It was once said that 'ALL EVIL NEED TO TRIUMPH IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING!" I am pround of America and our American spirit. Our for fathers left countries of oppression to seek and create a home of the free, may I also mention that they fought hard, long, and down to the last man to keep freedom! They did that so that others could enjoy what they held dear. HOW DAREanyone even slightly comparing us to a third world. Your ideas , your morals , you dignity is third world!! ALL FOR YOU AND NONE FOR ANYONE ELSE. Sit on your freedom and freedom will perish , stand up , be counted, and freedom will flourish

Thank you Richard for sharing your story. I'm glad that Saddam is now on the receiving end. There truly is a God above.

Saddam may have gotten a death sentence, but I will not believe it until I see it. Too many things have gone wrong with this entire Iraqi campaign and Saddam appears to still have a lot of supporters. I'll be holding my breath until spring. Until then, stay safe and don't forget to wear your money belt.

The facts have spoken and the court now issued it's findings Guilty as charged. He is to be "Hanged until dead".
Oh yes this is not trial whas not held in the United States so stop trying to think or talk as if all the rules and laws of the United States apply here!
Let the high court of Iraq function without our constant poking at them to do things "your" way.
For this is in part why we stepped up to take this killer and his followers out of rule and gave this country back to the people of Iraq.

Let Iraq work! It's a new government give them a chance after all look at the USA we still need changes we are not without error regardless of the subject.

It's time focus on home while continuing to support our troops and this ongoing effort in Iraq. no do not cut and run stay the course in Iraq.

Why did people think Iraq was 'Third Earth'(thundercats hooo) before this war? If Saddam wanted too shoot someone for giving a buck to the other party or deserting the army or whatever why do we have to blow up the whole nation or the equivalent? You know how many people are in the US prisons, on death row, for crimes and trials that were questionable? Scartch that...You know how many prisons there are in the US? Whenever a western government employee is found on on a park bench across the whitehouse with a suicide note we don't always cry foul. If he scared the people.. thats bad. But how different was he from the other leaders of the world?

We traded a SECULAR dictatorship (surprising it was secular isn't it) for an ISLAMIC fundametalist regime. We traded Sunni rule with Shia rule of the country. We replaced a dictator with Shia death squads and Iranian proxies. The country is teetering on the brink of splitting apart. So now, the person whom WE REPLACED, is going to be hung by the orders of an "independent Iraqi court" and how is that an achievement for us ?

Bottomline, to focus like a laser beam on what we went there for, where are the "weapons of mass destruction" ? Or was that all a lie ? How does Saddam's hanging in any way shape or form related to US security or the world being better ? Iraq was a country that was being crippled through a decade of withering sanctions, with no airforce to speak of, no functioning army with offensive capability, was defeated by our brave men and women, while the real threats like North Korea and Iran (both of whom are not functioning under dire straits like Iraq was at the time of the invasion) were completely left off the hook. Smart. Now Saddam hangs and the country gets handed over to mullahs (Mullah Sadr, who is the defacto ruler of Iraq) and we celebrate that as an achievement. I guess we need to get our collective heads out of the sand.

Yes, Linda Spears,
Our forefathers fought long and hard for our freedoms. Ever since, our freedoms have been eroded. Slowly at first, until the late 60s when it picked up steam. After a few decades of corruption to our political system and general way of life, what have good, proud Americans done today for their country, for their freedoms and liberties lately? Nothing. We threw our liberties back at the government (see Patriot Acts; see "John Warner Defense Act"; etc.), as if they were not worth the snot of those who painstakingly carved out this little country to begin with. Yes, we have soldiers serving, but that isn't what I am talking about. Our military does not ensure our liberty. They never have. That is not their purpose. Our liberties were supposed to be ensured by regular citizens. We have not done so. We gave our liberties back to the Federal government, without a fight. Go ahead and be a "proud American". You obviously feel you have earned that right. I don't feel anyone has earned that right, except for a select few that are fighting back. Blind agreement with a system does not make one a patriot, if that system is corrupted. It makes one part of the corrupt system.

What about the fact that the international law court or whatever the legal entities trying Saddam ,themselves are not aware of what next in terms of legalities. They are playing by the ear . Each day they have a new twist to law. Are they actually trying Saddam or doing a trail and error method of research of what works ? Why are Saddam's lawyers being thrown out or killed ? Why have the judges resigned ? Doesnt imprisonment suffice .... He is dead anyway . How can anyone know whats best for Iraq then Iraq themselves ? Isnt America almost establishing a colony ?
Funny part is on TV I saw these bunch of rejoicing Iraqis ... semi clad and drinking from cola cans ? Who gives them that ? Are they being bribed to dance for TV cameras?
Are the American people going to force their government to punish someon by hanging , for sending their children to Iraq to fight some one else's cause .... What about their own causes ?

In Iraq, still no ATM's or even checking system. So, we (armed forces) pay in cash. There have been constant efforts to find different, safer ways, but at least when I left (June, 2006), no such alternative had been found. It is not safe since the Iraqi contractors we pay must come to our bases to collect their cash payment. Coming to our FOB exposes them to attack by the insurgents. Besides, it is just not smart to walk around a very dangerous country with $10K and up in your pockets...

We lived in one of his palace complexes for a time. Such extravagant wealth - and it was just one of many palace complexes across the country. At the same time his air force was living in barracks that leaked wind and dust like a sieve, his palaces were relatively airtight, had marble all the way up the 20 foot walls and across the high ceilings. Huge chandeliers everywhere. At the same time, the average Iraqi taxi driver lived in a 100 year old mud brick hovel.

Basab,
Most Americans are grossly uninformed about international affairs, due in large part to our corporate owned media, which is highly censored. I have been all over your neck of the woods, and know first hand how censored our media is. because of this, most Americans are not informed. Don't expect any radical changes in internal American politics... it won't happen. We are hopelessly infected by fascism, which has spread around the world, including to your country. Expect more fascism, and less democracy from all "civilized" nations.

Today is election day in the US and we go to the polls to vote on this war. It will be interesting to see if the American people can condon all that has been done and spent to bring to justice one man. How many thousands of lives has this cost? How many hundreds of Billion, that's with a "B", have been spent to make this possible.

Just think what you could do with 500 Billion dollars? The possibilities for good are endless! When we wake and decide to help this world rather than constantly battle with make believe windmills!

I read this blog on a regular basis, and am always amazed by some of the out-of-left-field comments that I see - especially the ones that question the intentions of the journalists that are there, risking their lives to cover the story. It's really quite appalling. I guess the world needs its share of armchair quarterbacks, but I wonder how it is we expect to achieve peace and civil dialogue on the world stage, when we can't even put it into practice within the pages of an Internet diary?! Enough, already.