Not even slightly suspicious. It's totally transparent.

"Cynical" has been redefined. It now means what in 2000 might have been called "reasonably observant."

Happy New Year!

Of course it does. Everything about this sucks and it sucks hard. Nothing felt "good" about Saddam's death. Nothing felt good before, during or after it either. It's all a big pile of shit thats going to take years and years to repair.

Taunting him before giving him the drop was a real classy touch (and letting the video of that get out a display of the typical competency of the Iraqis and occupiers)

I am as cynical as they come but I don't think THAT particular issue was much on their minds.

The "3000 deaths" is still going to get plenty of play.

At least by now, maybe the public in general is wise to things--enough to realize that this is no coincidence.

This was particularly nasty to the Kurds. With the rushed execution, there was no serious effort made to put into record the horrific crimes that were perpetrated upon them.

Leave it to this crew of buffoons to mismanage even this.

And just in case anyone is wondering, we just executed one of Al Quedia’s major *enemies*. With all the bad that came with Saddam, he hated Jihadists.

I do think the two are unrelated. I think both the Iraqi and US government simply wanted him dead as soon as possible before any momentum could be gathered against the execution. Bush surely needed it to happen before he announces any new policy because he can list it as an achievement and spin it to make it seem like everything is going Great. If they waited 30 days, he would have to push back both his State of Union and Iraq policy. It's also better to end a year with an execution than start a year with one. It's a better narrative.

To say that is a coincidence would be to assume that either government gave a shit about the troops getting killed. They don't, other than to acknowledge the brave men and women who lay down their lives for their bad policy. Or rather, the soldiers are doing their jobs, but governmental leaders aren't doing theirs.

Saddam is dead - hurray!

I'm so glad they finally got the man responsible for 9/11.

3000 dead U.S. soldiers and 22565 wounded has been a small price to pay.

I truly hope there can be some kind of progress or compromise made in 2007 that can unwind one of the worst blunders in American history.

In 2004, I would have suspected the timing was planned. These days, Bush's Whitehouse seems too adrift to plan anything. I think they rushed the execution for fear of an insurgent-led jail break.

This was particularly nasty to the Kurds. With the rushed execution, there was no serious effort made to put into record the horrific crimes that were perpetrated upon them.

I read some speculation that the u.s. government didn't want prolonged trials for the more serious charges because during the trial it would become publicly evident how complicit previous american administrations were in said crimes. i guess we'll never know.

Ha! Are you kidding? You give the white house too much credit. Nobody knew when we were going to hit the magic 3000 dead soldiers: last week, today, next week, or a month from now. Nothing whatsoever has gone according to plan about this entire war. What makes you think Shrub could have intentionally and accurately planned to hang Saddam just before the 3000 number hit. I'm sure he's thrilled about the timing, but I don't give him credit for planning it that way. If anything, I bet he was hoping that we wouldn't hit 3000 until after he unveils his new and improved Iraq plan (which I'm sure will be oh so much better than his previous plans) or after the State of the Union address.

More likely Shrub simply pushed to have him hanged as quickly as possible in order to try to salvage at least one publicity victory from this clusterfuck of a war, before Saddam either escaped or enough opposition was raised to commute his sentence to life imprisonment.

If the tables were turned and Bush was on trial, the appeals would be endless and the execution never take place.

But of course, that trial will never take place. The most powerful define who's innocent or guilty. Attila, to the Huns, was a great hero.

As with his capture, Saddam's death makes me feel nothing, and I usually love seeing evil bastards get their due. It so rarely happens. They either wither away on their own: Stalin, Amin, Mobutu, or they have the luxury of committing suicide: Hitler. I guess the real problem is that you can only kill the bastard once. Makes me want to believe in God and an afterlife. There has to be real justice somewhere.

The execution was all a fucking PR move on the part of the White House, just as the entire war in Iraq was. The complete and utter ruthlessness and corruption of the Bush Administration are breathtaking.

A good article on why Washington and London wanted Saddam silenced. I can't wait for the shit to hit the fan if someone produces signed depositions and videotapes.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article16031.htm

Silly hothouse white people from the luxury of the pampered US middle class.

