Human Rights Watch's rep Tom Porteous

[malaise]

on BBC now. In a nutshell, here you had a dictator looking dignified and his executioners looking like terrorists. This will be a public relations disaster for the Iraqi government and others. The trial was bizarre -political interference. Should have had an international tributional.

[malaise]

1. Re Blair

not one government minister has had an interview. Beckett's statement supporting the process but condemning the death penalty is rather strange.

[LynnTheDem]

3. Gotta laugh how the UK says they deplore the death penalty BUT

gotta let sovereign governments follow their nation's laws.

Like SADDAM did? Oh wait; it was only good when Saddam did it until bush said it was bad when Saddam did it and now it's good again.

99.99% of Americans didn't give a fuck about Hussein until bush decided to use 911 for his invasion of Iraq and catapulted his propaganda. Suddenly Americans cared about atrocities committed (with US assistance) 20 years ago.

Mob mentality. That's what rules America. We're told by the US gov who we're to demonize and hate, and who not to. Love Hussein as a "good US ally" and defend his atrocities...until we're told he's "worse than Hitler" (what does that make BUSH then?) and we must ignore US and international laws & the US Constitution to illegally invade and "regime change" Iraq.

And the US has a new Iraq & Hussein; Ethiopia. Currently we're being told to support the great Ethiopian leader in his "war on terra" against Somalia; one day in the future we will be told how evil Ethiopian President Meles Zenawi is (and he certainly is that) and how we must sanction Ethiopia to death and/or invade and occupy the country.

We support & train nasty dictators and then stab them in the back. We have done for decades. It's the American Way.

[magellan]

2. They did look like terrorists

Historically the executioner wears a mask of some sort, but everyone in that room with Hussein was wearing a balaclava -- the same thing the militias and death squads wear.

Also it was reported that one of the masked men shouted "Long live Moqtada al-Sadr" just before Hussein was executed. How sad if true.

Saddam deserved what he got. But I will never accept kangaroo courts and sadistic vengefulness as democracy.

[Solly Mack]

4. From the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (the UN)

sending a Working Group to do an investigation (because of official complaints) of Saddam's trial during the trial,also thought an international tribunal should be an option ... That if both parties were unable to comply with the international laws governing such things, that an international tribunal would be better.

Can read their report/findings here:
http://international-lawyers.org/Documents/WGAD%20Final%20Decision.pdf

[malaise]

5. I've been reading their comments

for a while. I know there is no truth on MSM.

[Solly Mack]

6. I know you have, malaise

I just wanted to get it back out there for others. :)

From start to now (and to continue)...America's enterprise in Iraq has been one big lie.

[malaise]

7. I feel sick to my stomach

and it has nothing to do with Saddam. This planet is fugged as long as these criminals remain in charge.