The Largest Minority

February 9th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

Corporal Trent Thomas plead guilty to kidnapping, murder, and lying to investigators. He has since changed his plea, forcing prosecutors to restart the case. Thomas plead guilty last month to being part of a unit of seven marines who kidnapped and killed an unarmed Iraqi man. Four others in the case plead guilty to lesser charges. Thomas, who was second in command, faced life under his guilty plea.

It seems as though Thomas’ lawyers are taking a page from the Nazi handbook, arguing that Thomas was simply following orders. Perhaps every soldier ought to wear a wristband for inspiration when they’re given orders to do something immoral – What Would Watada Do?

The case is one of a series in which US military personnel in Iraq damaged the image of the US through the use of excessive or unjustified force. Prosecutors said they now plan to reissue charges that may include premeditated murder, which would put Thomas at risk of a death sentence. Defense lawyers intend to argue that Thomas was simply following the orders of the unit commander when he took part in the killing.

The marines allegedly plotted to capture and kill a suspected terrorist and make the incident look like a legitimate battle. When the marines did not find the suspect at home, they allegedly grabbed a neighbor, Hashim Ibrahim Awad, instead.

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January 17th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

President Bush showed his schizophrenic side once more in an interview with Jim Lehrer. Not only did he previously champion the execution of Saddam, but once it was carried out he praised the event as “justice” being served. Despite handing Saddam over to the Iraqi government so he could be hanged, Bush is now retracting his vote of confidence in killing the man who tried to kill his daddy.

“The message is that it’s a confusing message,” Bush said. “It basically says to people… you conducted a trial and gave Saddam justice that he didn’t give to others. But then, when it came to executing him, it looked like it was kind of a revenge killing.” Given the instability of Iraq’s mob-ruled government, I think America bears some responsibility in the matter too, not only for creating that instability, but for expecting that entity to conduct itself in a somewhat “civilized” manner during the execution of its former tyrant.

Referring to the “fumbled” hanging, Bush went on to say that he was “disappointed” in Iraq’s Prime Minister, Nouri Maliki. Then, in the final example of Pot VS Kettle, Bush stated that the Iraqi government “has still got some maturation to do.” Indeed they do sir, but grown-ups likewise know not to hand loaded weapons to an angry child.

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January 15th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

An official video shows the decapitated body of Saddam Hussein’s half-brother lying below the gallows with his severed head laying several yards away. The video shows Barzan Ibrahim, Saddam’s half-brother and former intelligence chief, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, head of Iraq’s Revolutionary Court, being hanged side by side in red prison jumpsuits with black hoods on their heads. After the trap doors opened, al-Bandar was dangling from the rope while Ibrahim’s body was lying on the floor, chest down, with his hood-covered head yards away. An Iraqi government spokesman said the decapitation was a “rare incident”, but that all laws and rules were respected, unlike Saddam’s execution.

Khalaf al-Olayan, leader of the main Sunni bloc in parliament, demanded to see the video documentation of the execution. “It is impossible for a person to be decapitated during a hanging,” he told Al-Jazeera television. “This shows that they have mutilated the body and this is a violation of the law. We want to see the video that was taken during the execution of the two men in order for them (government) to prove what they are saying.” An Egyptian forensics expert told Al-Jazeera that decapitations sometimes occur during hangings if the rope used is of the wrong quality or the people carrying out the executions are inexperienced.

Ibrahim’s son-in-law said the family was not informed of the execution a day in advance, as is required, but found out about the hanging and decapitation through the news. He expressed further dissatisfaction with the Shia-led government by saying, “They still want more Iraqi bloodshed. To hell with this democracy.” The US however, has stated that the hanging of Saddam and his co-defendants has brought “justice” to Iraqis. The death penalty is banned in the EU as well as in most democratic nations throughout the Pacific and Latin America. However, it still exists in 68 nations around the world, those being generally more authoritarian in nature, including the United States.

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December 31st, 2006 by Manila Ryce

Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether the US is being ignorant or arrogant. The date of Saddam’s death is one case in point. His execution marks the Muslim holy day of Abraham’s willingness to kill his son, Issac, for God. In the story, Abraham is ready to sacrifice his son for God when an angel stops him. It concludes with the revelation that God was only testing Abraham’s obedience as he refuses the sacrifice of Issac. Hmmm, what better day to kill a Muslim leader than on a day when God refuses human sacrifice?

