus, he surrendered without firing a shot.

He was given 48 hours to leave Iraq before the war started. If he had done so when given the chance he'd have two fewer dead sons and his head wouldn't be crawling with lice.

[Muddleoftheroad]

2. Yeah, the Unibomber look is sort of bad marketing

I bet the pro-Saddam folks were just heart-broken.

[bluesoul]

3. I hope one day

western leaders will also be held responsible for the crimes they committed against others...

[Muddleoftheroad]

6. Why just Western leaders?

[bluesoul]

8. All those responsible for war crimes Muddle

The reason I mentioned western specifically is since people like Milosevic or Sadam as head states already have been brought before justice. I haven't yet seen a US president though.

[Muddleoftheroad]

9. Just asking clarification

Frankly, by world definition, I don't see how any world leader doesn't run afoul of the rules. No, I am not rationalizating anything.

Just being honest.

[bluesoul]

10. Hmm not every country in this world is involved in wars

let alone illegal wars or committing war crimes. Many of them have, many others haven't. But when you're responsible for killing several thousand civilians, that's a pretty good case. Sadam had many more on his hands and so I'm glad they finally got him. Still there are others that haven't been brought before justice. In Europe people like Karadzic or Mladic.

[Muddleoftheroad]

11. Most major ones have been

Wars, police actions, insurrections. Pretty much every case of military involvement could result in war crimes.

Germany, France (certainly), Britain (heck, for Ireland alone), Poland, China, Russia, both Koreas, etc., etc.

Even those nations that don't get involved in wars (there are a few) probably still have security agencies out doing some sort of dirty work somewhere. Where do you draw the line?

[bluesoul]

12. I guess with mass murder

war crimes, crimes against humanity and other severe violations of human rights...

[Muddleoftheroad]

13. OK, I still think most national leaders would qualify

Without giving it a great deal of thought:

* Russia -- for Chechnya
* Israel -- Palestine
* PA -- Israel
* France -- multiple visits to Africa
* U.S. -- take your pick
* Britain -- Ireland, Iraq
* China -- their own people, Tibet
* Iran -- sponsoring terror
* Turkey -- the Kurds
* Mexico -- The Zapatistas
* Syria -- Lebanon and sponsoring terror
* Africa -- too many cases to list
* South America -- ditto

And the list goes on.

[edzontar]

15. I think my friend was refering to Bush, Cehney, Rumsfeld, et al.

The architects of the latest illegal war in Iraq.

Aming the still-living, Kissinger and McNamara also come to mind.

[Muddleoftheroad]

18. I think he was as well

I am seeking clarification on how you differentiate and not lock up all world leaders.

[JohnLocke]

20. That does not belong on the I/P Board.

[GabysPoppy]

4. Waiting for comments

Hamas: U.S. will pay for capturing Saddam
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat and his government made no comment on the arrest of the deposed Iraqi leader, but Abdel-Aziz Rantisi, a senior Hamas leader, said the United States would "pay a very high price for the mistake" of capturing Saddam.

"What the United States did is ugly and despicable. It is an insult to all Arabs and an insult to Muslims," he told Reuters.

Islamic factions sworn to Israel's destruction have taken strength from Iraqi resistance and cautioned on Sunday that Saddam's capture would not end attacks on U.S. forces.

snip

I'm sure some Rantisi fans want to justify this statement. Who wants to be first?

[bluesoul]

5. What Rantisi fans?

Proof please?...

[bemildred]

14. Comment:

His name is not Rant-issi for nothing.
He's a blowhard, that's his job.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. Saddam played the Palestinian card very well

Saddam's attacks on Israel during the 1991 war were pointless. They were only aimed at drawing a nation refraining from attack into attack. He couldn't have won the Gulf war in any case, and probably would have lost it more quickly had he succeeded in drawing Israel into it.

It should be no surprise that Palestinians and Israelis react quite differently to Saddam. However, if Palestinians really consider Saddam's relationship with them, they would not regard Saddam's downfall as such a black day. When all is said and done, Saddam was simply one more Arab leader who used their plight for to play to the people of his nation rather than do anything constructive. Saddam simply made a more spectacular production of it than the others.

Saddam was paper tiger who used the Palestinians to look more ferocious than he actually was. Even when he possessed weapons of mass destruction, he couldn't attack Israel with them without fear of retaliation. The only time he actually attacked Israel was when his nation was already under attack, making any questions about retaliation moot. Even then, Saddam used conventional warheads on his scuds. Had he used a biological or chemical warhead, he might not have survived the 1991 war.

Saddam paid the families of suicide bombers. He also paid the families of other Arab casualties of the Intifada. This is no different than several other Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia. They are regarded as victims of war and, under Koranic dictates, the faithful are expected to contribute such charity to their families. Saddam simply made a bigger show making such payments.

Saddam played the Palestinian cause for his own purpose, not that of the Palestinian people. They are no better off for his efforts on their behalf. One wonders whether that even occurs to him.

Considered in a rational rather than an emotional perspective, the Palestinians won't miss Saddam a bit.

[edzontar]

17. Indeed. His 1991 Missile attack on Israel

Was an obvious attampt to shift the dynamic in the early days of the Gulf War.

It didn't work, of course, but that didn't stop old Saddam from cynically stoking the rhetorical (and other) fires as part of his effort to fool the Palestinians into believing that he cared about them.

He was a genuine nasty bastard.

[drdon326]

19. Ed...

I couldnt agree more.

:toast:

[drdon326]

16. Dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=124&topic_id=38850