Saddam

[mrph]

So, they've caught him. That's good. If they can give him a fair trial before the eyes of the world, even better.

But still... this is a man who's seemingly spent recent months hiding in a hole in a basement. He's unlikely to be masterminding the current resistance|terrorism in Iraq. He may not even be funding it. Catching him is not going to suddenly - or even gradually - stop that violence.

It's a chance to give the people of Iraq some closure on the old regime - and a chance for justice. It's not going to magically make the new Iraq a better place or haul the occupying powers out of the hole they've been digging for themselves - although it might buy them a little time in which to say "the attacks will dry up any day now, just watch, no really, we mean it this time..."

Comments

[dmh.livejournal.com]

The only bad thing I think can come out of this is if President Bush manages to get re-elected on the back of it. I don't think it will make any immediate difference to the hostile climate in Iraq, but it will give a lot of people peace of mind and long term it does everyone good...

[mrph.livejournal.com]

...assuming they don't botch the legal process. Allegations of a "show trial", even for someone like Saddam, could do a lot of harm.

As for the peace of mind... maybe. The Baath party remnants out there shooting at Westerners are probably seeking power again, yes - but I suspect they'd long ago written off any hope of keeping Saddam as a leader. Realistically, he was never going to be back in power in any shape or form.

[zarbi.livejournal.com]

I was worried that he might get back in, epecially if Iraq developed into a vietnam-like situation and the US and UK were forced to leave by public opinion at home. However, looks like things are settling down.