Is It Righ To Hang Saddam Hussein?

Question

"After the US invasion of Iraq, Saddam was captured by U.S. forces on December 13, 2003. On November 5, 2006, he was convicted of crimes against humanity by the Iraq Special Tribunal and was sentenced to death by hanging.[3]"

i have a few questions though. was the tribunal court for saddam under Iraqui Law? i know this man has done alot of crimes against humanity.. but is it relly right to HANG him? that would cause him pain. no one in the face of teh planet should be subjected to any feeling of pain. i know he himself has caused a lot of peopel to feel pain but is it right to hang him and send a message to teh world that justice to kill someone back?

dont get me wrong.. i HATE SADDAM! but in truth and principle is it right for this man to be hanged? why not just use teh sleeper?

any feedback?

thank you for the intelligent feedback.
i guess injecting a criminal would give a different message than hanging just because of pain.

think about it.
and i guess

the question can also be "IS it morally Right?"

Answer 1

The death penalty is never "right", for a few reasons.

First, you can't take it back. Yes, it's pretty clear that Saddam committed a lot of crimes / atrocities. Of course, our enemies would say the same thing about our president Bush. The death penalty is final... a lot of people in this country have been proven innocent _after_ they were executed. What can you do then? Say Oops?!

Second, IMO, the death penalty is not as harsh a penalty as putting someone in a jail cell the rest of their days. Yes.. it will cost us money to feed / house that person. But money is not as important as making certain we haven't executed an innocent person (see reason one).

Third, the death penalty is murder. It's 'eye for an eye' stuff. Not only is it murder... it's pre-meditated murder. We're not killing in the heat of the moment, or for defense. What does it do to the people who push the button? Should we hurt ourselves in our quest for vengeance?

The last reason would be specific to the killing of political leaders. It doesn't set the best precedent.

Answer 2

Right or wrong, in a civilized nation is usually determined by local law. The rationale for just punishment for any crime would naturally be a matter for discussion based on the local culture.

Neighboring Saudi Arabia, for instance has some pretry severe legal punishments for what we might consider relatively minor offences.

So, the question of whether pain should or should not be a factor in the appropriateness of ANY action against a convicted criminal is rarely done in consideration of world-wide opinion. Given that even the trial of Saddam Hussein was a matter of debate, as long as local law stipulates that death by hanging is the proper sentance for his crimes, then no one outside Iraq should be able to influence that decision.

We may all have our opinions on the matter, and, in this nation, may discuss it, at length. But none of this makes any diference. Some might say that a moment's pain is not enough punishment for all the pain he's caused.

By the way, if done properly, death by hanging should be instantaneous, without pain.

By the way, I have a question for you. How is it that his death by hanging sends the wrong message about killing someone back, but death by injection does not?

Answer 3

I think its better to ask if it is OK for the US to allow/encourage the proxy executions of all its CIA-trained assets/assassins whom are alleged to 'go rouge,' especially before they can talk or write publicly and uncensored about any of that from a death cell? Or their captured body doubles? Maybe just "whom would Jesus [or substitute your concept of God as you call him] hang/liquidate? Maybe we should just celebrate the hangings of anyone anywhere anytime we think might have had anything to do ever with 9-11 on not in a mindless drooling Two Minutes of Hate to avoid such questions? But would that not be vigilantism? And finally where are all those WMDs that we sold Saddam 25 years ago that we could not find, which of course were the reason for invasion? I will agree Saddam is no angel, but an angel of death. Yet, i would be as unwilling to pull the scaffold lever to open the trap door beneath his feet as to be the first to stone a convicted adulteress in Judea millennae ago.

Answer 4

Live by the sword --- -- --- ----- He is being tried by the democratic due process of law, by the Iraq government, this is something that was stated on the news very well last night, that "it is the same process which he himself denied to all those thousands, of Kurds" It is justice in the highest terrestial form, he could ask for! The only mercy he can hope to obtain will be from God. This is retribution as in days of old, the horrible barbaric dictator finally is brought to answer for his cruelty and heartless hatred of people. Pain is to be expected, agony over the lives of innocents he directed. Pain in death, I don't think there is a "painless" one, until they anesthetize people first. But because we are such "bloody" people all over the world, we want to wittiness agony. Read about the terrible painfull execution last week of the man that they pumped the poison under the skin! Had to do it over! He suffered in full view of the wittnesses observation, that he was in pain, blowing andlicking his lips and mouthing prayers for over a half hour! From a botched execution! The shot is no joy ride! You know-- Actually I wish they would keep him as a reminder to the world of evil monarchs and how they should all wind up! And he has longer to think on his actions as well his consequences and realize HE is now the recipiant of whatever "goodness" his government will award him! He would have to accept from their hand, I think that would be a far better way to pay. You can say "oh, his sympathizers will try to get him out and cause terror" No, no different then they are doing now! With him or without, they are radiacals devoid of the capability to live harmoniously with others, they only know killing and violence, it is the only life they know and they immortalize themselves in fantasy of being celebrated for their hidious acts by God. How sad is that?

Answer 5

If Iraq had won the war officially, would it be right to hang Bush for crimes against humanity. Invading a country with "blitzkreig" aka "shock & awe" tactics , killing hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians , could be considered by some as a crime against humanity. Let's be honest, they are pretty much all in the same boat, but the winners set the rules. They all use ordinary ppl as pawns in their sick games of greed.

Answer 6

In Iraq Governments have been very harsh on opposition. Present insurgency has put President Bush in embarrassing position who wanted free and democratic Iraq. It is the responsibility of present leadership to convince the misguided persons that only way to withdraw of foreign troops is complete peace and unity of Iraqi people.
Best way is to deport Mr. Saddam with restrictions.

Answer 7

No, it's not right to hang Saddam. It's more right to Stone him. If he was to be stoned, you could possibly raise money for the middle east. How?

-Set it in an arena, and sell tickets. Each ticket gets the buyer a rock. Get the crowd involved.

-Show it on pay-per-view. People in this country would certainly love that kind of shock TV, and other's who feel wronged by the man would be able to veiw it by satelite broadcast

-Have 'halftime-esqe' shows to lengthen the time, entertain the people.

-Let companies put their logos on the rocks to be thrown for a fee. more money for the middle east.

-finnaly, under protection from the rocks, bring the Accused out and bury him up to his neck in the field. Then, on a count, remove his protection and allow everyone in the stadium to let loose. Death for death, Bible style.

Answer 8

When will we stop the unnecessary meddling that generates so much unnecessary anger and bloodshed? Sometimes intervention is absolutely necessary, but if the point was to give Iraq democracy, why start debating their justice system? We have no right to do so.

Answer 9

Of course not he should have to stand before the firing squad. LOL LOL LOL. In all honesty it's because people like you and human rights activists that this world is going to $hit. I mean think about it we over protect our criminals. it's very easy this is all getting out of control way too fast and if we don' nip it in the bud it's gonna beat us. Meaning you steal you lose a finger the 1st time, 2nd time its a hand You rape someone you lose a testicle etc. etc. etc. We will all be amazed at how fast we will alleviate prison overcrowding, senseless crimes, and not to mention the burden on our pocketbooks.

Answer 10

Justice is all subjective, it's all relative.

For Americans hanging probably seems like a thing of the past, like it's too inhumane...but in Iraq it's not unheard of. For what he's done to the people of Iraq, they should be able to execute him how they feel proper, as long as it doesn't violate the laws of the Geneva Convention.