Saddam executed

Ric_Price · Post by **Ric_Price** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:37 pm

Someone at the execution had a cell phone that they used to record it and the video made it's way onto the internet and onto Al Jazeera from there.

adciv · Post by **adciv** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:23 am

The official video showed before and after, but not during.

The Iraqi government is investigating who filmed the execution using the cell phone.

Post by **Martin Blank** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:54 am

The official video was, of course, edited. One news outlet (ABC?) got an interview with the official videographer, who taped it from Saddam's entrance to shortly after the drop, and provided the tape to the government, who released excerpts.

Captain Pink · Post by **Captain Pink** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:29 pm

Just a news update: They got the filmer of the not-official video. The iraqian government say there will be punishment, what ever this means. And they are planing to hang Saddams son and the former president of the iraqian parlament in a short time. As I said, the hanging will go on and on, no matter who is in charge of it. Damn, does this feel like democracy? Not to me. I think it is pure revenge.

Deacon · Post by **Deacon** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:45 pm

What? How is it not a democracy?

Ric_Price · Post by **Ric_Price** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 9:41 pm

Captain Pink,

It is a democracy and the people being hung have been found guilty of crimes that (according to law) require a harsh punishment. It is not the current Iraqi governments fault that these people purpotrated genocidal-esque crimes, illegal wars, and revenge killings. What the new government is doing is nothing short of the proper and legal thing to do I understand your reluctance towards the death penalty. I really do. It's just to not give this new government a chance before dismissing them like you have is wrong. They are just coming out from underneath a murder and his cronies first, an invading force next, and need time to find their feet and pull together their people the best way they know how.

Just remember, this is not legally or to them morrally wrong, it is the law and way of life.

Makh · Post by **Makh** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:17 am

[quote="Phong";p="707573"]Perhaps Video was innapropriate but I did recently hear an expert on war crimes talk about the need for graphic documentation on the matter. Lots of people still believe Hitler is alive.[/quote]
Those people should know he would be 117 years old. Quite old to shout absurdities if you ask me.

I understand what you are saying Phong. I agree with this idea. But there are other way to do it. The Iraqi government could have asked to American independent organism or observers from UN or even official from different countries to supervise the execution.

I do not see what is the interest for people around the world to watch a man die in execution.

Yira Heerai · Post by **Yira Heerai** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 3:49 am

Humans have a fascination for all things morbid. I remember back when they executed Timothy McVeigh for the OKC bombing, there were people who watched it television and ate popcorn during.

As for having observers from the UN, country officials or whatnot... I don't think it would be as effective. It could be a symbolic sort of thing or it could just be out of spite. This could be Iraq's way of showing that they're slowly getting on their feet. They don't want help, so now they're out to prove that they can stand on their own now.

I may also be reading things wrong. It could be solely revenge or just because they don't trust the US or the UN.

Makh · Post by **Makh** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 4:35 am

[quote="Yira Heerai";p="707951"]Humans have a fascination for all things morbid. I remember back when they executed Timothy McVeigh for the OKC bombing, there were people who watched it television and ate popcorn during.[/quote]
There are plenty of thing to satisfy taste for blood on Internet. I thought it was not too ugly too some time ago. I remember a friend who sent me one video where you see a soldier with combat knife cutting off the head of Chechen prisoner who was alive. Worst thing I saw in my life. I do not understand what people find so fascinating in that.

Post by **Martin Blank** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:05 am

[quote="Captain Pink";p="707802"]And they are planing to hang Saddams son and the former president of the iraqian parlament in a short time.[/quote]
Wrong, and wrong. Saddam's sons are dead, killed the summer before he was captured. Those next to be executed are his half-brother, Barzan Ibrahim, a former head of one of the intelligence agencies whose job it was to help keep the people in line, and former Chief Justice of the Revolutionary Court, Awad Hamed al-Bandar.

[quote="Makh";p="707939"]The Iraqi government could have asked to American independent organism or observers from UN or even official from different countries to supervise the execution.[/quote]
The UN refuses to have anything to do with executions due to its official stance against the death penalty. They could have brought in others from surrounding states, though, that do have the death penalty and have learned to carry it out under less vindictive circumstances.

[quote="Yira Heerai";p="707951"]I remember back when they executed Timothy McVeigh for the OKC bombing, there were people who watched it television and ate popcorn during.[/quote]
The execution wasn't televised. No US execution has been televised ever, to my knowledge. Media outlets were camped out, waiting for word of the execution, and reported it within minutes of it being certified, but it was not broadcast.

Makh · Post by **Makh** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:22 am

[quote="Martin Blank";p="707958"]The UN refuses to have anything to do with executions due to its official stance against the death penalty.[/quote]
True. I did not take that into account in my example. Now that you mention it, I do not even think UN would step in Iraq at all.

Yira Heerai · Post by **Yira Heerai** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 6:31 am

[quote="Martin Blank";p="707958"][quote="Yira Heerai";p="707951"]I remember back when they executed Timothy McVeigh for the OKC bombing, there were people who watched it television and ate popcorn during.[/quote]
The execution wasn't televised. No US execution has been televised ever, to my knowledge. Media outlets were camped out, waiting for word of the execution, and reported it within minutes of it being certified, but it was not broadcast.[/quote]

That may have been what I was thinking then. People being camped out and waiting for word of it. Those who were watching the news that day ate popcorn while waiting for word of it. I just remember being told that fact and it stuck with me.

Arres · Post by **Arres** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:25 am

I certainly would NOT want an American observer present. This was an Iraqi execution as a result of an Iraqi trial over actions taken in Iraq. An American observer would reduce the...legitimacy?..of it.

Makh · Post by **Makh** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:26 pm

[quote="Arres";p="708004"]I certainly would NOT want an American observer present. This was an Iraqi execution as a result of an Iraqi trial over actions taken in Iraq.[/quote]
Everything in Iraq is tightly tied to Americans. They give formation to Iraqi in many field. Most importantly, protection and public order are directly affected by American presence. The Iraqi government is very weak and probably subject to change. They did not acquire enough credibility and legitimacy to condukt everything in the country. Many journalists around the world describe the situation as civil war. Can you, in that situation, consider government of Iraq as representative of people? Most people from government are still alive because of USA protection. I agree, Americans are certainly not neutral in all that, but they have legal expertise and more credible personel to supervise this. I am not talking of doing it for them, I am talking of supervision, watching the process as observers.

Captain Pink · Post by **Captain Pink** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:27 pm

@MB: Sure, right, Mixed it up, sorry.
@Deacon: In Democracy every hman has the some fundamental rights. and the most fundamental right is the right to live.
@RP: But now they do the same as the courts under Saddam. They use death penalties on humans that are "evil" and/or dangerous in their eyes.
@Makh: I like the idea of giving Saddam over to the international court in Den Haag, where other Despots like Milosovic and others had to face justice. It is quite a neutral court and the idea of revenge would not pop in my mind.

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