It is definitely good news for the Iraqis. Their future is still uncertain, but a brutal thug of a dictator is now completely out of the picture. Like I said before, one of the positive outcomes of this war was the removal of Saddam. I started out as anti-war because that’s my default position. I believe war is rarely justified and always the last option. However, just before the war started, I flirted with the idea of supporting it because of Saddam. In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to trust the Bush administration on this.
Brian Ulrich captures my sentiments on the news of Saddam’s capture.
Today, the United States military captured one of the worst dictators of the 20th century. He was dug out of a pit on a farm near Tikrit. So much for the man who killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis to stay in power, not to mention starting wars of aggression that killed hundreds of thousands more. Say what you will about President Bush’s ultimate intentions in Iraq, but no regime we install will be as bad as Saddam Hussein, and if we play our cards right, when future generations look back they will see this as another example of the U.S. acting in the world as a force for good.
Juan Cole recounts Saddam Hussein’s many atrocities.
I remembered the innocent Jews brutally hung in downtown Baghdad when the Baath came to power in 1968; the fencing with the Shah and the Kurds in the early 1970s; the vicious repression of the Shiites of East Baghdad, Najaf and Karbala in 1977-1980; the internal Baath putsch of 1979, when perhaps a third of the party’s high officials were taken out and shot, so that Saddam could become president; the bloody invasion of Iran in 1980 and the destruction of a whole generation of Iraqi and Iranian young men in the 1980s (at least 500,000 dead, perhaps even more); the Anfal poison gas campaign against the Kurds in 1987-88; Halabja, a city of 70,000 where 5,000 died where they stood, their blood boiling with toxic gases, little children lying in heaps in the street; the rape of Kuwait in 1990-91; the genocide against the Shiites that began in spring of 1991 and continued intermittently thereafter; the destruction of the Marsh Arabs; the assassinations, the black marias, the Fedayee Saddam.
I hope that Saddam is tried by an Iraqi or international court and given the worst possible sentence for his crimes.
Yes, we can only hope and wish that Saddam be trialed by his own people who suffered more directly rather than another tyrant (read goof), like Bush. But I don’t think we should back Bush on such an endeavour. I would have been happier if he was caught by Mosad or even RAW agents rather than GIs. What I dread from such imperative is the undue boost Bush might get from Saddam’s capture, which I hope he won’t. But being in US, you can have better idea and news about this, so we shall be waitin’ for the updates sir.
Hope you’re having pretty chilly vacations 🙂
I started out as anti-war because that’s my default position. I believe war is rarely justified and always the last option. However, just before the war started, I flirted with the idea of supporting it because of Saddam. In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to trust the Bush administration on this.
This is the position of many reasonable people I know, and indicates the problem of how otherwise sympathetic people who could have been won around were repelled instead by the modus operandi of the Bush admin. In a sense the way they have gone about the whole thing; has made it easier for antiwar critics to expose the holes in their reasoning.
The past support for SH and the rather indeterminate policy on democratisation in the CAR, ME as a whole and Latin America; leave me unconvinced that the Bush group are all that interested in promoting democratisation.
BTW, you should put up a post about the attempted assassination on Mush; I can’t believe the asinine crap I am reading elsewhere about this. There should be at least one sensible voice to bring some balance to the ridiculous hysteria that this seems to have inspired.
Ejaz: I am not comfortable with calling Bush a tyrant, there are material differences between him and for example Saddam.
Regarding Saddam’s capture, I am generally pragmatic but sometimes do get idealistic and this is one of those times. I don’t care if Saddam’s overthrow and capture helps Bush and hurts the Democrats.
Analyzing it, however, my guess is that Bush will get a small boost in polls because of the capture. But elections are 11 months away, so I don’t think this will affect the result much.
Conrad: Can you point me to those spouting “asinine crap” on Musharraf? Blogging is more fun when I make fun of someone while writing on a serious topic. 🙂
I hope Bush gets a trial after he finished his presidency term.
“Their future is still uncertain, but a brutal thug of a dictator is now completely out of the picture.”
It is good news that Saddam has been caught, but his influence has already been degraded dramatically ever since he was forced to go on the run. Yes, he has committed many evils, and yes, he should be punished for them. But his capture/death have been inevitable ever since the US decided to invade Iraq. I see no cause for celebration.
I merely hope that the International Community will not get caught up in their delight to forget that many Iraqis are still suffering. There is still much work to be done.
People in my office were circulating a doctored picture of the bearded shell of Saddam with a Yankees cap, which was probably created by a Red Sox fan. My usually active sense of humor was not quite ready for this.
I think our demons remain unconquered.
Tora: For what exactly? I don’t think Bush has committed any crimes, as opposed to foolish and wrong policies.
Jared: “many Iraqis are still suffering. There is still much work to be done.”
Agreed.
aslam: I guess it would seem funny to a Red Sox fan or a Yankee hater.