Victory over Saddam

Saddam Executed!

Well when considering the cost in human lives sacrificed by those bringing mass-murdering dictators like Saddam Hussein to justice, it would almost be perverse to spare Saddam's life.

BBC: Saddam Hussein executed in Iraq

So, yes, I do support the death penalty for such tyrants, despite my reasoned opposition as a European against the death penalty ever being restored for common criminals. Many of the best arguments against the death penalty (possible miscarriage of justice etc.) do not apply in the case of an infamous dictator.

Condoleezza Rice on executing Saddam

When Saddam was sentenced to death by the Iraqi court, Condi gave an interview to Fox News TV.

"Well, it is a great day for the Iraqi people. ...

... But of course the Iraqis do have the death penalty and it is, of course, an Iraqi process. It is an Iraqi decision and I think they'll carry this out. ...

... It's something that the Iraq people should be proud of. And now we will see what the appeals process brings, and we will see how they choose to carry out this sentence...

... This is the Iraqi process and we should congratulate them on it."

Congratulations too are due to Condoleezza Rice, President Bush, Prime Minister Blair and indeed all the politicians, government and military personnel of the liberating coalition who have made justice for the Iraqi people possible.

Indeed, we've all played our part in this success story. Often "Bush and Blair" are identified as leading figures in our Iraq policy but I feel compelled to name Condi as the leader of our efforts and the saviour of Iraq. Certainly, this woman inspires me like no other contemporary politician.

Now prior to the execution of Saddam itself, I was arguing in international internet forums (example) and even on Scottish radio (Recording hosted on YouTube) that Condi should overtly preside over the execution of Saddam.

I believe that credit for bringing Saddam to justice should go to Condi and those following her lead, rather than to the present Iraqi regime which at this time has rather too much of a sectarian posture than is good for stabilising Iraq. My fears were validated when news of the sectarian chanting during the execution was broadcast.

So an opportunity missed but nevertheless not lost altogether as we can still attribute credit to Condi and her team for enabling the execution and we can criticise the posturing of the Iraqi sectarians who simply carried out the execution which we made possible.

To give credit where credit is due and to further hopefully the Draft Condi (to run for President) movement, I have produced a congratulatory music video to hail Condi as the saviour of Iraq.

Unfortunately, the Condi defeats Saddam. She wins again! video is no longer available with sound on YouTube. However, depending on which server this website is being viewed from, the video file may be downloaded to your PC with - Right-Click Save Target As... then played from your own PC.

When Saddam Hussein was captured ...

Saddam Disarmed!

Victory for freedom! When his statues fell, Saddam was disarmed of his state; when the United Nations supported the liberating coalition, Saddam was disarmed of all political support; now, taken prisoner, not with a bang but with a whimper, Saddam is disarmed of any hope of a come back. Now the world can say to Saddam "Consider yourself disarmed, you son of a bitch!"

We've won, but who are "we"?

The Americans have won. The British have won. The Scots have won. The English, the Welsh and the Irish have won. The Australians, the Spanish, the Italians and the Poles have won. The coalition has won. The United Nations has won. The freedom loving people of the world have won.

The people of Iraq have won. The Kurds have won. The Shias have won. The Sunnis too have won. Secular Iraqis have won. The Arabs indeed have won. The Muslims have won a famous victory, shoulder-to-shoulder, proudly alongside their Christian comrades at this happy time for all people who love God (or Allah).

Good has triumphed over evil but let all of us who fight the good fight be aware that we still have many battles ahead. The war on terrorism goes on but there is one less terrorist ruler to worry about from now on.
Saddam and the fools who believed in him have lost, utterly and completely. That is how it should be.

Well done, one and all!

The nations united on Iraq


United States	United Nations	United Britain

(As a fervent republican, I prefer "United Britain" to "United Kingdom" at this moment of triumph for us.)

There is news (see The Scotsman's reports "US wins Europe's backing for Iraq" and "UN approves coalition plan for Iraq") of the complete political vindication of American and British leadership over the policy to remove Saddam Hussein's fascist regime in Iraq.

The world's governments now accept that WE WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG to fight for freedom, justice and democracy for the Iraqi people and to secure Iraq, the region and the world from the evil of Saddam.

Click to read reports on Saddam's crimes of mass murder - Human Rights Watch: 'Iraq: Mass Graves Still Unprotected', 'The Mass Graves of al-Mahawil' and Brookes News: 'The horror of Saddam’s mass graves'

We led, some governments opposed us then, but they're following us now. We freedom-fighters can live with that - peace with justice, we CAN accept. However, to die peacefully when fascists like Saddam give their orders - NEVER! No surrender to fascism, ever!
Who led, who misled? Click for Iraq: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

When the coalition forces secured a most impressive military victory over the fascists, some commentators said "They think it is all over!". Well it is now! Admittedly, the remaining Saddam-inspired terrorists in Iraq remain a lethal danger and those politicians who opposed the liberation of Iraq are still scraping around for something to save face with. Yes, these die-hard opponents are a still a menace; regrettably, they will still get more innocent people killed. Nevertheless, we know now that their killing-spree will end sooner or later. LET FREEDOM RING!

Jubilation at the killing of Saddam's two sons - Uday and Qusay

Click here to read CCN's report "U.S. releases photos said to show Saddam's sons' bodies" with links to related material.

(Re-?)arrest Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf – "Comical Ali"
To love the (former) Iraqi information minister is to love the mass-murder, torture and oppression of the Iraqi people and to love the deaths of brave Allied (or coalition) military personnel for which the Saddam tyranny was responsible (and the Saddam-inspired terrorists are now responsible).
We should NOT love Sahhaf; WE SHOULD HATE HIM and with good reason. Sahhaf was the gloating spokesman for Saddam and Sahhaf's shocking "release by the US military" can only further inspire the enemies of Iraqi democracy who daily threaten and murder our brave soldiers.
That Sahhaf does not appear in the deck of cards issued to US soldiers listing Iraqi leaders wanted for criminal offences committed while running Saddam’s regime is a staggering omission and a perverse failure of intelligence. The US should now publish a new card for Sahhaf, as a Joker perhaps.

It is as if the Nazi Joseph Goebbels had been captured alive in May 1945 (instead of committing suicide) and had then inexplicably been released by the Allies after interrogation instead of being brought to justice at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial.

Operation Iraqi Freedom has clearly moved into an extremely dangerous lions-led-by-donkeys phase. If Sahhaf is not urgently (re-)arrested and seen by the world to be brought to justice (or otherwise eliminated) then I fear that defeat will be snatched from the jaws of victory.
I fear now not a quick military defeat but a long drawn out Vietnam-war-style defeat wherein US, British and other forces, instead of fighting the enemies of the people of Iraq, like Sahhaf, our side, may be provoked into fighting the people of Iraq themselves. We must not allow that to happen. Therefore, the arrest of Sahhaf must be a priority. In the words of my poem, Sahhaf is in Saddam's "Baghdad team" and we should "have" him.
Of course, a competent US National Security Advisor would have been aware of these considerations.