Normally I don't believe in the death penalty, however under certain extreme circumstances I think it is ok, this is one of those circumstances.

There may be a few old Saddam diehards that genuinely miss him, but there arent many of them left anymore, most Iraqi's have more on their mind these days. There may be some opportunists that use the event to create some mischief, His passing is not much more than a footnote in M.E. histroy. Everyone has moved on.

I know that he liked to push people into tree chippers feet first.

He should suffer more.

Hanging is too short a painfull experience.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/saddam-soon-to-be-executed/2006/12/30/1166895509954.html

Saddam soon to be executed

A US judge has refused to stop Saddam Hussein's execution today, rejecting a last-minute court challenge by the former Iraqi president.

"Petitioner Hussein's application for immediate, temporary stay of execution is denied," US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said after a hearing over the telephone with lawyers.

Hussein's lawyers filed the court challenge a short time earlier, giving the judge just hours to act before the execution was expected to be carried out.

Hussein's lawyers argued that because the former Iraqi president also faced a civil lawsuit in Washington, he had rights as a civil defendant that would be violated if he is executed.

He has not received notice of those rights and the consequences that the lawsuit would have on his estate, his lawyers said.

Earlier, a senior Iraqi government official said Saddam would be executed before 2pm Sydney time today.

The time was agreed upon during a meeting between US and Iraqi officials, said the official, who declined to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

"The time has been agreed upon. It will be done by six o'clock in the morning (Baghdad time)," the official said.

"The agreement was reached during a meeting between Iraqi and American officials. Saddam will be handed over shortly before the execution."

The Yemeni and Libyan governments made 11th hour appeals to spare Saddam's life.

Yemeni Prime Minister Abdul-Kader Bajammal wrote to the US and Iraqi presidents, urging them to save Saddam, according to the official Yemeni news agency Saba.

Bajammal wrote to President George W. Bush that Saddam's execution would "increase the sectarian violence" in Iraq, Saba reported.

In a letter to President Jalal Talabani, Bajammal urged the Iraqi leader to halt the execution and employ his "wisdom and political prudence to create a climate that helps heal the wounds" in the country.

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi made an indirect appeal for Saddam's life, telling Al-Jazeera television that his trial was illegal and that he should be retried by an international court.

Saddam was a prisoner of war, and "those who arrested should try him," Gadhafi said, referring to the American troops who captured Saddam in December 2003.

As the time approached, Saddam received two of his half brothers in his cell and was said to have given them his personal belongings and a copy of his will.

Najeeb al-Nauimi, a member of Saddam's legal team, said he too requested a final meeting with the deposed Iraqi leader.

"His daughter in Amman was crying, she said 'Take me with you,'" al-Nauimi said late today from Doha, Qatar. But he said their request was rejected.

Munir Haddad, a judge on the appeals court that upheld Saddam's death sentence, said all documents required for the execution were ready.

They included an execution order known as a "red card" that must be delivered to the head of the prison where Saddam is to be hanged; a similar document was also used in Iraqi courts during Saddam's rule.

With US forces on high alert for a surge in violence, people who were registered to attend the hanging gathered today in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone before they were to go to the execution site, a senior Iraqi government official said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

Those cleared to attend the execution included a Muslim cleric, politicians, senior officials and relatives of victims of Saddam's brutal rule, the official said.

Aides to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki were waiting for US representatives to arrive at his office to set the hour for the execution, the official said.

He did not disclose the location of the gallows.

Haddad said he was ready to attend the hanging.

"Saddam will be executed today or tomorrow," Haddad said. "All the measures have been done... There is no reason for delays."

The physical transfer of Saddam from US to Iraqi authorities was believed to be one of the last steps before he was to be hanged.

"We have agreed with the Americans that the handover will take place only a few minutes before he is executed," the senior Iraqi official said.

Al-Nauimi said US authorities were maintaining physical custody of Saddam to prevent him from being humiliated before his execution.

