Paul Bremer: “Ladies and gentlemen, we got him”
Sweeter words have never been spoken! Congratulations to the Iraqi people, and of course to the Americans who stuck to the task. There shouldn’t be a doubt now that the Americans will stay the course and Iraq will rise into a powerful and balanced state in the world.
This momentous event also should send a strong message to the rest of the defeated entourage: “give up, we’ll get your ass!”. More importantly I hope it will send the message to the every single despot in the world that if he is above his own locally manufactured laws, he will not be above those of human decency and the world.
Well done and congratulations once again.
Comments
They got the bastard!
OK, so I kinda feel sorry for the bugger. He looks like any homeless tramp caught raking through a dustbin looking for cold, discarded bits of hamburgers. After being on the run that long, continually hiding, he’s also probably mentally ill.
I hope the Yanks don’t set out to gratuitously humiliate him, whatever he’s done. You can’t “put right” the evil done by someone by matching his inhumanity.
They got the bastard!
I am pleased to have lived to see his capture.
Truly “Sic semper tyrannis.”
(I hope I spelled that right. By the way, nice blog you have here, Mahmood. Slick layout. Found it through a link at rantburg.com.)
They got the bastard!
“gratuitously humiliate”? Is that even possible?
I just hope he gets tried in Iraq, by Iraqis, and sentenced to a richly deserved death. The Iraqi people deserve to have their final triumph over the monster. Try him quickly.
Then give him to the women…
They got the bastard!
there are millions who hate americans
Re: They got the bastard!
“An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” says I. He has humiliated not only the Iraqis, but the whole Arab world. I think sure try him and let the Iraqi healing start and get him to apolagise for his actions, then let his people do to him what he did to his predecessor: tie him up stripped naked behind a pickup truck and drag him through all the Baghdad, Karbalah, Najaf and Basrah neighbourhoods. That’s the very least that could be done to this monster.
Re: They got the bastard!
Thanks for your compliments Quana. I too share your views. My old grandfather (rest his soul) used to say: Saddam should never die or be killed, for as long as he is alive people will heap curses on him and he will roast in the fires ever after.
Although I loved (love) my grandfather dearly, I must humbly disagree with him here. I want to see him punished here on earth!
They got the bastard!
I thought of this after I entered this comment at Jeremy Zawodny’s blog, so I’m copying it here:
Everybody is so happy (including me) for his capture, now the process of healing should start.
The question is however, they cought this coward without any resistance. Even a rat retaliates to his capture. But they captured him with a couple of machine guns, pistol, a taxi and a big bundle of money. What? No cell phones, communication equipment, internet? Nothing? How does he coordinate the “resistance” then without the most basic communication equipment? Even the place they cought him was remote, so no chance of transmitting his messages by scout flags even!
The next few days should be interesting… put him on a public trial, but the States has to be prepared for him dishing the dirt on his association with various US government agencies like the CIA et al…
His head will roll for sure, but it won’t be only his and it won’t be just his Iraqi henchmen. If his trial is to be “proper” then a lot of various people and governments will be implicated.
Time to Rock and Roll!
(on a side note: I don’t know why the hell anybody would celebrate by shooting guns in the air… don’t they realize that what goes up must come down? The local paper here reported that because of that, 4 people got killed, and 60 others got injured because of the celebratory fire. Great, so now in Iraq we have potentially 64 families in mourning. Stop shooting your bloody guns and just celebrate by having a drink or whatever!)
[Modified by: Mahmood Al-Yousif (mahmood) on December 15, 2003 04:27 PM]
Re: They got the bastard!
And millions who hate the Arabs and Muslims… so what’s your point?
He didn’t use Grecian 2000
The most surprising thing about Saddam’s capture was that its now apparent he wasn’t using Grecian 2000 or other hair colourant. I thought he’d have certainly be applying the old boot polish.
They got the bastard!
Saddam shouldn’t hang – Iraq’ history has had enough of killing. What’s most important for the country is to begin a new page and break with the brutal ways of the past.
In this regard it wants to take a leaf out of Bahrain’s book and end the use of capital punishment.
They got the bastard!
Your lawyer friend is right, the death penalty is on Bahrain’s statute book but the point is its not carried out. Its difficult for any Muslim state to ban the use of it without some Adel Mouwada declaring the rulers infidels or whatever. From what I understand the previous emir was personally opposed to the death penalty and so refused to sign execution orders, and I think its excellent the present guy has continued this approach. Long may Bahrain maintain its liberalism.
In Saddam’s case, if his fellow prisoners were to kill him well that’s too bad; it is when the state – the ultimate guarantor of law and liberty – starts executing people that it demeans us all.
Re: They got the bastard!
Agreed on both counts!
Re: They got the bastard!
I just spoke to our lawyer who insists that the Capital Punishment is still valid in Bahraini Law. He suggested that even when Bahrain signs the international treaties of Human Rights, there is a big possibility that they will refuse to accept the cancellation of the death penalty.
I’m not sure about this, but I think all Arab and Muslim countries do still have the death penalty either by hanging, firing squad or beheading.
As to Saddam, that’s up to the Iraqis of course, but I would completely condone them meting out the “ultimate justice” to this despot.
if they just imprission him, you can be absolutely assured that the prisoners themselves will probably kill him much more brutaly than even a firing squad!
He should be remembered for his final actions…
Lest the world forget, Saddam Hussein has killed more fellow muslims than any other human being in history (can someone please validate?).
I looked at the numbers of muslims killed in the Iran/Iraq war and against his own people– this man was the Adolph Hitler for Islam.
Punishment? Hell, let him live in a cement box the rest of his life. Let his only listening pleasure be random abuse by his countrymen, his feasts on a cold metal tray and his lovelife and rather big, nasty cellmate named ‘bubba’.
Re: He should be remembered for his final actions…
I agree with you that there is no doubt whatsoever that Saddam is guilty of gross violations of human rights. I have commented here that he should be tried, found guilty, hung, shot and then quartered, however one respondant reminded me of the issues surrounding death penalty and the likeness of carrying out this justice would equate us with Saddam. I have a problem getting my head around this when thinking emotionally about the subject because in mine mind, this criminal has killed hundreds of thousands of people and deserves to die the most horrible death… but objectively thinking about it, the death penalty is not for this case… let him live, the Iraqi people might better be served with him kept alive than dead.
I support you however in getting him to live the rest of his natural in a cell with a mate called “bubba”!
Saddam Hussein as Noel Coward
Regarding the other prisoners’ reactions to having Saddam as a cell mate, I imagine rather than murder the guy, most of those inside would be in awe of him. Ever seen the Italian Job (1968 original)? In prison Saddam would take on the Noel Coward role I’d imagine – minus of course Coward’s framed pictures of Queen Elizabeth on his cell wall and subscription to the Times.
They got the bastard!
A long, public trial including broadcast of some of his favorite torture videos would be very educational for the ME and others, I think.
Then feed him feet-first into his favorite metal shredder!