I'll take Saddam Hussein for $200 Alex

[SmokinLowriderSS]

Just how would you be willing to conclude it WAS a fair trial poser? What would it have taken?
A few "details" you aren't going to like poser. of the "UNFAIR" trial:
Saddam was not tried alone, below are the co-defendants.
Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, his half-brother and former chief of intelligence
Taha Yassin Ramadan, former Vice-President
Awad Hamed al-Bandar Al-S'adun, a former chief judge
Abdullah Kadhem Roweed Al-Musheikhi, Al-Dujail Baath party official
Mizher Abdullah Roweed Al-Musheikhi, (son of Abdullah Kadhem), Al-Dujail Baath party official
Ali Daeem Ali, Dujail Baath party official
Mohammed Azawi Ali, Dujail Baath party official
There was an entire TEAM of attorney's defending them, hired by Saddam's first wife, for the first trial.
This team was disolved and an Iraqi hired to defend HIM.
On August 8, 2005, Saddam's family announced that they had dissolved the Jordan-based legal team and that they had appointed Khalil al-Duleimi, the only Iraq-based member, as the sole legal counsel.
The trial began 19 October 2005.
The court adjourned the until 28 November 2005, as some of the witnesses were too frightened to attend, and also to allow the defense more time to study evidence.
That's 5 weeks poser............
On October 20, 2005, attorney Saadoun Sughaiyer al-Janabi, charged with the defense of Awad Hamed al-Bandar, was abducted from his office by gunmen, and found shot dead near his office a few hours later.
On November 8, 2005, attorney Adel al-Zubeidi, who had been representing Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan and Abdullah Kazim Ruwayyid, was killed by three gunmen in Baghdad. Barazan Ibrahim's lawyer Thamer Hamoud al-Khuzaie was also wounded in the attack.
The lawyers who were killed/wounded, DID NOT DEFEND SADDAM.
On November 28, 2005, Chief Judge Rizgar Mohammed Amin adjourned until December 5 to allow time to find replacements for two defense lawyers who were slain and another who fled Iraq after he was wounded.
What, should have given 12 months? Again, NOT SADDAM'S LAWYERS ANYWAY.
On December 12, 2005, instead of cross-examining witnesses, Saddam used the time to accuse his American captors of torturing him.
Good defense strategy, I guess.
On March 15, 2006, Saddam was called by the prosecution as a witness. On the stand, he began making political statements, insisting he was still President of Iraq. He got in an argument with the judge, who eventually closed the trial to the public in response.
Again, looks like he was recieving top-notch legal advice here.
Convicted 19 June, 2006.
2 days BEFORE his lawyer, HIS LAWYER, was assasinated on 21 June.
Saddam's hunger strike lasted ........ 1 meal. Lotsa effort there to protest lawyer protection.
Other sentences:
Death:
Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, his half-brother and Iraq's intelligence chief
Awad Hamed al-Bandar who issued death sentences as head of a Revolutionary Court
Life in prison:
Iraqi vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan
15 years prison:
Abdullah Kadhem Roweed Al-Musheikhi, Baath party official in Dujail region
Mizher Abdullah Roweed Al-Musheikhi, Baath party official in Dujail region
Aquitted:
Mohammed Azawi Ali, Baath party official in Dujail region

[centerhill condor]

Sadaam got as fair a trial in Iraq as he would in Tennessee. He had legal representation from a former Carter White House big wheel. He got much less than he deserved as a sentence.
Nice thing about justice in Iraq is that they realize justice delayed is justice denied.
I hope this is heard loud and clear by dictators and despots alike.
Me thinks that now that the precedents have been set and a judicial process has been established, recognized and taken seriously, the people of Iraq can now begin to move forward with a new dignity and confidence.
Rest assured, more difficult tasks await the young country. Victory is by no means a "slam dunk". But, there will be no return of Sadaam's rule. This victory for the people of Iraq is one giant step towards a secure and peaceful future.

[HighRoller]

I would take issue with anyone who says our justice system in its current state represents evolution of any type. The ironic thing is that in its infancy, the Iraq democracy showed us how justice should be handled. They didn't let a bunch of bullcrap or liberal double talk corrupt the process, which let the truth come out. When it did, Saddam was of course found guilty and got what he deserved.
Hey PosterX, maybe you should endorse Ramsey Clark for Prez. You and Blown could start the "Dissent is Patriotic" party. I would have respected you if you had just come out and said you hate Bush and since Saddam is an enemy of Bush you have to defend him. Don't waste our time with all your ridiculous posturing and phony principles about how justice wasn't served. If you were really worried about justice you'd still be whining about how Bill Clinton didn't get convicted. Strange we don't hear you rallying around that cause...

[Bow Tie Omega]

Just my two cents. This man was a sick sick man. He was beyond sick, he was truly evil. As far as him getting a fair trial and if he should have been hanged...... Personally, I hope the trial was unfair, I wanted him to know first hand what it was like to get shaft during a "trial" , much like he had done to so many thousands of others. Logically, he needed to get a fair trial, as baghead said before, we are trying to instill a more democratic system and show the country how the system works. I believe he recieved the fairest trial he could have under the circumstances. As far as him being hanged, personally, I believe he should have been put into the meat grinder he purchased specifically to kill others with ...ALIVE none the less. People can argue the validity about adding to an already tense situation, it is a concern. That being said, if he was to not be killed, him being a sunni ( a minority in Iraq), the 60% shiite population would not have gone with that and I believe that their response would have been much worse.
Saddam in my mind deserves to be on the same page as Adolph Hitler as far as tyrant dictators are concerned. Hitler may have killed more in the end, but Sadaam, with the Iran/Iraq war which he started, has the blood of well over 1 million people on his hands. This tyrant got a kick out of killing people and I think deserved more then he recieved. While I do not enjoy or wish death on anyone, I think this might be the one exception to the rule. Enough to where I will prey about it tonight and ask for my own forgiveness.

