World's Mixed Reaction To Death Sentence

Global Reaction To Saddam Sentence Includes Warnings, Welcome And Condemnation

(CBS/AP)  In the Arab world, some Muslims saw the sentence as divine retribution, but others decried it as a farce.

“Saddam is being judged by traitors, Americans and Iranians, and those who came on the backs of American tanks,” said Mahmoud al-Saifi of the Arab Liberation Front.

Iran, which fought an eight-year war against Saddam's Iraq and is a bitter opponent of the United States, praised the death sentence and said it hoped that Saddam — denounced by one lawmaker as “a vampire” — still would be tried for other crimes.

Key U.S. allies — including Britain and Australia — welcomed Sunday's verdict, which had been widely expected.

“Appalling crimes were committed by Saddam Hussein's regime. It is right that those accused of such crimes against the Iraqi people should face Iraqi justice,” British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said in a statement.

Asked about Saddam's sentence at his monthly press conference, U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair noted that Britain opposed the death penalty, "whether it's Saddam or anyone else." But he said the trial "gives us a chance
to see again what the past in Iraq was, the brutality, the tyranny,
the hundreds of thousands of people he killed, the wars."

He refused to say explicitly that he did not want to see Saddam put to death, but repeatedly referred to Beckett’s comments and said Britian’s stance against capital punishment was well-known.

“The whole process of the trial is a sign of democratic hope and I believe the world should see it as such,” Australian Prime Minister John Howard told the Nine Network television.

Amnesty International questioned the fairness of the trial, and international legal experts said Saddam should be kept alive long enough to answer for other atrocities.

"This was an opportunity to turn the page in Iraq, after thirty years when unfair trials were the norm — if there were any trials at all this was a chance to set the tone for the future of Iraq," Malcolm Smart Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Program told CBS's Sunday Morning. "And it's failed miserably because of inadequate planning, inadequate attention to the basic human rights needs of a fair trial."

“The longer we can keep Saddam alive, the longer the tribunal can have to explore some of the other crimes involving hundreds of thousands of Iraqis,” said Sonya Sceats, an international law expert at the Chatham House foreign affairs think tank in London.

“The problem really is that this tribunal has not shown itself to be fair and impartial — not only by international standards, but by Iraqi standards,” she said.

Chandra Muzaffar, president of the Malaysian-based International Movement for a Just World, also voiced concerns that Saddam's trial “violated many established norms of international jurisprudence.”

Even so, “Saddam was undoubtedly a brutal dictator, and even though I wouldn't subscribe to the death penalty, he deserves to be punished severely for the enormity of his crimes,” he added.

Konstantin Kosachyov, the Kremlin-allied head of the international affairs committee in Russia's State Duma, or lower house of parliament, said the sentence would deepen divisions in Iraq.

But Kosachyov expressed doubts that Saddam would actually be executed.

The verdict, he said, was mostly symbolic — “retribution that modern Iraq is taking against Saddam's regime.”

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said she does not want to see Saddam executed because she is against the death penalty, but she believed it was “highly appropriate” that he was found guilty.

India did not address whether it agreed with the verdict, but External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a statement he hopes the verdict “will not add to the suffering of the people of Iraq.”

[shingles1]

"Europe is upset? Could that be because over 1/2 of its population is no longer Christian-based European descent, but Muslim-Islamic oriented?"

Did someone take their stupid pill this morning?
France has the highest percentage at 10%, Netherlands the next at 5.4, and everyone else is less than that (from .01% to 3%).

to play politics with any human life, even a wacko like Saddam, is sick and wrong.

sentenced to death 2 days prior to our elections??? That is just sick and wrong. Call a spade a spade.

[mottsa2]

Long after Saddam is gone, the U.S. will be dealing with the ripple effect of these days. I urge all of you to savor life now, spend as much time with your families and children as possible, for they may die in the future, from the long term affects of our actions. This is war that has no end, and unfortunately will be won by no one.

[mjv2944]

missmailee

He's in custody and there is murders and executions going on daily. You forget that at one time he was supported by us, till Dubya and the big money boys decided he had weapons of mass destruction and went in and blew the hell out of Iraq. Now we have lawlessness that is rampant and it is caused by poor planning on our part. Turn it all over to the elected Iraqi gov. and get the hell out.

[sallysent]

Grumpas...what is democracy? At one time, the Democratic party meant the party of the Conservatives, the party that embraced free enterprise and freedom from tyranny. You are lucky enough to live in a country where you can stamp your foot and call your leader a disparaging name. Glad to know you know Rush and the others brave enough to call a spade a spade.
Hang him and let the Liberals cry.

