I have a question. If Iraq has no ATM machines and no credit cards, how do U.S. troops transact their business?

Richard,
No doubt he was evil, but there are may evil men in the world. This world is full of them. Evil is a matter of perspective. Most Americans look outwards and see evil. Some, like myself, see evil simply by looking inwards, at our own country. The only real differences between our evil people and their evil people are of perspective and scale. Yet, shades of blue are still blue, and evil is still evil. Americans should worry more about the evil which lies in their own backyards, and less about evil in undeveloped countries. It is our own evil which endangers our families, not their evil. Forevidence of this, refer to the numerous false flag operations carried out by the US government including Mossadeq - Iran 1953, The Shah in the 70s, The Gulf of Tonkin in the 60s, Iran-Contra, Operation Northwoods, and numerous others from South and Central America. Yes, it is our own evil that creates the hell in which we live, not Saddam's.

And, of course, now that Saddam Hussein is no longer in power things are so much better. Unfortunately, there's a new killer in town. He's just as arbitrary. He's American...and he is vastly more dangerous. Iraq is not safer today. It is in a state of anarchy, which is exactly what the US administration wanted. There is much money to be made from the business of war.

so we are supposed to believe that you lost everything you needed to stay alive in iraq yet you are intelligent enough to still be posting on this blog.....no wonder people do not trust the media!

Thanks for reminding me why it's a good thing that he's out of power. The price to remove him has been high, but he truly was an evil dictator. Sanctions against Iraq were crumbling. Who knows what he would have done next if allowed to stay in office. I just wish that the people of Iraq could have found a common ground for a better future without him. My hope is that one day they will.

There is no doubt that Sadam deserves to die and pay for his crimes; however the state of Iraq and the world perception of the U.S. will only falter if and when Sadam becomes a martyr, as he now desires. I feel strongly that he must remain in prison and be forgotten, and only remembered when the U.S./Iraqi government releases photos of this ailing and pathetic dictator. I believe in capital punishment, however not within such a worldly court of potentially dangerous martyrs who are stupidly waiting to be reunited with Sadam and his virgins....what a tragic set of morals and beliefs!

How moving. In those days, you felt secure in bagdad, and in your own language, unless you crossed sadam or violated their laws, you were ok.

can you say that of today's bagdad?

how many truck load of dead iraqis since then a day?

I hop you I saw on the front page of MSNBC "sadam condemned to be hanged.... for the murder of 148 shiites......".

For his 20 years of reign he probably killed that number in each tribe if i want to exagerate.

However, since the invasion, the month with only 300 dead in iraq is a good months.

We don't know how many were simply wiped from the surface of the earth by US cluster bombs or other bombs.

we don't know how many will be killed by unexplosed bombs.

we don't know how many are in mass graves. A figure of 655000 was advanced the other day. just like we are approximating or supposing sadam killed 150 in each tribe.

this means that Bush will be hanged 4392 times for his invasion of iraq and the killing of these innocent iraqis, genocide on sunnies, and the destruction of whole villages.

IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT ONE GROUP TOOK OUT ANOTHER, RATHER THAN HAVE THE PEOPLE DO IT. BUT THAT IS THE WAY IT WORKS RIGHT? ONE GROUP OVER THROWS ANOTHER, TIMES HAVEN'T CHANGED, JUST THE PEOPLE DOING IT.

Richard Engle,every time I see you on the news, my heart goes out to you considering you have been there through all of this senseless war. Take care and peace.

CONGRATULATIONS IRAQ!
This is a great day for Iraq and several of my students have told me that they are celebrating this as a victory. This is another step toward a stable and free country. These steps are not easy and they are not without pain but they are neccesary. Lets hope the Iraqi people have the courage to keep going and hang in there and please dont give up on these amazing people. They want and need our help.

Mr Richard Engel has discredited himself with this sophomoric Progaganda; lurid stories with zero documentation.

This transparent poppycock is so blatantly pitched to elicit a "Saddam BAD, USA Good" response in the reader/viewer.

Engel is a disgrace to "journalism".

He is a bush puppet and is to reporting what bush is to governance.

Richard,
Any word on "Presidential Pardon" for Saddam? Do they have that concept?
Stay well.

Trigger Happy Jack requests a typo revision to a submitted comment. Let this be a lesson to all of us impatient mouse clickers:

This is one of the strangest blogs of yours I ever read: totally focused, revealing on a personal level and chillingly objective. You sound as though you really are standing outside of yourself. Admirable is your courage to write a little piece that were it not real, having happened, would be a good short story ... or at least material for one. These moments of clarity do happen and ...when you encounter them there's no mistaking it. Thanks for sharing your reflections. Try to get a some sleep - you sound like you need it.

