Posted on 12/15/2003 6:25:25 PM PST by Holly_P
When Britain's doughty eighth army shattered the Nazi Afrika Korps at El Alamein in 1942, Winston Churchill said, "This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
Likewise, Saddam Hussein's capture in a squalid pit in Iraq doesn't mark the end of the American role in rebuilding that shattered nation. But it does finally end Saddam's tyranny while opening an opportunity to expand the international coalition that toppled the murderous despot from his throne.
As British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Sunday, "Let this be more than a moment for rejoicing. Let it be a moment to reach out and to reconcile."
President George W. Bush also reached out to the world community in his four-minute televised address Sunday, saying, "Now the former dictator of Iraq will face the justice he denied to millions. This event brings further assurance the torture chambers and secret police are gone forever."
In time, Saddam's arrest is likely to further reduce indigenous resistance to the U.S.-led coalition, though sporadic assaults from external terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda may continue. The capture also underscores that the seven-month U.S.-led effort has indeed made major progress toward restoring economic and political stability to Iraq. Saddam's capture could also increase international cooperation on Iraq's reconstruction and issues like debt relief. France, Germany and Russia, whose leaders have been critical of U.S. policy in Iraq, hailed the capture.
The U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council announced Saddam will be tried by a new war-crimes tribunal. But U.S. authorities have not yet said what his fate will be. Rather than trying Saddam in Iraq, the U.S. might be wiser to rebuild bridges with its estranged European allies by turning this criminal over to the same international tribunal in The Hague that convicted former Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic of war crimes. Such an international tribunal would not give a death penalty but - while Saddam doubtless deserves the ultimate sanction - he is a demonstrated coward who might collaborate abjectly with the allies to save his miserable life.
Such a Petain-like performance by a groveling Saddam might save American and allied lives while further reducing the respect in which the deposed despot is held in the eyes of his few remaining followers.
then again, the US could not possibly be that stupid
Could we?
I think we won't be this time.
Saddam has one coin to pay with: information.
God only knows what he knows about shenaningans in Libya, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi. If he confirms WODs sent away and slowly gives on the ties between the "pro-western" states in the ME and al Quaeda and other terrorists, he could stay alive a loooooong time.
Why expand the international coalition? The one assembled by the US did just fine.
Saddam's capture could also increase international cooperation on Iraq's reconstruction and issues like debt relief. France, Germany and Russia, whose leaders have been critical of U.S. policy in Iraq, hailed the capture.
Who the heck needs debt relief? France and Russia can pound sand on this one. The seriousness of debt default is what it does to your ability to borrow. Does anybody think the US and its allies won't lend to Iraq? And when they do and start earning interest and fees don't you think the French an Russians will want in on the action with some brand new credit for Iraq?
U.S. might be wiser to rebuild bridges with its estranged European allies by turning this criminal over to the same international tribunal in The Hague
What ever for? So they can let him off, or put the US on trial for capturing him? As if!
Such a Petain-like performance by a groveling Saddam might save American and allied lives while further reducing the respect in which the deposed despot is held in the eyes of his few remaining followers.
No, I think his stock has already dropped to its all-time low. Humiliating Saddam and his followers was an important job but now it's done. What remains is for Iraqis to figure out how they want their criminal justice system to work, starting with the biggest criminal of all. If they want to hang him or just drag him from a pickup truck for a few hours that's their call.
Who wrote this stupid editorial anyway?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.