Saddam was not a saint, but is Bush better?

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Agreed, Saddam was not a saint but look who is the judging him. What was the hurry? Were they scared of a man in custody cut off from the world? He was sentenced for the killing of 148 men how many have died after the futile search for WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION? He was virtually on his knees just before the war letting in UNITED NATIONS observors but the judgement came before the beginning of trial. Bush had to avenge his father’s defeat. His father lost an election even after winning a war, whereas Saddam was in power even after losing it. That war was just, elder Bush was right, Iraq was the agressor then.

Saddam was a dictator, tyrant and unjust. He killed Kurds and opressed Shias, common knowledge but let us look at the positives. He was the only secular leader in the middle east. He kept Iraq unified and peaceful, that is ofcourse a comparative statement. What after Saddam? Is the world a better and safe place now? The American people killed in Iraq outnumber the people killed in 9/11 attacks. The falling of twin towers was one of the reasons attributed to the war on Iraq, it is now more or less clear Saddam had nothing to do with it. He was a cruel person but not a fanatic religious person (no 2 in his cabinet was a christian, unheard of in that part of the world).

Now what happens? People of the BAATH party retaliate, Iran becomes more powerful and nobody knows how to control the violence. No questions being raised about providing arms to Saddam during the Iran-Iraq war. You create a monster and don’t know how to control it. The Saudi reaction not come so far. They are not angels, are they? Is anybody listening? Medieval law is practiced there, what is democracy nobody knows there. They have been accused of funding terrorists but are allies. Human rights violations are common. Executions take place in public areas, killing by stoning is a part of justice.

Saddam was far from a good ruler there is no doubt about it but let us remember the good things he did also. Iraqis lived much more peacefuly then (I know a few Indians who went there in search of greener pastures and they remember good times). I’m sure there are also a few westerners who lived happily there. But that was in the 1980’s. The timing of the execution creates doubts. The judges were the victors. It definitely seems to be a victor’s justice. This is a puppet regime controlled by outsiders and their judgement creates doubts. If Saddam was guilty, he was guilty of torturing his own people and so they should have been the ones to decide his fate. So many people in world history have got away with committing crimes far worse than his, because they died while still in power. The world looked the other way when these horrendous things happened. The Polpot regime is one such example. There are so many military dictators still who are no angels.

America is one of the best democracies of the world, their human righs record for their own people is impeccable. All citizens are equal before law, and the same can be said about the UK. But when it comes to people outside their own countries, its not the same. There should be some accountability for all their actions where vested interests are involved and human rights are violated. The rule of law should be the same for all humanity and not dictated by vested interests.

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Filed under Bush, Iraq War, Politics, Saddam