This is a good thing. The fact that we had no business being there takes nothing away from it. HOWEVER! this is not the be all and end all of US foreign policy as it is, let alone as it ought to be.

I went to buy smokes this evening and they had a TV on in the Sleven. IT was showing what I assume was some back story on how our troops missed him last time. They cut to a shot of Hussien looking rough and wearing bottleglass glasses and saying how he'd fight on and on and on etc. So I turn to the clerk and say "So have we got him or not?" He tells me that we do indeed (from which I infer they were watching filler) and the woman standing at the counter says, "I sleep safer tonight." I left before I could laugh, because 1) He was never a threat to Americans, just Iraquis, and, indirectly through payments to families of "martyred" terrorists, Israelis, and 2) Short term, holding Hussein actually makes us less secure. Don't misread that: It is a worthwhile risk, but the crazies will start coming out of the woodwork because whe have had a success they cannot afford to let go unpunished. With a little luck, this will lead to the fanatics (their fanatics, not ours) making mistakes and getting caught before they blow up anything else significant. If it shakes out that way, then long term our security will improve incrementally.

Course, capturing bin-Laden would be more effective (and more dangerous), and rolling up and playing back al-Quaida would be the very thing, but I begin to digress more than I had intended to.

Yeah, i wonder if they will execute him. Its funny though, the media is saying that he is gonna get a proper UN trial. Does this mean that he is considered less dangerous than those people held in Guantanimo Bay for over two years.

I can't believe that people actually think the US should hand Saddam over to the Hague. Give him to the same bunch of pussies who didn't have the guts to go into Iraq and get him? How absurd! Oh, and by the way, Stalin was a real bad guy too, but the ENTIRE free world sided with him to overthrow Hitler. Life just sometimes works out that way-get over it. I'm with Phaenx. Fry Saddam to a crispy crunch.

I think it should be up to Iraq. If they wan't him to be tried internationally, I would prefer, but I think they should ultimately choose his fate. They suffered the most under him. Its great news that we nabbed him, and that's an understatement. I think in the short-term it will incite a rash of attacks again, but the insurgents will be squashed. Maybe this will force a lot of them out of hiding and they'll be caught easier. The weight that this must lift off the shoulders of the Iraqi people must be immense.

Many thanks to our troops for work well done.

Now if we can only mark Osama off our Christmas Wish list, we'd have a December to remember, as if it isn't already.

It was great to see the footage of the Iraqis celebrating. From Baghdad to Dearborn, MI.

I've got no problem with letting the bastard live if he gives up the info we really need. If not, fry his ass. Now if we really, really wanted to get that info, we'd turn him over to the Pakistanis or the Mossad to get it. However, it must be said that there are a few scientists out there who said they wouldn't divulge information until Saddam was either captured/killed and the Coalition had proof of it. So we may not get the WMD info directly from him, but we got other ppl we can get it from under the capture/death of Saddam condition. As soon as we begin to quash the Baathist supporters still there, we'll be able to go back to Afghanistan and smoke ole bin Laden out. Though I do think that all this stuff needs to be handled by the Iraqis, because if we don't let them do it, we really do become the occupiers and not the liberators.

First! he in no way deserves to be allowed to live.

Second! It isn't ours, or anyone elses other than the Iraqi peoples right to determine his fate.

I agree that he doesn't deserve to live. We should cut a deal with him along these lines "If you give up the info, WE won't kill you," not specifying who "we" are and by that we, I mean the United States and not Iraq.

Except that this wouldn't prove to be very conducive to obtaining information from other captives in the future.

I am in favour of killing him, slowly if possible. If we look at the results, we have two options:

1) Keeping him alive (in a third country if need be), only to remain a constant shadow over the future of Iraq; "He might return one day," will be the thoughts of both friends and allies...
2) Killing him might make him a martyr to his followers, but at least he'd be dead. He won't be coming back for a revolution, and he won't inspire/fund an armed uprising.

Interesting side-note, by the way: Hamas already critized the US for capturing Saddam (and showing it on the telly), because this was somehow insulting and humiliating to Arabs and Muslims worldwide... Bunch of morons. (And don't get me started on the Vatican, which *also* attacks the US for showing Saddam, as if he was an animal.)

I've also noticed today that many are saying we drugged him so he would look like a bumbling oaf on TV!

To Pres. Bush way to go you caught the guy who had absolutley nothing to do with Sept.11.


to the troops congrats.

If Saddam does not go to ICC, you're basically saying "we dont' care about what he did to people outside Iraq".

I thought we were saying "Fuck you bitches, you didn't help us so take a hike."

If Saddam goes to the ICC we are basically saying "we don't care about justice.".

I think Iraq would be happy to send whats left of him to Kwait and Iran when they are done.

Amazing. I'm with Ustwo on something. What happens to Hussien from here should be up to the Iraqis and no one else. When they're done with him, then anyone else who wants a shot can ask for one if there's anything left. (Personally, I'm in favor of a long life for him, behind bars. Alone with his thoughts. Going slowly mad.)