Saddam Executed

[Mecha Cow]

Well, it's not up to me to say if he deserved to die, and while he probably did I'm not too familiar with the details of what he did (Nor do I want to be, thank you very much) so I don't really have strong feelings about this. I wouldn't say I'm happy about it, as he seemed broken and pathetic already.

I'm not anti-death penalty per se, but I have to wonder if this will make any difference at all.

[Raph's Girl]

After watching the footage I just have to say:

[Katie]

hanging is a horrible way to die.

I dunno. I think it would have been enlightning to have him present at all his trials....offering insights as he did in this one. I think he is somehow martyrized in the eyes of his followers.

The true power behind Iraq before the war had been passed to the younger son Qusay, from what I understand....and he was killed in 2003.

for whatever your opinion, though, it is history.

[Leonardo Mystic]

In the end, good always triumphs over evil, and justice is won.

[Kendamu]

Originally Posted by Katie

hanging is a horrible way to die.

So's getting hit with nerve gas while minding your own business.

[Warhorse]

Ever been in the Marines? In your training, I don't know if they still do this, but they once had a training stint where you practiced securing a building using gas masks, and going through the place with the whole place smoky with gas. Then the drill Sarg would have you take off the mask to experience what it would be like without the mask. Horrible experience, makes you appreciate your equipment that much more.

[Venom Symbiote]

Yep. The whole capital punishment debate aside, if there's anyone ever worthy of it it's Hussein.

[Ra]

Originally Posted by Jester

Is it sad that I'm happy the man's dead?

Originally Posted by Roseangelo

No.

^^ What she said

So, the guy is dead and Iraq is still in taters. At least it will only get better from here on out

[FireFly]

The only thing that would have made this better is if a guy dressed as captain america was the one to do the hanging while having the team america theme play in the background (i have a twisted sense of humor)

I don't like the way we did this thothe whole WMD thing and false pretenses but it honestly it needed to be done a long time ago like back in the early 90's but what are you going to do pop some corn and enjoy the movie

[Barkworm]

I don't get this "milestone" talk. How is Saddam's execution going to make things in Iraq better?

[Krang's Uncle]

It doesnt. Just a PR move for a bad story.

[Katie]

Exactly. This war (and most for that matter) is all about propoganda.

Saddam was a bad, evil, horrible man who did alot of dispicable things....but IMO and IMO only....his execution was rushed and turned into a sectarian / vendetta killing.

[iris]

Originally Posted by Barkworm

I don't get this "milestone" talk. How is Saddam's execution going to make things in Iraq better?

Well, it is a milestone, but the journey is a hundred million miles long.

[Venom Symbiote]

Gah, the general idea behind Iraq was sound. They lied, granted, and I'm not a fan of that aspect. But the general decision to go in and oust Hussein? I don't have a problem with that, there's not really any specific reason needed. Bush should have just said, you know, "he's one of the most ruthless dictators still existing in the world today, we're going to go in there and kick him out". I think a lot of people would have gone along with it, no problemo.

The lies are what did it. I take issue with that, especially since he didn't need to lie anyway.

Cheney and Rumsfeld screwed this up tactically, basically by not being violent enough to start with. That's where the problems are coming from here.

Most Iraqis wanted Saddam out, I think that's fair enough to say. But Bush should have played within the rules with his little invasion, gained UN support (they would have jumped on the bandwagon eventually, no doubt) and built up forces for a month like in 1991. Then just blitzkrieg the hell out of them (again, a la Gulf War 1), stabilisation through temporary U.S. governance.

It's just annoying how this war didn't need to be a fiasco, if handled properly. Clinton or Bush Sr. would have done the job right.

The idea to go in there wasn't the problem, though. Bush didn't do anything wrong there.

[Roseangelo]

Originally Posted by Venom Symbiote

Cheney and Rumsfeld screwed this up tactically, basically by not being violent enough to start with. That's where the problems are coming from here.