Any one with brains with except you all would say hasten the hanging before his old buddies fucked with the act.

Thank GOD they taunted him at the gallows. Free county - eh?

He was a monster, they should have dumped him naked in some public square where the widows and orphans who so greatly suffered could have torn him to pieces in a howling mob.

Sort of like the end of the fascist Benito Mussolini in 1945 Italy.

Justice. Real justice, he was monster and making his end some intellectual discussion only happens in the luxury of the sheltered world most of these posters have lived in.

You all sound so silly. No wonder the Arabs think we have no guts.

The Iraqi tribunal executed a horrid tyrant, he received an adequate trial and quick death. Luck for him.

The hanging was well done, even the insults from the hangmen, his very own countrymen, not insulated by hot house Seattle like Americans. He need to hear those last taunts, from he real world of blood on his hands, rivers of it.

Dan, see if you can get a video of his current after life talks with his mentor, Satan.

Dead men don't talk.

SAMMY

You think we sound silly.

Answer these questions:

Why did the U.S. invade Iraq?

Was Saddam responsible for 9/11?

Why did the U.S. invade a sovereign nation that had nothing to do with 9/11?

Why didn't they have the second trial for Saddam that pertained to the gassing of the Kurds? That was a much bigger atrocity, wasn't it?

Gee, I wonder why.

Come on, please tell me hanging Saddam was worth 3000 U.S. dead and over 22,000 U.S. wounded?

I'm sure you'll come close to the same talking points that Krauthammer, Limbaugh, Coulter, Hannity, O'Lielly, Gibson, Cavuto, Varney (what an idiot), Malkin, Beck, Barnes, Boortz, Wallace (the son) spew out of their mouths.

I promise I'll listen attentively.

No, I don't that that the administration had our servicepeoples deaths in mind when they planned the war in Iraq.

On a drunken second thought.... so perfect and not-so-suspicious they pursue the execution right before the good guys come back into office. Of course "duh" but I'm drunk, so, everything is new and interesting.... ok? hopefully that all made sense.

happy new year!

dear not seeking truth -

you are mixing an anti war movement with the death of a tyrant

every poster here most likely feels the war was a dire mistake neo colonial grab for oil and military bases

but we are there and sadam is on trial --- fill in the truth

having NEVER come close to the barbaric acts of folks like sadam, not even the invaion/destruction of war, or mass famine or suffering on any scale .... middle class luxe surrounds us all ... it is pathetic to say the Iraqi hangman should not curse this man

more trial is the American way - endless years of process ... all the facts are there, most long ago verified ... how many times do you have to verdict a person to death ----- come now truth seeker, could justice have hanged him twice?

the kurds are sitting fine, and will either emerge as an independant country or a very strong part of a federation.

they are well financed from oil and armed to the teeth..... the one army that will work in the region.... they did not need a sadam propaganda court ... very american, they have chosen to spend billions on guns and tanks ... none dare challenge them in their territory ...

perhaps a lesson from israel's history

as far as sadam talking - about what --- all that co operation with the US during the Iran war is very old news, well documented and writtenn about in hundreds of features, books, and insider expose - printed in 15 countries.

truth seeker, you are a situational lefty, very brainwashed and having the luxury of wealth and comfort, in the Seattle liberal enclave. that is truth.

Above - you think it was a bad idea to do a public video?

Not at all - answered a million possible questions, yes it was him, yes he was hanged, yes he is dead. yes, he prayed at the end, yes he was insulted by the hangman.

Facts. Real truth, no just distant slog discussions. Too heavy for you, don't watch it.

Good idea, very strong and visceral, since the word truth seems to be floating here, it was the truth. Raw naked truth. On camera in detail.

American movies, by the way, are just as gruesome. I guess the real thing, a real hanging, lacks good manners, or something, hangings ad death for entertainment is somehow OK....go figure .

I think it was very smart, not directed to Western audiences, solved many possible problems if it had not been clearly documented to the world.