[sallysent]

Isn't it interesting that those who have posted comments supporting Saddam don't seem to have a command of the English language?
Could it be that they are supporters of Saddam simply because he was, at one time, their leader?
Why are you here, and not there? I am certain that those in command would be more than happy to support you. Or is the living there a little too hard? Easier to sit here and fuss, than be there and fight.

[grumpas]

perception5: Is all you know how to do is rail against liberal's????? I didn't hear anyone say they were liberal or a Democrat either one! But that's the way it always is with you "Rabid Conservative's"! Everyone is a liberal, left wing or Democrat if they don't foam at the mouth and scream obsencities like Rush does! If they don't agree with every last little bit of propaganda you people have been spoon-fed by Georgie and his right wing nut cases! You people are all for democracy until it comes to the US! Then your right wing buddies can torture, snoop and imprision for life without a trial! I am like the person who said he should be tried at the Hague! I don't think Georgie's or his funkies in Iraq are qualified to judge anyone!

[sallysent]

History proves over and over that those who do not rise up, will be trodden down. The Liberals in this country want to ask, "Why can't we all get along?" Get along, out of here and to where you can embrace the total Islamic experience. Europe is upset? Could that be because over 1/2 of its population is no longer Christian-based European descent, but Muslim-Islamic oriented? The group that attempted to place a gel bomb on the American bound flight were Natural Born Islamic Citizens of Britain--or did you miss that tidbit of news?
The European nation's Christian based population boasts a 1.34% percent population increase, whereas the Muslim nations report 4.68. No where in history has a country with less than 2% population increase survived into history. America's?? 1.89.
Don't worry about the Republicans sinking this country, those who embrace the free nation of love your neighbor will soon have the opportunity to embrace the Muslim nation right on their own doorstep. Unfortunately, as they step into that tight circle of welcoming arms, the knife will slip from the robe and drop one more "American Devil." You're right...leave them alone, they will be here soon enough. Let's turn the Democratic Liberals into the welcoming party. Those who love America will gladly use the bodies of those stupid enough to believe the Muslim faith wants us as their friends, as shields. "Thy Kingdom come...." it's on it's way.

[missmailee]

turn him loose?..I don't know what you've heard in the past 15 years about him ruling iraq. But im sure turning him loose will solve all the violence between his people. Yes just a walk in the park, huh. Okay, I'm sure turning him loose will not solve the problem. He will probably round up all his people who turned against him..Line them up and shoot them execution style. Is that justice? I think not. I say hang the poor ***. He's terrorized his own people enough. And for the allies comment. Im pretty sure he's not an allie anymore, but thats just what I think, you may think differently. I dont know why everyone is giving him mercy now that we learned that he's going to be executed. Gosh, would it be any different if he killed 100 people instead of 1000. A murderer will always be a murderer. Qute honestly Im surprise he hasnt hang himself already, does he really think he was going to get away with it. I ould probably pick death over living, if I was him, but then again...My opinion.

[bluestardad]

Saddam would have been our friend now and was given arms by America in the past. Prior to the first gulf war Saddam contacted the State Department and ask permission from the U. S. before he went into Kuwait to stop their slant drilling into his Oil Fields. Kuwait was starting drilling oil on their side of the border but slanted the drills under ground to reach the reserves under Iraqi soil. Saddam was told by the U. S. that America wanted no part in a Middle East war hearing that he took that as an American Green Light and subsequently he invaded Kuwait. This set a domino effect in motion that led us to where we are today with thousands of American deaths and billions of tax dollars spent, The Middle East and Iraq in Chaos and millions of Iraqi and Middle East civilian deaths. Now this leader that was our friend in the Middle East is going to be hanged.

[mjv2944]

I say turn him loose. He'll stop all the murder and mayhem going on in his country. He knew how to control them, it wasn't pretty, but it seemed to work. He just got a lttle too big for his britches and sitting on the second largest oil reserve, Dubya and big oil figures they would take him out. Remember, these people don't understand OR want democracy. We are still killing and wounding our young people for big business and oil.

[perception5]

Iraq is an independent nation with leaders that have been elected by the people and for the people....... no one disputes this. It figures that liberals and leftists would poo poo the will of the Iraqi people.........
...... and it figures that Democrats and their pals in our liberal MSM wolfpack would cry foul......... sad and shameful...........

[adian1-2009]

A guilty judgment just a few days before mid-term elction??? Mmmm!!! A death sentence right then and there??? Mmmm!!! Are there any rules of criminal procedure? But... anyway, Hussein, don't you worry now. You won't be hanged until a few days before our next presidential election. Our Commander in Chief will then say that it is another accomplishment of the Iraqi emerging democracy. Hey, hey, rally out and vote Republican, please!!! Let's sink this country for good!!! Do your part!!! Don't miss this opportunity or you will regret it. Because if Republicans do not win, Bush-Cheney-Rice-And Crooneys, they'll be stopped from sinking all of us.