I so agree with this. The only way things can get better there in the long run is if we go on the total offensive NOW. And we need to take control over their government ala Germany and Japan after WWII, instead of letting the Iraqis "play government."

[Venom Symbiote]

Yeah. Thing is, they can't do that now. The military's too worn down. Fact is, the U.S. isn't anywhere near as militarily powerful as they were in 1991. In terms of sheer numbers. They downsized big-time in the '90s, and only started building it up again after 9/11. Too little too late, especially with Iraq and the losses.

There's no unity anymore, it's all pretty ****ed up. It's a shame, but if they'd just done that to start with, used Jordan and Syria and Lebanon again to build up massive strike teams and supply lines, we wouldn't be having this problem. They were too worried about France and Germany being pissed off with them they decided to try to do it in a politically-correct sense and not offend anyone. "We're not making war on the Muslims" etc. "We're not trying to subjugate them and govern them." If they'd gone all G.I. Joe from the start, Iraq wouldn't be a mess in 2006.

Britain's one thing, a good player to have backing you. But who else have they got? Australia? Japan? Half of eastern-Europe? Please. We might as well not be there, we're not major players.

What they need to do is get the U.N. in on this, amass an alliance of 6 or 7 countries who actually matter in terms of military involvement, and win this in a few weeks.

How is it that the freakin' United States of freakin' America is losing to a bunch of teenage rebels with rocket-propelled grenades and machetes?

This isn't Vietnam. Guerrilla tactics shouldn't be effective against them.

But they are, because no one was willing to do the hard thing in the first place and end the conflict.

[Roseangelo]

The UN is worthless; that'd be a waste of time.

I honestly feel the biggest problem the US military is facing is the EXTREME pressure from the US media. It feels as if the military is too afraid to do anything that might result in the deaths of US troops. As much as I want everyone to come home safely, it's also not realistic when you're at war. WWII would not have been won if we hadn't fought aggressive battles that, by their nature, resulted in the deaths of thousands. Thousands in ONE battle alone!

Troop numbers are a problem, too, but I just really wish the press would shut up and let the military do its job.

I think it would be different if the war affected day to day life in America, as was the case in WWII, but the truth is that life goes on quite normally over here. If you were to seclude yourself from TV, radio, newspapers, Internet, etc., you really wouldn't know that we are at war.

[Duke]

I'm glad that justice was served. And this shouldn't turn into a political debate but unfortunately I kind of see it headed that way. So the only other comment I'm going to make is that WMD were ultimately found. I think a lot of people forget that. Sure the WMD were old but mustard gas doesn't stop working just because it was manufacted 15-20 years ago. And the fact remains that Sadam agreed to destroy all the WMD he had, so the point remains there shouldn't have been any in Iraq regardless of how old they were. Regardless of how you feel about the war (personally I'm starting to truly believe Iraq is a lost cause now), don't forget the facts. WMD were present in Iraq.

[Spike Spiegel]

I'll bet his final thought was "Saddam shame they caught me"

But all jokes aside, the man deserved to die for all the wrong he did. I certainly hope things get better in Iraq.

[iris]

Originally Posted by Duke

I'm glad that justice was served. And this shouldn't turn into a political debate but unfortunately I kind of see it headed that way. So the only other comment I'm going to make is that WMD were ultimately found. I think a lot of people forget that. Sure the WMD were old but mustard gas doesn't stop working just because it was manufacted 15-20 years ago. And the fact remains that Sadam agreed to destroy all the WMD he had, so the point remains there shouldn't have been any in Iraq regardless of how old they were. Regardless of how you feel about the war (personally I'm starting to truly believe Iraq is a lost cause now), don't forget the facts. WMD were present in Iraq.

Troops from poland found somewhere between 36 and 136 mortar rounds buried in the desert, in leaking bags, where they'd been for ten years.

Some insurgents unknowingly turned an unmarked sarin-containing artillery shell into an IED, too. Ditto for a blister agent shell. Let's add those to the tally. It just makes it all so worthwhile, doesn't it?

But it's not a lost cause yet. It ain't over 'til it's over.