by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Nov. 5, 2006
All Rights Reserved.

howing no mercy for former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, an Iraqi court convicted and sentenced the dictator to hang for “crimes against humanity” in the 1982 slaughter of 148 Dujail Shiites. Back then, Iraq's underground Dawa Party took responsibility for a failed assassination attempt, prompting Saddam to authorize executions against Dujail's population. Saddam admitted at trial “where's the crime?” meting out punishments to would be assassins. As Chief Judge Abdel Rahman read the verdicts against Saddam and seven other defendants, wild-eyed Saddam blurted out, “Allahu Ackbar!” [God is Great], denouncing the court saying, “Long live the Iraq! Long live the Iraqi people! Down with the traitors!” Begun in Oct. 18, 2005, Saddam's trial was a widely watched TV spectacle, ending, with Saddam and his co-defendants facing the gallows and lengthy prison terms.

      Iraq's Shiite President Nouri al-Maliki rejoiced in the verdict, believing the dictator finally got what he deserved “Maybe this will help alleviate the pain of the widows and the orphans, and those who have been ordered to bury their loved ones in secrecy, and those who have been force to suppress their suffering, and those who have paid at the hand of torturers,” said Maliki, revealing the extent of his own vengence, justified or not. Trial observers, in and out of Iraq, expressed concerns about the kangaroo nature of the trial and repercussions to follow. Executing Saddam, while giving Maliki and other victims satisfaction, could boomerang, exacerbating sectarian violence, plunging Iraq into full-scale civil war. President George W. Bush praised the verdict as a “milestone” for Iraqis “to replace the rule of tyrant with the rule of law,” though many doubt the verdict will lessen violence.

      Maliki may have won battle but did he win the war, where Iraq's insurgency threatens to disintegrate Iraq's fledgling democracy. “The hanging of the former Iraqi president is part of an American scheme. He was a symbol in Iraq,” said Tikrit University professor Dr. Muzahim Allawi, believing that the verdicts were timed to coincide with U.S. midterm elections. White House press secretary Tony Snow dismissed as preposterous the idea the verdict was timed as a pre-election surprise to help the ailing GOP. Americans appear split over whether Saddam's verdict helps either party heading into Nov 7. While hailed by Bush as pivotal event, Saddam's convictions and death sentence met mixed reactions in Europe, opposed to the death penalty. European public opinion still hinges on the fact that the U.S. found no weapons of mass destruction.

      Al Maliki's government believes Saddam's execution will once-and-for-all slam the door on insurgents' hopes of returning Hussein to power. Others believe his martyrdom will only fuel the insurgency, costing growing numbers of U.S. and civilian lives. "This government will be responsible for the consequences, with the death of hundreds, thousands, even hundreds-of-thousands, whose blood will be shed,” said Sunni leader Salih al-Mutlaq on Al Arabiya TV. “By the souls, by our blood we sacrifice for you Saddam,” a 1,000-strong crowd chanted in Tikrit, Saddam's birthplace in the heart of the “Sunni triangle.” While there's no love lost between Saddam and Iraq's Shiite community, there was no praise from Moqtada al-Sadr's followers in Sadr City, where U.S. forces resumed operations against the 10,000-plus al-Mahdi militia, blaming the attack on al-Maliki.

      Iraqi and U.S. authorities miscalculated the fallout from Saddam's TV trial spectacle, routinely throwing him out of court for misbehavior. Only diehard Shiites, like al-Maliki or zealous Neocons at the White House and Pentagon relished the opportunity to haze and humiliate the former Iraqi leader. While no one has much sympathy for Iraq's former strongman, the international community viewed the trial skeptically. Televising the trial demonstrated the inherent bias, where Saddam's defense team faced routine assassinations and trial judges were removed for showing too much sympathy. If the U.S. had found dangerous weapons or if Iraq was really linked to Sept. 11, Europe would have more tolerance for the Iraqi court. Trying Saddam for war crimes at The Hague would have eliminated doubts about the court's legitimacy, fairly prosecuting the 69-year dictator.

      Saddam's conviction and death sentence close one chapter for Shiites but opens perpetual problems unifying Iraq's Sunnis and Kurds. Hanging Saddam eliminates any hope of his possible return to power but immortalizes him as a Sunni martyr. Letting him rot in prison would satisfy Europeans opposed to the death penalty and rob Sunnis of Saddam's martyrdom, making him a cause célèbre for unending rebellion. To Kurds, Saddam's death sentence should be held off before prosecuting him for his 1988 mustard gas attack on the Kurds. “We want to stay the execution while Anfal and other trials continue, like the case of using chemical weapons to hit Halabja and kill 8,000 Kurds,” said Kurdish rights activist Berwa Ali. With the appeal a formality expected to last only weeks, it's likely Al-Maliki will get his way watching Saddam hang like other common criminals.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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