[ReignOfError]

Nonsense. It sets back no cause of ours. In the Arab culture, it just makes us look like the strong horse.

You and I will have to agree to disagree on that. If the only way we can win is for our side to be more savage than theirs, then what are we really winning? If the point was to project strength, we should have just obliterated Saddam and everyone in a mile radius without futzing around with a trial. If the object was to illustrate the rule of law we should have illustrated the rule of law.

The execution of Saddam achieved neither. It sent the message that the new Iraqi government is feckless at achieving either justice or revenge.

[Southack]

Nonsense. That's a liberal Western worldview. Arab culture sees that the U.S. wanted a clean execution, and that the U.S. wanted a delay in the execution, but that the U.S. followed the law in turning Saddam over to Iraq.

The Arab worldview sees that the U.S. is strong enough to follow the rule of law even during conflict.

Likewise, the Arab schzitzophrenia kicks in when viewing what fellow Arabs did, which is what they all want to do (e.g. spit at Saddam).