Except for the fact that they did it on the first day of Eid which really upset a lot of Iraqi citizens. It's against Muslim law to execute a person during religious holiday.

Not to mention that justice wasn't served to the Kurds and all the other groups of people he murdered.

SHA - it seems Shite and Sunni do not have the same calendar.

A bit futile for us Seattle liberals to try to solve that one..... remember Adventists and Jews use Sat. as their ongoing sabbath.... right here in Seattle.

Maybe the Kurds can somehow hang him twice...... please post as to how that might work ????

He is dead. THAT is the Justice the Kurds now enjoy.

More trials equal more propaganda. Guess good stuff for Western lefties to keep digesting.

Kurds need to now look to their future.

Much of the past for them is very over.

For all the conspiracy theorists here who just know the timing of the execution was determined by the Bush administration (and yes, that includes you, Dan):

Eat Crow, Bitches.

SAMMY - I listened attentively but....

Bill O'Reilly could have done better.

Please stop spinning and answer these 3 questions:

Why did the U.S. invade Iraq?

Was Saddam responsible for 9/11?

Why did the U.S. invade a sovereign nation that had nothing to do with 9/11?

I'll be sitting in the warmth and luxury of my middle class waiting for your reply.

Robotslave,
After reading some stuff from some knowledgeable folks, the execution may have been rushed by the Iraqis in order to execute him when the Sunnis were celebrating Eid (a day before the Shiites do). The timing most certainly had meaning, but only to the Iraqis.

According to the NY Times the US actually objected to the quick execution of Saddam and made the Iraqi government jump through extra hoops before they could get their hands on him to kill.

AnnTelnaes sums it up.

SAMMY - enjoy.

http://www.anntelnaes.com/images/123106SaddamHangman.gif

Truth seeker - just as a tiny step exercise on your search for truth - quit locking the execution of a tyrant to the neo colonial war.

I have not watched Bill Shitface for years, my politics are very left of yours.

You just can't grasp how elemental this execution is to the world.

Well done by the Iraqi govt. And of course the Bushies are upset - their assumed puppets took the ball and went to the gallows. George Bubba Jr. would have loved to have Sadam sent to Texas where they know how to kill in the name of the state.

Good for them. Swift justice.

I think a firing squad would have been OK too.

Even in England where there is no death penalty, popular opinion suggested for Sadam they had made an exception.

International public relations coup for the new Iraqi leaders.

Remember, all we are doing in Iraqui, we are doing as surrogates for the Saudi Family. They are Sunni and fear the Shite. America is propping up the Royal Family again. First the Emir of Kuwait and now the Saudi Family.

How about that gambit all you seekers??

I think the Kurds are very happy.

Despite the spin and propaganda from the neo cons, yes, the same old clique at the White House.

Interesting to watch the manipulations. They play the liberals in America like strings on the Bush banjo.

Some of you sound like you are trying to protect Sadam Hussein.

How crazy.

SAMMY

I don't care where you are in the political scheme of things.

For the third time, answer these 3 questions:

Why did the U.S. invade Iraq?

Was Saddam responsible for 9/11?

Why did the U.S. invade a sovereign nation that had nothing to do with 9/11?

Oh, yes, and, Saddam has something to say to you.

http://www.pollyticks.com/media/1/saddam_dead.jpg

so cutsie pie - sheez

this in the context of a hanging

oh, I forgot, cutsie pie is Seattle hipster

SAMMY

You are a coward and will remain a coward until you answer the three questions I've asked you.

If you answer my questions then I'll give you this guy's telephone number cause I think there's something under those tights that you'd like to touch.

http://ladybunny.net/blog/uploaded_images/DISNEY-754633.jpg

But, Truthseeker, Sammy already has answered your questions. They are irrelevant to the justice of watching Saddam die. You are the one who is not getting it.

FNARF

to that I say,

"Muqtada, Muqtada, Muqtada".

For SAMMY and FNARF

this is fucking hilarious.

http://www.bartcop.com/saddam-harvey-oswald.jpg

Jay Leno, on Saddam Hussein's execution by hanging: "Or, as they call that in Iraq, death by natural causes"