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

[butterflyrobert.livejournal.com]

The average American is too stupid to care about who funded Iraq. Its common knowledge that the west put Saddam in power and funded his regime. In other countries its caused outrage and protesting. In the US its largely ignored and the average person thinks Bush is an ok chap and a fine leader. He'll probably get re-elected because of Saddam getting "caught", even if Saddam takes the stand and testified truthfully and digs up verifiable dirt on Bush himself. It'll make no difference.

[chimera-s.livejournal.com]

True - look at how much publicity the recent Balkan war trials have had (virtually none). While Bush may not care, that won't necessarily be the case for various western leaders whose parties may have dirty hands. Besides if one of the European intelligence agencies kills him - most of the Arab world will suspect the CIA or the Mossad - even if one of the Kurdish groups are the 'nominal' guilty party.