The Death of Saddam

The verdict of death by hanging for Saddam is a travesty. Not because he was innocent but because it was victor’s justice at its worst. How can an occupied country hold a fair trial? Everyone knows that Saddam is guilty of horrendous crimes against humanity. That fact is in no way in doubt. What is in doubt is if a person can get a fair trial when the judges are seen as nothing other than puppets.
First off, Iraq is not free. Iraq’s judiciary is not free due to the country’s status as being occupied. Iraq’s criminal justice system is not theirs but ours. America has decided what their laws will be, more accurately L. Paul Bremer. Why couldn’t we have done this in a more transparent or neutral site? There is no reason why we couldn’t have held this trial at The Hague in Holland like we have with Milosevic and the butchers of Rwanda. What was the reason for such a hasty trial in such a troubled country? The government wasn’t even able to protect the lives of Saddam’s defense lawyers. Yet this is supposedly the best environment to hold a landmark trial.
One of the main reasons that the U.S and its Iraqi puppets didn’t want this trial held in Holland is the death penalty. The US government wanted Saddam put to death, as did their Iraqi puppets. The desire of his victims for his life is understandable but ours is not. It is well known that the Europeans would not sentence a human being to death because, as enlightened people, they view the death penalty as inhumane. Of course, the killing of humans is the reason Saddam was being tried. So it is interesting to murder him. Before anyone mentions the Old Testament remember that the root word for Christianity is Christ, not Moses. Christ taught to turn the other cheek but very few Christians follow this part of the doctrine.
Another main reason, the US feared trying Saddam at the International Criminal Court at The Hague, is that the US cannot control it. For instance, during the trial of Milosevic, Gen. Wesley Clark was summoned to testify by the defense. I cannot remember anyone, of any significance, being called by Saddam’s defense team. This seems interesting due to the US government’s support for Hussein during his most vicious human rights violations. If I were trying to defend myself from the US, I would call people like George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, Don Rumsfeld or James Baker. Instead none of these people were forced to testify. Therefore, US support for Saddam’s terrible crimes, was sent down the memory hole.
I truly believe that Saddam should be held responsible for his crimes. He committed some hideous acts on fellow humans or allowed his subordinates to do so, we all know about his son’s sadism. I wish that the US could have done the right thing for once. They could have taken the moral high ground and either sent him to The Hague or waited until the Iraqis were controlling Iraq. Instead they wanted a quick trial and a death penalty. It is amazing how our leaders, who profess to be such moral Christians, don’t follow any of Jesus’ teachings.