The following is just my opinion:
I've thought over the death penalty a lot, and while I understand the logistics of trying to alleviate the pressure on prisons to accomodate inmates, etc, I'm still not sure what I think of it as a punishment. I am of the mind that people should not kill other people. However, I have to step back in this situation because the decision was already made, and made according to Iraqi law (hence the hanging).
I've seen on many newsprograms that had this been carried out in an International Tribunal, the death penalty would not have been an option. However, we have to deal with the Iraqi people and making sure they feel that justice is being served to the best of their abilities. So, there is a cultural issue here.
No, I do not think that dancing around a dead body is a good thing. I've spent a lot of time debating whether or not his burial place should be revealed. Because, while we need to treat each person, even monsters, with respect, there is a huge issue of security and conflict in this manner. I mean, one of the most well-known moments from the war (and I remember exactly where I was when it happened... at an interview in a newsroom watching four networks cover it) was when the Iraqi people tore down the monument to Saddam. So, some may see any sort of headstone as another monument to a murderer. It's such a big thing, here, and we're dealing with so many angles.
There are people who think that he should have been able to finish his second trial, and others who saw him using the trials as a stage to gain support and sympathy. Yes, watching a man die is tragic, it's horrible, and it's hard not to feel sympathy since such things are not usually shown, at least, on my television. I think that, since he had already been sentenced to death, carrying out the second trial was almost redundant. I mean, he tried to petition for a stay of execution and all that, and it was denied.
Some people say that this was a vengeance killing, but we could have killed him when we found him. We didn't. And, it's not going to be easy for a man like him to HAVE a fair trial. His attrocities are well-known. He's not some random criminal on the street whose name is known by only a few. He was a dictator, one who murdered his own people, who showed no remorse...
I'm not sure his death will help bring peace and democracy, but there are angles to this that make sense from a strategic standpoint. Yes, the military is prepared for a surge in violence as a result of this act. However, Saddam dead also means that some insurgents will start to lose hope. No, not all, but I can understand that with Saddam dead, those who wanted to reinstate him will have to come up with alternative plans, and the interim government in Iraq is hoping those people will join the new government. It's a long-shot, but I get the optimism.
As said above, I'm still not sure what I think about the death penalty. I'm a Christian, and against killing people in general, but we have wars where terrible decisions are forced upon us. If Saddam had been treated as an enemy combatent, he would have been killed on the spot. He was not.
The future is going to be unclear, but I know there are some Iraqis out there who feel like justice has been served. Those who lost multiple family members under his regime may feel a little more at peace. I know this all sounds wacky, but I'm trying to look at this from all angles, and I can see that those who suffered because of him might feel relief. Does that mean they should disrespect his body? No. I don't think that's appropriate. However, I understand the celebration. If my fiance were murdered tonight, and the murderer was put away, I would celebrate. I don't think that there's a celebration as much about the fact that a man is dead, but that his death is being viewed as a symbolic end to his regime. Does that mean the violence will end? No. Does that mean democracy will happen overnight? Heck, no.
I think hanging is barbaric, but that's the way Iraqi law works... I have to say, I don't want to see the man's dead body, hence why I haven't turned on the news today. I think it makes it easier to sympathize because it lets us see him as a man rather than the monster we've all seen him as for so long.
I was surprised to hear the hanging was happening, but I feel no great sense of loss, perhaps because I'm so far removed from this. Personally, I probably would not have sentenced him to death, but, trying to look at it from all angles, I get it.
I know that sounds totally contradictory... So, personally? Not a big fan of the death penalty, but I think I understand the logistics in this case and what people are TRYING to do, here.
