Where's the ethics in executing Saddam? America a hypocrisy?

Question

I just want to know what others think about the whole execution thing. I am open to all opinions. America invades Iraq and sets up a new government taking over Saddam Hussein. America uses the new Iraqi government as a puppet and decides to execute the former ruler of Iraq. How can America justify their place in this incident? Saddam is without a doubt a horrible person with his genocide, slaying mass amounts of countrymen. But Saddam didn't commit any crimes in America; why does America get any say in his execution (by creating a new government and the new government prosecuting)? Is it wrong for an invading country to come in and erect a new government and using them to execute the country's former ruler? America comes in to Iraq and attempts to bring peace and justice, but does so without any form of morals in mind.

Answer 1

America didn't technically execute Saddam, although we did set up the puppet government that did. America has taken on the role of "world police" after WW2 because we believe (perhaps wrongly so) that if we nip every dictator in the bud we can keep it from escalating to a world war. Unfortunately, that calls for some rather Machiavellian techniques. How was Saddam a threat to us? Saddam always preached of a 'unified' mid-east (no doubt under his rule) and through ruthless killing of enemies and by manipulating the press he actually was wildly popular throughout the Mid-East with the masses. His invasion of Kuwait was the first step. If he were to have acheived his goal of unifying the Middle East he would be incredibly powerful and it would not be far before he would decide to spread 'unification' to other countries. Could he have caused WW3? Who knows.

Answer 2

actually the decision for the execution was made by Iraqis for Iraqis. Iraq is not being a puppet to the US. If you watch the news, the new Iraqi PM seems to do what ever the Iranian President wants. The US does not want Iraq to communicate or deal with Iran for obvious reasons. If they were truly our puppets, Iran would have been snuffed at the public meeting not the US.

as far as the US meddling in other countries' business, yes the US has a tendency to want to act as the international police. this has positive and negative aspects. negative: we are almost always in the middle of some kind of conflict. positive: many people live to see tomorrow because we stopped an advancing army or rebel group killing innocent people because they don't share a point of view.

let me me ask you this. If you saw your neighbor beating the snot out of her kid, would you call the cops? Probably yes, right. Would that not be the same thing you intervening in other people's problems and having a cop and court judge them?

Answer 3

Hermann Goering, Wilhelm Frick, Joachim Von Ribbentrop, Julius Streicher, Otto Ohlendorf. None of these men committed crimes in America!
Hussein was tried by an Iraqi court, found guilty by an Iraqi court. Many Sunnis were against the trial and execution as were many Germans against the trial and execution of the Nazis.

Answer 4

For about the millionth time...America didn't execute him. Believe what you wish, it was the legal system of Iraq. The leaders elected were put there by democratic vote. The voters were smiling and happy that they finally were out from under the thumb of this thug. THEIR court system executed him. In fact, they were advised by US to not execute him when they did.

You hate America...fine. Don't hide it behind this. WE did not execute him, we did not convict him, we captured him and held him securely for the Iraqi government. I tend to believe that a majority of the citizens would have shredded him had we not.

Answer 5

Definitely hypocrisy, both America and Britain who supplied him with weapons and chemicals when he was at his most brutal, as we all know it comes down to one thing, the old black stuff, look at people like Mugabe in Zimbabwe, does he have any oil, gold, diamonds, no but he is just as brutal, and is doing exactly what he wants to his people, but it is most unlikely you will see American or British troops landing there to liberate the people.

I keep hearing that it was the Iraqi's not America that carried out this execution, yes of course it was, but who brought all this about, yes he deserved punishment even the death penalty, but not in this shambolic kangaroo style method it was carried out in, most of his atrocities were not even brought to court, probably the evidence of who gave him the means to do what he did was too embarrassing for the US and UK to bare, in the end it was a half ***-ed mess showing all the hallmarks of political maneuvering and corruption.

Answer 6

Actually, Saddam did commit crimes against Americans. He paid suicide bombers to blow themselves up in Israel, some of whom killed American tourists. He attempted to assasinate the first President Bush. He shot at our pilots patrolling the UN no-fly zones.

Oh, I almost forgot. I suppose that filling up mass graves, using nerve gas on villages, kidnapping and raping women, cutting off hands and feet, etc are less deserving of the death penalty because they were commited against Iraqis?

Answer 7

Iraqi court tried him, sentenced him, and executed him...stop bashing the USA...WE should have beheaded him slowly with a hunting knife like the mohammedans butcher halal meat on Eid.

Answer 8

That was Iraq's decision to execute not ours. All we did was turn him in. And we didn't even find him. A local of his own kind turned him in.

Answer 9

yet another confused american thinking that amercians rule the world.....jeez..
the Iraqis found him guilty of murder and executed him..
GOOD..
if it were left to the US lawyers...he would have been on death row for 25 years..and the costs would have increased our costs of gasoline by about ten cents a litre..

the US is not the be-all end-all for everyone and everything....yeah...you invaded and got rid of a tyrant dictator...but get OVER it...
he needed whacking...think of how many times you failed to get Castro???....
oops...another embarassing faux pas...

Answer 10

It's called winning the war. The winners will write history.