2006 has been unkind to dictators. Right-wing strongman Augusto Pinochet passed away from heart attack complications, Left-wing strongman Fidel Castro is gravely ill (possibly with cancer, depending on who you ask) and unexpected to regain control of his impoverished nation. Robert Mugabe and Bashar al-Asad suffered no personal injuries but probably wish they had chosen alternative career paths.
However Saddam Hussein’s demise is on everyone’s mind for this final day of 2006. The former Iraqi president, one time asset in the war against Iran and eventual nemesis to the first Bush administration, has been sentenced to death by hanging. There are numerous places where you can read about Saddam’s legacy –
However, what everyone wants to know is whether the video of the actual hanging is available for viewing. From what is known so far, Arab television networks did in fact film the entire execution but have stopped short of televising the fatal part of the final act. There is also a cell phone video of the completion execution (see below). Morbid fascination aside, one question remains – does the world gain anything from viewing the death of a tyrant?
In short, yes. It is important for the people of Iraq to view the death of the former president for two reasons. Firstly, seeing Saddam killed will help bring closure to a long and brutal era in Iraqi history. Many Iraqis will continue to be afraid to speak out against the man who once killed detractors using a human paper shredder so long as there was even a minute chance that he could return to power. The Kurdish people learned the brutality of Saddam’s reprisals after the USA retreated following the first Gulf war, and most of the nation would be in serious danger if Hussein ever did become president again.
Secondly, publicizing the execution of Saddam Hussein sends a message to all foes of the American terror effort. Far from being inclined to negotiate, fundamentalist Islam understands only one language- violence. Saddam Hussein hanging for all to see tell Islamic fundamentalists that if they continue to violate human rights worldwide in the name of religion, the USA will intervene decisively and with similar brutality (while technically executed by the Iraqi government, the prosecution of Saddam was obviously inspired by American action). Whether or not you happen to agree with the methods or goals behind the war on terror, it must be acknowledged that fundamentalists understand intent only in black & white terms, negating the grey-area negotiations popularized by the UN etc.
So without further ado, here are the videos. First, a high quality news clip documenting the moments up to the hanging then a lower quality clip of the full execution.
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