English

Letters on the execution of Saddam Hussein

The following is a selection of recent letters to the World Socialist Web Site on the Saddam Hussein execution.

On “The execution of Saddam Hussein”

In the article, the author writes, “In the view of the White House, Saddam is an object lesson to any future opponent of American imperialism: defy the will of Washington, and his bloody fate could be yours.” It may be less that Saddam was an opponent of American imperialism, but that he was not good enough for American imperialism at this time in history. The man was closely tied for many years to American imperialism with which he notoriously cooperated. He provided many things for American imperialism, as is well known, and still there reached a tipping point when Washington and Wall Street wanted him eliminated.

This may be another lesson about the seriousness of imperialism and its brother, capitalism, that many good soldiers of imperialism are never good enough, and do not measure up to “the best of all possible worlds” of imperialism, its economics and its ideology. Just as often happens in sometimes more mundane and common workshops of the working class, the ax often falls upon the hired hand, sometimes more, or sometimes far less fairly. It’s fortunately impossible to measure up to those dirtiest doers of deeds, and poorest of rich philosophies and systems.

To finish off, imperialism is a tough boss to work for. It’s possible that, no matter what one does, it is never good enough. What else might this say about the strength of the foundations and the workings of such a system?

JB

30 December 2006

* * *

Bravo. Absolutely bloody brilliant article.

DW

30 December 2006

* * *

The death sentence is a plan of the US to spread sectarianism between the Sunnis and Shia of Iraq. He was hanged on charges of killing Shias, but it is strange because he killed more Sunnis and Kurds in Iraq.

BBD

Lahore, Pakistan

30 December 2006

* * *

Personally I cannot help but think that Saddam’s death will only make him a martyr against US-led aggression and the Iraqi government. This perhaps could be the last nail or second-to-last nail in the coffin to all-out civil war in Iraq. I haven’t understood the reason for the Iraq War as there isn’t enough oil to pay for the huge outlay of the invasion (Weren’t the oil reserves estimated at some $200 billion versus some $2,000 billion for the war?) The Iraq War has been one great wasteful pointless fiasco from the start. It still makes me wonder who on earth could have thought that this was good idea?

SG

Australia

30 December 2006

* * *

The execution of Saddam Hussein is another grim chapter in the catalogue of war crimes perpetrated against the Iraqi people. It is a gratuitous act of barbarism devoid of justice. Bush believes that killing Saddam will achieve the “closure” that has eluded him through nearly four years of occupation. But he is mistaken. Saddam’s death will only eliminate any opportunity for a political solution. Reconciliation will be impossible and Saddam will have died as a martyr. Is that what Bush wants? Or does Bush really know what he wants? Perhaps, he is just a war-mongering psychopath completely disconnected from reality.

Capital punishment is a moral evil. The state never has the right to kill its own people, regardless of their crimes; Saddam is no exception. But the premeditated murder of Saddam is particularly appalling, because it is stupid as well as unjust. It cuts off dialogue with the very people (the Baathist-led resistance) who need to be entered into the political process to achieve normalization. Bush is destroying his last chance for a negotiated settlement and paving the way for America’s total defeat. It’s complete madness.

It’s impossible to imagine a more fitting summary of six years of Bush rule than video footage of Saddam’s limp figure dangling at the end of a rope. The pictures will no doubt replace the iconic photos of the hooded Abu Ghraib prisoner who appeared in headlines across the world. The United States will pay a heavy price for Bush’s savagery. The war is already going badly and this latest travesty will only quicken America’s inevitable withdrawal.

America has become a moral swamp, its leaders incapable of wisdom or mercy. Hanging Saddam only adds to America’s mutual disgrace and exposes the real face of American justice.

FBR

Thailand

30 December 2006

* * *

You write, “True justice for the tortured and oppressed people of Iraq, as well as the American, British and other victims of the US-led war, will come only when those responsible for the invasion and occupation—Bush, Cheney and their acolytes—face their own trials for waging an illegal war of aggression.” I agree so much with this. I strongly believe that Saddam should have been left in power as a secret puppet leader. The war and the suffering of all the Iraq people need never have happened. And the UK and USA would not be mourning the wasted lives of their children.

JW

30 December 2006

* * *

Bush is directly responsible for the death of 3,000 Americans. Bush is responsible for the murder of more than half a million Iraqis. Bush is responsible for the displacement of 5 millions Iraqis. Bush is responsible for more than 50,000 Iraqi children becoming orphans. This is his Christianity and supremacy.

NR

30 December 2006

* * *

There is little that can be added to your very astute review of this latest American example of a “rush to judgment” (and now, execution). However, it is certainly relevant that this execution represents a facile surrogate for something that the Bush administration has pledged, and failed to do, namely the capture and execution of Osama Bin Laden. Not everyone is fooled, neither your Editorial Board nor your readers.

However, despite the secular nature of Hussein’s regime, the US has certainly created a martyr by their illegal activities. A life sentence would have been more appropriate and justified under the political circumstances you document. But Bush wants his “pound of flesh,” all the more reason for his next request for escalation of the conflict and an increase in more service personnel who will certainly pay the price for this latest act of political folly.

TW

30 December 2006

* * *

I am saddened by the execution of Saddam Hussein. His mistake was that he trusted Rumsfeld when he was advocating war with Iran and again trusted the US ambassador when she told him the USA was not concerned in his activities in his own area. He would never have attacked Kuwait if he knew the US would react as it did.

Saddam was a dictator, no question, but Iraq was the best governed state in the Middle East. His cabinet included women and Christians. Iraq had a good educational system, a reasonably equitable system of justice. There was reasonable freedom of religious worship, state medicine (which is more than the US has) an electricity grid and a clean water and sewage removal system. There were good roads and transportation systems The Baath Party and Saddam were responsible for these, which were financed through oil revenues.

He fell into trouble with the US because Iraq had ample supplies of oil. The government of the US, the major oil user in the world, concluded that its future security depended upon assured oil supplies. What good did it do to take his life?

GW

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

30 December 2006

* * *

Right on! Well spoken. Thank you for bravely speaking out. Such a trial and execution is a travesty, horror and an act of terrorism.

SM

Brooklyn, New York, US

31 December 2006

* * *

An excellent analysis. You always live up to the universal admiration of your work. Happy New Year to all.

SJ

Emu Plains, New South Wales, Australia

31 December 2006

On “A legal farce: Iraq court confirms Saddam Hussein’s death sentence”

In the early days of the USA, a standard of justice was established. Give him a fair trial and hang him quick and legal. We Americans have introduced this standard in Iraq as evidenced by Hussein’s sentence. Iraq is now an American style democracy. This is a victory. Now America can remove its troops from Iraq before the Iraqi people kill more Americans in reprisal for the Iraqi people killed by American troops and their stooges.

LL

27 December 2006

On “Bush calls for Hussein’s execution: a portrait of sadism and ignorance”

I went looking for some sensible, rational feedback regarding this latest absurdity and there you were. Thank you. I long to make some kind of sense of the layer upon layer upon layer of the unthinkable since Bush “took” the white house (I used to capitalize that). All I can come up with is that all this insanity is the mass catalyst that will force change on a grand scale, change in the consciousness of us all.

Thanks again,

JS

29 December 2006

Loading