Saddam - execution
Saddam Hussein is dead. More accurately, he has been executed by the countrymen he once lead. But what does this mean for the typical Iraqi and the wider world?
For the long-suffering citizens of that much troubled country, it is unlikely there will be a significant upturn in their fortunes any time soon. Put bluntly, no one cares about them enough to prolong the agony. Consider the massive coverage the despot's death received. Compare it to the amount of time given over to coverage of the other 70 or so innocents blown up by car bombs on the same day.
For the international community - at least, for the UK and USA - the priority now is to get the soldiers home. Far too many of them have been sacrificed on the alter of political vanity and continue to be sacrificed trying to keep order in the face of chaos. They will leave behind a state of anarchy as Iraq slips in to civil war. This is the fruit of Bush's foreign policy of pre-emptive action.
The decision to invade Iraq was unjustified, probably illegal and will have tragic consequences for years to come. Overshadowing all of his other efforts and achievements, this will be Blair's legacy to his citizens. Far from bringing peace and democracy to the world, those in the West sleep far more uneasily now than at any time since the death of Hitler.
What is more, as the winds of change blow down the years, what chance Bush or Blair being indicted for war crimes? There are any number of unresolved issues: the supposed threat of WMD which never materialised, the "sexing up" of intelligence reports, the disenfranchisement of the political and legal processes, the disgraces of Abu Ghraib and elsewhere. All will bear the scrutiny of history.
What chance Bush or Blair one day following Saddam to the gallows should criminal liability be established?
For the long-suffering citizens of that much troubled country, it is unlikely there will be a significant upturn in their fortunes any time soon. Put bluntly, no one cares about them enough to prolong the agony. Consider the massive coverage the despot's death received. Compare it to the amount of time given over to coverage of the other 70 or so innocents blown up by car bombs on the same day.
For the international community - at least, for the UK and USA - the priority now is to get the soldiers home. Far too many of them have been sacrificed on the alter of political vanity and continue to be sacrificed trying to keep order in the face of chaos. They will leave behind a state of anarchy as Iraq slips in to civil war. This is the fruit of Bush's foreign policy of pre-emptive action.
The decision to invade Iraq was unjustified, probably illegal and will have tragic consequences for years to come. Overshadowing all of his other efforts and achievements, this will be Blair's legacy to his citizens. Far from bringing peace and democracy to the world, those in the West sleep far more uneasily now than at any time since the death of Hitler.
What is more, as the winds of change blow down the years, what chance Bush or Blair being indicted for war crimes? There are any number of unresolved issues: the supposed threat of WMD which never materialised, the "sexing up" of intelligence reports, the disenfranchisement of the political and legal processes, the disgraces of Abu Ghraib and elsewhere. All will bear the scrutiny of history.
What chance Bush or Blair one day following Saddam to the gallows should criminal liability be established?
posted by Andy at 8:27 AM
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