[Bow Tie Omega]

On a funnier note........ Breaking News..........Transcripts of the call between George Jr and George Sr...
Jr: Daddy, Daddy, can you hear me?
Sr: Hey son, how are you?
Jr: Daddy, I finally did it... I finally got him Daddy.
Sr: Son, I mean Mr. President, what are you talking about?
Jr: Daddy, I finally did it, I finally got that bastard.
Sr: Son, slow down , I can not understand a word you are saying.
Jr: Daddy, I finally killed that bastard Sadaam. I told you I could do it Daddy, I told you I would get him for you.
Sr: Now son, I thought we went over this, you did not kill Sadaam for me, you were protecting America.
Jr: Yeah, whatever Daddy, I got him, I finally got him, he will never F with you ever again Daddy, I told you I would get him Daddy.....No one, I mean no one ever messes with my Daddy!
Sr: I am proud of you son.....I mean Mr. President.
Jr: Daddy, you know the best part?
Sr: What is that son?
Jr: We hung him Daddy, we really hung him good! We really got him Texas style Daddy, rope and all!!
Sr: Now son.......
Jr: Daddy...Let me finish. Donny Rumsfeld put a Bush/Quayle 92 sticker on the inside of his hood personally Daddy. I sent him to Iraq specifically for that before I fired his ass Daddy. Are you proud of me Daddy?
Sr: Yes son I am very proud. Now if you will excuse me, I am going sky diving today.
Jr: Yeah sure Daddy, whatever... I love you Daddy...I did it, I really did it. "Hey Laura, do me a favor and grab us boys a 12 pack to celebrate".
Sr: I love you to son. Go ahead and celebrate son, you deserve it...Good bye.
Jr: Bye Daddy. I did it, I really did it. Lets see Jeb try to top this...Two hurricanes in one month my ass, I saved our Daddy.
The End

[Kurtis500]

The problem is we're over there selling Democracy. Actually, we're literally shoving it up their ass, but that's semantics at this point.
This ignorant statement makes an assumption that nobody over there desires democracy, works for democracy or fights for democracy in the middle east. You watch too much tv, and probably think the arabs are too stupid to understand what democracy is, none the less practice it.
Anyway, there's no way Saddam got a fair trial.
You need to provide specifics. Please, no speculation. Dont skip over this question please, you need to back this up with real facts.
It's also a bit pathetic that in this country the death penalty comes with an automatic appeal.
You want to blame us for shoving democracy down thier throat, yet you expect us to shove our appeals process down thier throat. Very revealing of your inconsistant political views.

[soupersonic]

Saddam was tried,convicted and hung by his own people. Elected officials of the Iraqi government. Nothing democratic about it,except how these officials were elected.

[Old Texan]

..... we are over there trying to show these people we are evolved.....
Aren't you always telling us "we think we are better/superior/etc. to the rest of the world", and that's OUR big problem on how we are viewed by the world?
Why is it then this recurring thought process always comes from your statements, that of superiority, not the equality you say is being denied by others? It's a liberal thing I guess, because I keep seeing folks that deny their "Liberalism" always thumbing their noses and looking down upon the "ignorant masses". This Utopia thing is really blemished by statements that consistantly show arrogance of superity complections.
Don't underestimate the Iraqi people or forget they aren't ignorant sheepherders, but a modern society suppressed by the nasty dictator that got what he had coming to him.
The US people aren't evolved, they are just fortunate to have a great country to call home which has been able to defend itself from hostile selfcentered tyrants bent on "ruling the world". Sad the liberals or whatever you whiners want to call yourselves can't figure it out.
Saddam is dead and gone, taken by the hand of his peers. Fair? F fair, he got better than he deserved and he got it from the Iraqi people on his home soil.

[Steve 1]

Saddam?? This is down right laughable; I spent time in a place he invaded NOW before anyone sheds a tear for this animal they should do a review on the butchery he was known for.

[Poster X]

The debate isn't Saddam. There's no doubt of his guilt. The debate is how we look to the world. I realize most of you don't care how we look to the world, but since we've taken it upon ourselves to "spread democracy" then we should make a bit of effort to show what our democracy is and how it works. Instead we are treating prisoners of war the opposite of how we would want to be treated. We are the ones who set up the Iraqi government. It's not like we took out Saddam and then rented a houseboat until they decided what they wanted. We set up a democratic system, let them vote, and then we oversaw the system. In fact, consider it Dubya's "mini-me" government in action. That being said, we should be showing people (and offering them) the same system we enjoy (or complain about) here. Not a double standard.
Saddam didn't get a fair trial because the climate in which he was tried could in no way be impartial which is what we guarantee in a Democracy. The end result would have been the same. Just more credible.