[sweetliberty]

It seems he may have been a slave to Saddam, based on what this article says. In such a regime individuals cannot really be held to the same standards of accountability as in a country such as the United States because so often they have no choice....it is a matter of do what Saddam says or die. It certainly doesn't sound as if he was treated in any way as one of Saddam's elites. I have to say though, this has to be one of the worst cases of "Stockholm Syndrome" I have ever heard of. Besides, I think because he did make us laugh, we really want to see him somehow vindicated, or at least redeemed.

[nicmarlo]

It seems he may have been a slave to Saddam, based on what this article says. In such a regime individuals cannot really be held to the same standards of accountability as in a country such as the United States because so often they have no choice....

I understand his circumstances; OTOH, wasn't that NOT an "allowed excuse" for the Nazi war crimes...I was following orders?