Well, now the administration claims he went to sleep *on purpose* to send a message: that the Iraqi's could handle their own biz and that the U.S. wasn't running the show. Can you believe that chit?! If this is true, it's one of the freakin' dumbest things I've ever heard. America invaded Iraq, America captured Saddam and killed his sons. Amerian soldiers have been doing the lion's share of the security around Saddam and his associates. American troops handed him over to be executed. American troops are still running the country, and will be there for God knows how much longer trying to stabilize it.
And *now* you want to send some empty, meaningless message that shows Iraq's in charge? Utter crap. Not to mention, it's the wrong message at the wrong time. The execution of Saddam is a huge moment, rife with symbolism for both what does and doesn't happen as a result of his death. Don't you think a real leader should stay up and be involved in the analysis of that moment? Can you imagine Clinton, Carter, even Bush, Sr. going to bed and *not* getting briefings and watching coverage of the moments leading up to the death of the very man labelled Public Enemy Number One in Iraq? This is another stupifying miscalculation and lack of leadership and insight from an administration that I honestly didn't think could get any dumber. Now I'm wondering if the official statement released was even written by Bush. He was probably snoring and made Mammy Condie write the release. (Like a good little slave, she is of course at Crawford with her master/love interest). -------------- Original message -------------- From: Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> That surprised me too, Keith. You'd think that he'd wait up to see the event through on live streaming video, then e-mail it off to Daddy Bush, with the notation, "I *got* him for you, Daddy!" [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: thanks, Amy. Even Bush--who was *asleep* when Saddam was executed!--said his death wouldn't end the violence, though it was "a milestone". Saddam's death was announced around 9:30 Central time, and Bush was asleep? He went to bed without waiting up to hear about this, or to see whether or not Iraq would explode in violence? That says it all... -------------- Original message -------------- From: "Amy Harlib" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > I couldn't agree with this eloquent statement more! > Amy > > > > Saddam is dead. > > > > Aren't you happy now? > > > > He was executed, I hear, just a few minutes ago (it's 10:33 EST when I > > write this). He has executed by hanging, the process rushed in order to > > avoid a killing on the upcoming holy time of Eid Al-Ahda (Iraqi law and > > custom forbids killing a person on a day considered holy to him). So the > > order was given, the soldiers handed him over, the platform dropped, the > > rope stretched taut, the neck broken, and the mad leader breathed his > > last. > > > > Aren't you satisfied? > > > > Saddam was an evil man, responsible for untold numbers of deaths and > > torturings. Men, women, children--all fell before him. He thought nothing > > of gasing whole villages, torturing people for something as innocuous as > > saying the wrong thing, and subjecting his people to untold terror. > > Saddam's own mistress said he enjoyed watching videos of people being > > executed--from his bed. But now the sadist Saddam is dead. > > > > Don't you feel safer? > > > > My government said Saddam amassed weapons of mass destruction. So, they > > said, he had to be brought down, and this was done, with the former > > dictator being flushed from a "spider hole" like a coward. That no weapons > > of note were ever found was inconsequential, I was told, in light of one > > of the most evil men this side of Hitler being captured. And not just > > Saddam: his evil, evil sons, who raped and murdered with impunity, and > > tortured athletes for daring to lose an Olympic competition. With Saddam > > gone, I was told, Iraq would become a sacred land of democracy and happy > > people. So he was handed over, and his own people executed him. > > > > Is Iraq free and happy now? > > > > That Saddam Hussein was one of the most evil leaders in recent memory > > can't be argued. That he ruined his country and destroyed its hopes and > > dreams to be a better place can't be disputed. That his very children > > inherited his sickness is fact. That the world is better without him in a > > position of power, a no-brainer. > > > > So why am I not celebrating? > > > > Perhaps, because Saddam is dead, but I fear the fighting won't stop. > > Perhaps because as evil as he was, Hussein was a bulwark against the > > fanatics and terrorists who now run rampant in Iraq. Because, in