Valley Patriot Editorial: The Only Thing Wrong With Hanging Saddam… It was To Good for Him

 

January 01, 2007

 The New York Times editorial staff, in what could only be excused by a pre-New Years Eve drinking binge, complained in its December 29th editorial that Saddam’s trial was “flawed” and that the Iraqi government didn’t punish him in a way that “nurtured hope for a better future.”

 The standard set by the N.Y. Times for the nascent Iraqi government, operating in the wake of centuries of tribal warfare, decades of tyranny, and an erupting civil war flamed by a worldwide Muslim terrorist movement pouring suicide bombers into their country is that Iraq should have a “flawless” legal process!

 After having inherited a substantial legal tradition from the British and with the benefit of another 200 years of practice in a placid environment, we still find “flawless” well beyond our reach.

 But Iraq, with car bombs exploding outside the courthouse and judges and their families threatened with assassination, should be criticized for falling short of perfection. Whatever they’re serving at those Manhattan cocktail parties should be outlawed.

 As for nurturing hope for a better future for the Iraqi people, the N.Y. Times could contribute to the needed nurturing by stopping its relentless support for anything that undercuts our troops and the Bush administration’s efforts to introduce democratic processes and the rule of law into the Middle East.

 There may be some legitimate arguments against our invasion of Iraq — e.g., we should have invaded North Korea, Iran or Syria first. But to oppose our efforts to move Iraq from the 7th Century to the 21st century in just a few short years and then complain that the resulting government doesn’t quite live up to the N.Y. Times’ standards for nurturing hope is, to say the least, preposterous.

 Saddam is lucky that the Iraqi government didn’t ask his victims how he should have been put to death.

 Those who were tortured or who had family members murdered by Saddam’s henchmen showed remarkable restraint by not feeding him slowly into a wood chipper, feet first.

 At least in this instance, Iraq’s oppressed have shown remarkable restraint and deserve our praise and support.

 Way to go!