He said the Americans also want to prevent the mutilation of his corpse, as has happened to other deposed Iraqi leaders.

"The Americans want him to be hanged respectfully," al-Nauimi said. If Saddam is humiliated publicly or his corpse ill-treated, "that could cause an uprising and the Americans would be blamed", he said.

Saddam's lawyers issued a statement calling on "everybody to do everything to stop this unfair execution".

Meanwhile a suicide bomber killed at least nine people near a Shi'ite mosque north of Baghdad, and 32 tortured bodies have been found across the country.

AP

Najeeb al-Nauimi, a member of Saddam's legal team, said he too requested a final meeting with the deposed Iraqi leader.

"His daughter in Amman was crying, she said 'Take me with you,'" al-Nauimi said late today from Doha, Qatar. But he said their request was rejected.

Munir Haddad, a judge on the appeals court that upheld Saddam's death sentence, said all documents required for the execution were ready.

They included an execution order known as a "red card" that must be delivered to the head of the prison where Saddam is to be hanged; a similar document was also used in Iraqi courts during Saddam's rule.

With US forces on high alert for a surge in violence, people who were registered to attend the hanging gathered today in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone before they were to go to the execution site, a senior Iraqi government official said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

Those cleared to attend the execution included a Muslim cleric, politicians, senior officials and relatives of victims of Saddam's brutal rule, the official said.

Aides to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki were waiting for US representatives to arrive at his office to set the hour for the execution, the official said.

He did not disclose the location of the gallows.

Haddad said he was ready to attend the hanging.

"Saddam will be executed today or tomorrow," Haddad said. "All the measures have been done... There is no reason for delays."

The physical transfer of Saddam from US to Iraqi authorities was believed to be one of the last steps before he was to be hanged.

"We have agreed with the Americans that the handover will take place only a few minutes before he is executed," the senior Iraqi official said.

Al-Nauimi said US authorities were maintaining physical custody of Saddam to prevent him from being humiliated before his execution.

He said the Americans also want to prevent the mutilation of his corpse, as has happened to other deposed Iraqi leaders.

"The Americans want him to be hanged respectfully," al-Nauimi said. If Saddam is humiliated publicly or his corpse ill-treated, "that could cause an uprising and the Americans would be blamed", he said.

Saddam's lawyers issued a statement calling on "everybody to do everything to stop this unfair execution".

Meanwhile a suicide bomber killed at least nine people near a Shi'ite mosque north of Baghdad, and 32 tortured bodies have been found across the country.

 

 

very funny stuff...nuff said

why is it our judge?  why us?  why not a judgement from his people? or the EU?  Let them help out...

I don't see any posts from the four who disagree.....I wonder if I am the only one willing to say it!

hi... I didn't vote... but I say jail due to my beliefs... only if someone caused me to feel in mortal danger...like attack...breaking into my home...

"only if someone caused me to feel in mortal danger...like attack...breaking into my home...

TheWalkinDude wrote: Raptureready there is a saying " LIve by the sword die by the sword" Some things make no sense. He didnt make any.And your defending his right to life makes even less. Jesus said turn the other cheek not a blind eye.

wow...never thought I'd see anything like this here..but hey, you asked. I'm one of the few who voted no. Why? I do not believe in the Death Penalty. Though I do believe in life inprisonment for such, that is with no parole, no color tv or radio and 12 hr work days. Also? It must be a punishment for ALL who do things such as Saddam has, past and present. Now think hard, real hard, how many Presidents or Leaders of however many countries have caused the deaths of innocent people and children for whatever reasons they may have had? There isn't one innocent country anywhere.Are they any better than Saddam and what he did? No. But not all get punished. This is why I'm against Death Penalty...Justice in this world has a long way to go yet.And please....Don't yell at me! YOU ASKED! lol

Thank you Rapture!   