MECCA, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Arab pilgrims in Mecca expressed outrage on Saturday that Iraqi authorities had chosen to execute former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein on a major religious holiday, saying it was an insult to Muslims.

Sunni Arabs at the haj were shocked at Saddam’s hanging which followed his conviction for crimes against humanity against Iraqi Shi’ites.

“His execution on the day of Eid … is an insult to all Muslims,” said Jordanian pilgrim Nidal Mohammad Salah. “What happened is not good because as a head of state, he should not be executed.”

The Eid al-Adha, or Feast of the Sacrifice, marks biblical patriarch Abraham’s willingness to kill his son for God. Muslim countries often pardon criminals to mark the feast, and prisoners are rarely executed at that time.

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December 31st, 2006 by Manila Ryce

If you’re looking for videos of Saddam’s execution to satisfy your morbid curiosity, you’ve come to the wrong place. Not that there aren’t hundreds of sites on the web already displaying the video as some sort of trophy. And that my friends, is exactly what Saddam’s head is – a trophy. There’s an odd sort of exaltation in America. People are actually rejoicing in the death of another human being, and even being drawn closer together after months of division. There’s a disgusting sense of patriotism and righteousness in America once more. As we often find out, pride is not just a sin, but a distraction.

Let us not forget that we are in Iraq under completely false pretenses. There were no WMDs, Iraq was not tied in any way to 9/11, and it was not a breeding ground for terrorists. If America is the police force of the world, we’ve kicked in the door to Iraq, found no illegal arms or activity, and decided to shoot the head of the household to justify our unsubstantiated allegations for intrusion. That we can easily barge into another country and execute their leader is a cause for great distress, not celebration.

Yes Saddam was a bastard (that’s the preface I’m forced to put ahead of my arguments to extend human rights to “evil” people), but the leaders of our own country are infinitely worse. What’s often ignored is that the crime Saddam was hanged for, the 1982 massacre of 148 Shiites in Dujail who opposed the Iran-Iraq War, was actually carried out while Saddam was a close ally of the Reagan administration, which encouraged the war with Iran. What’s more is that the US began backing him two years later with biological and chemical weapons to further embolden his “crimes against humanity” towards the Iranians. In 1988, Saddam would then use these same weapons against thousands of Kurds in northern Iraq. US companies continued to ship chemical and biological weapons to Saddam for a year after that incident.

The ex-US ally killed innocent people, but we gave him the gun, the bullets, and even whispered in his ear that using them would be a good idea. Why are our leaders not also being tried for these crimes? Surely they qualify as accomplices, or at least accessories for these human rights violations. Perhaps because the trial was a joke meant to silence Saddam rather than to enact justice. He was tried, convicted, and executed by his former partner in crime without adequate international oversight of the court.

With the death toll of American soldiers climbing higher each month, hundreds of Iraqis killed daily when it seems more bloodshed is impossible, not a single WMD found since the invasion, and no good plan in sight for the US-led “war on terror”, the American people needed validation. They needed something to show to their collective guilty conscience that all the money and blood was given for a reason. That noble cause became the elimination of a tyrant. Americans latched on to it. It lent credence to the lie that we were in Iraq for the Iraqi people. Finally, we’d established one point in history to refer to whenever the naysayers criticize the wisdom of invading. We’d acquired our well-deserved trophy.

It is known that President Bush has the pistol Saddam was carrying when he was captured mounted on his wall in the Oval office. He advertises it proudly to visitors as a souvenir of this meaningless war. Were the president allowed to, I would not be the least bit surprised to hear that Saddam’s head was recently mounted in place of that pistol. Bush has been unable to hide his jubilation lately, calling Saddam’s death sentence a “milestone” for justice. Given his trouble with the English language, I can only assume that the president misspoke, saying “milestone” when he should have said “headstone”.

December 29th, 2006 by Manila Ryce

It’s been reported that Saddam Hussein is dead.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging shortly before 6 a.m. (10:00 p.m. EST) on Saturday, U.S.-backed Iraqi television station Al Hurra and Arabic satellite channel Arabiya said.

Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Labeed Abbawi also said the execution had taken place.

“I believe so, yes. He has been executed. It has been officially announced that he has been executed,” Abbawi said, speaking by telephone to BBC News 24.

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December 29th, 2006 by Manila Ryce

A US military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, has claimed that Saddam Hussein will likely be hanged before the start of the Eid holiday in Islam, which begins at dusk on Saturday. Iraqis, members of the US-led coalition, and international representatives will be present during the execution. The government of Iraq has already requested that the former president be handed over to them.

Iraqi officials have also added that Saddam’s final moments will be videotaped. National Security Adviser Mouffak al Rubaie said, “All documentation will be videoed. Taking him from cell to the execution is going to be videoed, and the actual execution will be documented and videoed.” It is not clear whether the video will be broadcast.

Speaking over the raging US and Iraqi hard-on for Saddam’s death, a top Iraqi government official disputed the court’s ruling that Saddam must be hanged within 30 days. “The law does not say within 30 days, it says after the lapse of 30 days,” said Deputy Justice Minister Busho Ibrahim.

A top Vatican official condemned the death sentence against Saddam in a newspaper interview published Thursday, acknowledging the crimes of the ousted Iraqi leader but reiterating that capital punishment goes against the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

Human Rights Watch, an international watchdog group, says Saddam was certainly a human rights violator, but Iraq’s government shouldn’t execute him. “The true test of respect for human rights comes when the human rights of someone who has violated in unspeakable ways the human rights of many millions of people comes into play,” said the group’s Richard Dicker.

Lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi called on international and legal organizations, including the Arab League and United Nations, to “rapidly prevent” the Americans from handing Saddam to the Iraqis.

“According to the international conventions it is forbidden to hand a prisoner of war to his adversary,” he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Al-Dulaimi also warned that executing Saddam would be a bad move for the Americans. “If the American administration insists in handing the president to the Iraqis, it would commit a great strategic mistake which would lead to the escalation of the violence in Iraq and the eruption of a destructive civil war,” he said. Another lawyer in Saddam’s defense team said the only person who knew when Saddam’s execution would take place was “God and Bush”. Cardinal Renato Martino, a former Vatican envoy to the United Nations, said Saddam’s execution would simply punish “a crime with another crime”.

The deposed president reportedly knows he is to be executed and welcomes the chance to be a martyr. “He was in very high spirits and clearly readying himself,” said defense lawyer Badie Aref. “He told them he was happy he would meet his death at the hands of his enemies and be a martyr, not just languish in jail. He … gave them letters to his family in anticipation.” A large amount of Saddam’s fellow Sunnis expressed concern that his execution could alienate their community further, while Kurds want Saddam to be convicted of genocide against them before he is hanged.

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December 28th, 2006 by Manila Ryce

In the third installment of our “Death of a President” series, Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party has threatened to retaliate against US interests if the former president of Iraq is executed. The Baath statement appeared on a website known to represent the party. The site is believed to be run from Yemen. Earlier this week, Iraq’s highest court rejected Saddam’s appeal against his sentence, and said he would be hanged within 30 days. The White House has made several statements since the sentencing, rejoicing in the fact that the former US-ally will be brought to justice, Texas-style.

“Our party warns again of the consequences of executing Mr. President and his comrades,” the statement said. “The Baath and the resistance are determined to retaliate, with all means and everywhere, to harm America and its interests if it commits this crime. The American Administration will be held responsible for any harm inflicted on the president because the United States is the decision-maker (in Iraq) and not the puppet Iraqi government.”

The statement further warned that prospective negotiations with the US and Iraqi officials would be impossible if the execution took place. Saddam’s defense lawyers also criticized the planned execution, calling it a crime “being committed in Iraq in the name of democracy”. A statement by Saddam’s defense committee further questioned the authority of the court, claiming that the current regime is a puppet of US occupation. The defense team says it has exhausted all legal channels and is appealing to the current president of Iraq, who is against the death penalty, not to sign the execution papers. The only reason an anti-death penalty president would sign papers for execution is if an entity above him was pulling on his strings.

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