an > > over-zealous and incredibly ill-conceived push to get those non-existent > > WMDs, my government destroyed the Iraqi infrastructure, leaving behind a > > power vaccuum that may actually make the country even worse than it was > > before. Because over 3,000 American men and women have died, hundreds of > > thousands of Iraqi's have died, hundreds of thousands more will probably > > die, and the Middle East is more unstable than ever. Because one man > > died, but the toll in blood may far, far outweigh the value brought about > > by that man's death. > > > > Because a nation that's supposed to value freedom and justice and > > Christian values violated all of those by invading a sovereign nation on > > trumped-up charges, putting a stain on the collective soul of all > > Americans. > > > > Perhaps, because the Bible I read says that all killing is wrong, and that > > rejoicing in a man's death--any man--not the act of a Christian. > > > > As I listened to the news today, waiting for the inevitable word that > > Saddam was dead, my guts twisted in knots. I felt a sadness at listening > > to people planning for a man's death--even this most evil of men. I hung > > my head in grief at a world where we demonstrate that killing is wrong--by > > killing. I mourned for people who will be denied the chance to face > > Saddam in court, to get some kind of closure by accusing him to his face > > of being the monster he was. I mourned for those who have been changed > > into people who can dance and sing and kiss and rejoice at a man's > > death--even this most evil of men. > > > > The Iraqi people in the main probably support this execution. (Many, such > > as the Khurds, are upset only that it happened too soon, that Saddam was > > killed before he could face the thousands of other accusers wanting to > > confront him in trials for other of his atrocities). I hear there's been > > singing and dancing in some parts of Iraq over his death. I understand > > that emotion. If ever anyone can understandably rejoice in a man's death, > > it'd be the Iraqi's. But their reactions are those of emotion, of grief > > and anger and sadness. Of fear and helplessness, hopelessness and despair, > > turned to rage and vengeance. > > > > I understand that rage, but it doesn't make it right. I understand hatred > > and vengeance, but it doesn't make it right. I understand wanting an eye > > for an eye, but it doesn't make it right. If Saddam had been responsible > > for killing my family, I can tell you I'd try to kill him myself. But it > > doesn't make it right. > > > > Sadly and more importantly, his killing ultimately accomplishes nothing. > > Saddam is dead, but the fighting will go on. He is dead, but the > > terrorists will keep on coming. He is dead, but Iraq is falling apart even > > as I write this. He is dead, but the US has created a miasma of turmoil > > and conflict that may take generations to fix, if it can ever be done. > > Saddam is dead, but nothing--nothing--has changed, other than the fact > > that Saddam is dead. > > > > So why am I not celebrating? > > > > Because in all the time since the US invaded Iraq, there has been no good > > news, no stable governmental structure in place, no improvement in the > > country's infrastructure, no increase in the average person's quality of > > life. No decrease in American soldiers' deaths, no unity among the > > nations of the world in how to handle the Iraqi problem, no assurance that > > we can fix the mess that is now Iraq. > > > > No, Saddam is dead, and that's the only thing that's gone as planned since > > this fiasco started. And if that's the best we have--if the best, most > > positive, most certain thing we can celebrate and point to in all this > > time is the execution of an evil man, then no, I won't celebrate. Because > > tomorrow he will be dead, and Iraq will still be a mess. He'll be dead, > > and when the euphoria of that "victory" fades, the Iraqi people will still > > be faced with how to repair their country. He'll be dead, and terrorists > > will continue blowing to bits any man, woman, and child their bombs can > > reach. > > > > Saddam is dead. Iraq is still dying. > > > > Aren't you happy now? > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] If any one of our restaurants were better than the rest, then customers would flocck to that location, creating a mass imbalance that could create a black hole, which would swallow the Earth. That's why we make every McDonald's from Pomona to Poughkeepsie the same good place to eat, thereby saving the Universe.-from McDonald's commercial ,28 January 1990 "Is anybody hungry?" - W Zeddemore, "The Real Ghostbusters", 'The Cabinet of Calamari' __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