Some 15,000 innocent Iraqis dead, infrastructure destroyed, cities in ruins, two trillion dollars down the drain, crooked contractors reaping a harvest of stolen dollars, all this to hang one man?

Okay, Sandra Moore... How about you go over there and get to the bottom of it then?! Give us the truth because CLEARLY, you know everything! How about a blog of your very own that finally divulges the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth because you ARE (after all) an expert on politics, Iraq, journalism, war, sectarian violence, the Iraqi judicial system, genocide, and Saddam Hussein. I'd like to see your credentials in these areas as proof if you please. Until I see that, until I see better reporting from the front lines spewed forth from your "expert" fingertips, leave Richard Engel alone and let him do his job as he sees fit. He's doing a wonderful job and I am thankful (with loved ones currently serving in Iraq) to have him over there letting us in on the good, the bad, and the ugly.

After all the crooked politicians in America--many being exposed as we speak, and the perverted crooked religious leaders in this country exposed over the years, then comes our propaganded "academics".

Saddam Hussein does not come close to the corruption in America. Rumsfeld just got over again and Americans after all the propaganda are sick with a deadly holier than thou disease.

In conclusion, I am frightened by our politicians, militia, religious leaders and I do not want to hear what the academic professors have to say about anything. I think it's time to leave this country full of sick disgusting cowards who kill as a remedy for anything. Sick. Sick. Sick...whether you want to admit it or not.

Nice observations, Richard. I am amazed at the emotional response elicited from many of those responding to your post. Just as amazing is the diversity of responses, with topics all over the map, many of them drawing conclusions and inferences that just weren't there in your words.
One thing that is apparent, is that this war has turned many of us on ourselves, which is just what men like Saddam Hussein thrive on. Anyone who questions the impact of the overthrow and execution of him isn't thinking clearly. Wasn't Adolf Hitler just one man? Isn't that how men like this get into power in the first place - through underestimation, apathy, and complacency?

Stay focused, safe, and God Speed to you.

To be a great America you have to have a people who believe in what is right & wrong in a God Fearing & Moral Sence. After reading theblogs in this segment Sadam Defeated. If this is the feelings of the majority of the America population we have become a third world country& do not deserve the rights & freedoms that our Forefathers have won for us.
God bless the America that was,for we are losing it with people like these.

Hey Blond,

Sounds to me like you have a touch of holier than thou disease yourself. Try living in a third world country before you spout-off about how sick and disgusted you are with the USA.
Don't bother with a return ticket...just leave.

Hey Blond,

Sounds to me like you have a touch of holier than thou disease yourself. Try living in a third world country before you spout-off about how sick and disgusted you are with the USA.
Don't bother with a return ticket...just leave.

How much can you beat a dead horse? He could have been found guildy by a motion for summary judgment. When are you going to get beyond your blogs and move forward?

How much can you beat a dead horse? He could have been found guildy by a motion for summary judgment. When are you going to get beyond your blogs and move forward?

650,000 people dead in Iraq because of WMD, we have'nt located any yet. It should be George Bush on Trial, not Saddam. Saddam is our Salvation out of Iraq, put him back in power, he has enough support to keep the country stable. He would begin selling oil again to the rest of the world, building up the economy. After a few years he would be back to fighting with Iran getting rid of another problem we have and we would have an ally. I'm just another stupid American citizen who grew up on the streets of NJ and we know how to take care of problems

Blond Madison at the end of the day you have the right earned for you at a high price to totaly ignore your blessings and rights as an American and by the way you have the Priveledge and the Right to leave this Great Country at your leisure. Feel freeto excercise that right. T.Smith N.C.

Mr. Engel,
Give a man absolute power and he will transform himself into a ruthless dictator who will intimidate everyone around, a bully free to decide who will live and who will die. Strip him of his power and you see his real soul, a bland human being, afraid like any of us of death, specially if he cannot do anything about it. After Sadam's hanging, there will still be dozens of American soldiers dying to impose democracy in a country where religious affiliation is stronger that any political concept. Ousama is probably watching all that on TV, with a smirk on his face. Saddam gone will do nothing about reducing the threat of terrorism. Back to square one. As a former reporter, I find you lucky to be where you are, doing an excellent job.