I think a wrong is being done, free him, give him back the country and bring our troups home.  Forget this mess, it isn't worth one american life for the whole batch.

AnnHarra Im not attacking you.Im not sure I understand what you were saying in your post.
Rapture what do you mean by "Worry about terrorist? no such thing."
If you mean what I think you do then I believe there are some families  from 9-11 that would disagree.

There is no shame involved in executing that man ,
but there is shame in the fact that the world took so long to deal with
him.

Likewise the world now sits on its collective hands and watches apes
like  Kim Junk-il  ( North Korea ) , Robert Mugabe ( Zimbabwe ) create
a living hell for the peoples of their countries .

Not to mention the crimminal leadership of countries like Syria and Iran
in funding continued terrror and mayhem in the Middle-east . 

Crimminal leaders have for too long escaped the justice they richly deserve .

I voted "disagree". I would have much rather seen Saddam locked away for his remaining years.  He did many terrible things during his life and should have been made to contemplate each and every one on a daily basis until he could no longer use his mind to rationalize the atrocities.  bj

I disagree. I think it would be much more effective to let his ass rot in an iraqi prison for the rest of his life. Radical Muslims are not afraid to die, but they are afraid of being in prison forever. This man has escaped from prison with his death.

He could not of been simply locked up as their would of been coups to break him out. It would be too dangerous for those involved. I what our men out of Iraq and keeping him alive would of cost to many of our mens.

lives

Lets wind this up and get out of there. It time the Iraq people took care of themselves

I was going to pass on replying to this post because this is an emotional issue, so please forgive my ranting instead: There are truly evil people in this world who must be stopped by the people they share this world with. It might be possible, who knows, to build prisons where these people could be placed that would cut off all contact from others for the rest of their lives. (Is that revenge or punishment?) But in America, a life sentence does not always mean life, and lots of these people are released to kill and maim others.  Many of you are probably familiar with this story, true, and I live in the area where it happened: A man was released from prison after serving time for raping a young girl and cutting off both her arms and left her to die alone(not all the details, and she did survive). No community wanted him, but he ended up in the area where I live. A year later he murdered a woman. Had he received the death penalty, that woman would not have died at his hands. Ted Bundy escaped prison and managed to continue his ways, and there are other well known cases. The death sentence, in my opinion, is not revenge or even punishment. It prevents these horrible people, who know we have the death penalty, from continuing to harm others. And I know their victims never got the consideration of being moved to a facility where they would be housed with free room and board and were never asked if they would prefer that to being maimed, tortured, and finally murdered. So yes, I believe in the death penalty. Ted Bundy has not murdered one woman since his execution. Society stopped him.  And now Saddam has been stopped.

Judy,

WalkinDude said...
"I know that are against the death penalty have never had a loved one raped or murdered.Or had a gun held to their head by someone that couldn't care less if you lived or died.People say oh you want revenge not justice.
Thats not true.The guy that put the gun to my head didnt serve any time what so ever.A year or so later he raped a 16 year old girl."
   I was raped once, later a gang rape attempt. Due to the first rape? I got pregnant, and had to have an abortion because I was only 15 and too torn up. Am I scared for life by this? yes indeedy..do I think they all deserve to be put to death for it? no. 5 yrs in prison would have sufficed for me. As for the lost baby? God will see to providing the proper punishment for him in it's behalf. I was married to an ex army service member who repeatedly swore he'd kill both myself and my children. I took yrs of beatings, while I protected my children, does he deserve the death penalty? Nope, just one hell of a good Shrink, and perhaps a quick visit with his "Maker" ;) Thats how I see it and probably always will walkindude;)
    
    

It would of cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep him locked up if not millions to provide enough protection to keep him safe and alive.   He was a mass murderer, mass rapist, tyrant, dictator, selfish and evil, evil man, I just could not fathom seeing anyone in any country spend another dime for Saddam to have taken even one more breath.  The world is a much better place now IMO.