Freeranger, I think you have a point, but it's not likely to take you too far. Punishment for war crimes is only ever handed out by those who lead victorious armies, and I can't think of a single instant where the commander-in-chief or any other high level war leader on the winning side has been punished for war crimes.

I also can't think of any wars where both sides haven't committed war crimes of varying sorts. If you were going to try Rumsfeld you also ought to try Clinton for his part in the bombing of Yugoslavia 7 or so years ago. And straight after WWII you would have been wanting to try Churchill as well for the fire bombing of Dresden and Roosevelt for dropping the atomic bomb. Targetting civilian infrastructure is also illegal at international law.

But if you did prosecute everyone for war crimes, then you'd never be in a situation to use force against an enemy, which is an untenable position. Perhaps the function of the concept of war crime is to validate a cold-blooded killing of an enemy because killing them in action wasn't available to you. They're not being killed primarily for what they've done, but as an extension of the military action that you've commenced.

Saddam Hussein made violence (assault, torture, murder, rape) a part of his mode of governance. That is, he tied "public order" to "criminal acts" which he authorized. Where then to draw a clear line between the criminal and non-criminal? His subjects lived in fear, because there was no line other than his own whim, or the whims of his sons.

According to one news report, he killed or had killed at least a million people (men, women, children, infants). Line up ten people, then twenty, then a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, one hundred thousand -- it still doesn't reach a million. Walk that line.

Did he deserve to be executed? If he didn't deserve to be, then who?

Allow him to be your next door neighbor? Would you be safe? Would your spouse and your children? If you believe you would, consider his habitual preference for killing those who didn't agree with him. Invite him to tea and disagree with him....

Consider his funding of $25,000. payments to suicide bombers i.e. his funding of murder.

One purpose of state execution is to stop the violent who refuse to stop their acts of violence against the innocent. Saddam Hussein was a ruthless gang leader with national power -- power over an entire nation. His favorite movie was The Godfather. When Al Pacino in the movie has his brother killed, Saddam probably learned from that that murdering his brothers-in-law was "okay," if not "macho."

Think of a toddler with a toddler's immature brain, with the power to kill anyone who doesn't answer to his infantile needs. A formula for civil chaos, for unmediated death and destruction. That would be Saddam Hussein.

GY,

To be honest I felt a bit empty watching SH in the gallows. We have watched the whole war on TV, seen children pulled from the rubble, the dead bodies of innocent people, the beheading of prisoners etcetera. I sometimes worry that I've become desensitised to watching these scenes on the box.

But this was different because it was someone familiar to me. Saddam Hussein.

It was inevitable that he should die but one would think it should have been done with more dignity for all concerned. The Iraqi government in consultation with the Americans did not put much thought into this execution at all.

If his death was meant to contribute to a sense of restorative justice it failed dismally. If anything, it debased the efforts of those who want peace in Iraq.

And today in Queensland it was reported that the serial killer Leonard Fraser died of a heart attack and I thought 'good riddance'. But maybe JC was right about the role forgiveness plays in how we develop a longer strategic plan for peace on earth and good will to all men. Or is this being too unrealistic

Well I had my thoughts about Saddam, when I knew that they were about
to string him up. He certainly was a larger then life, charismatic
fellow, who was not stupid. He was fully aware of how to use ruthless
violence to achieve his objectives, at virtually any price.

So I don't think that any god should show any mercy, Saddam certainly
didn't.

They had to string him up, just to bring some peace of mind to the
tens of thousands of people whose lives he affected, many who claim
it was the happiest day of their lives when they did! Most of us
have a natural deep sense of justice, it needed to be seen to be
done, in the case of such a ruthless tyrant.

"Consider his funding of $25,000. payments to suicide bombers i.e. his funding of murder."

Hang on, if somebody chopped off a piece of the USA and claimed it
as their own, would you not protest violently? Saddam was not
much religious, but he did believe in the Arab cause.

Should we hang George for his crimes? I think there is a difference.
Saddam was quite smart and was well aware of the consequences of
his actions. We can't say the same for George. Sheer stupidity is
not a good reason to hang people

I had to wonder at the modern notion of celebrity-as-currency until I read this thread about Saddam Hussein's execution. We have been bombarded with images of people killed in war for years - innocent people; babies, children and unarmed peasants. And now this one guy dies, who everyone acknowledges was at the very least an utterly ruthless leader, with many deaths to his soul - and we are supposed to care more about him because he is FAMOUS.

Dear Ranier
yes.. Jesus... the Christ was entirely correct, but you have not quite put the balanced picture mate. As I've said in other places, the first word of the Good News is...'Repent' it is followed by 'believe' and the consequence of that 2 fold action is.. "forgiveness".

In the case of those who have done us or those close to us, or in general committed horrendous crimes or brutality, we can take 2 approaches.
Using the natural human and dare I say it "Muslim" approach, we can allow hatred of 'The Great Satan' or.. some Cartoons, or Infidels in general to consume us, and our lust, hunger and thirst for 'Revenge' can totally overwhelm us and actually direct and control our life direction. The Christian approach, is not so much to forgive unrepentant sin, as God will indeed make every man account for his life, but to leave it TO God. (but see Ephesians 5:11 about my 'rants')

I still am haunted (when I allow it) by an act of brutality against myself which occurred when I was 17. A sadistic bloke from the year ahead of me decided to show me just how pathetic I was, and beat my chest and shoulder almost literally to a pulp. My greatest regret about that, is that I just stood there and took it, while I could see the unbridled evil in his eyes as he pounded away. Even then, I think I could have taken him, or at least given a good account for myself, but we had been systematically terrorized for over 12months. I saw a photo of that bloke a year back, and I must confess I felt like repeating the same words back to him in person, as he used on me that day, and following up with beating him to within an inch of his life.
But thats 'me'. When I allow Christ to dwell in my mind and heart, I don't even think about that bloke. One day, he will face God and justice will indeed be done.

That is also Sadaams experience.