Saddam's Execution: place your bets

[Rob Lister]

We know the news. Saddam is to be executed "within thirty days" and the days are ticking away. New reports indicate "any hour now".

I say, no way, it will not happen. I still say he'll die of old age. He'll make a deal to help the new government any way he can. Therefore, my vote is clear.

What's yours?

 

[Rob Lister]

Please comment on your votes! I say other arrangements will be made because, once the noose is around his neck he'll make all kinds of deals. He's a survivor. He's been close to this before and found his way back to the top. He really has no principles other that self preservation, and the things he knows, but has not yet disclosed, would be of great value to the U.S. and the new Iraqi government.

 

[Lisa Simpson]

I think he'll be executed solely to make the Bush regime look like it can actually achieve something.

 

[andyandy]

he'll be hanged within 30 days - absolutely. There's no way the coalition will settle for anything less.

 

[Cleon]

I say other arrangements will be made because, once the noose is around his neck he'll make all kinds of deals.

I don't. I think Saddam went off the deep end after being stuck in his hole for weeks on end; based on what I've seen from his testimony at his show trial, I think he honestly sees himself as a martyr. And at this point, he might very well be. Of course, the Baathists are a fairly small part of the insurgency, so how much impact this will have will be an interesting question.

He's a survivor. He's been close to this before and found his way back to the top.

I don't think he's been in quite this much trouble before. He's faced coup attempts, but nothing on the order of "standing death sentence while a foreign army occupies Iraq."

Although...I have to say it would be really entertaining if some insurgent force managed to spring him before he was hanged.

 

[Rob Lister]

Although...I have to say it would be really entertaining if some insurgent force managed to spring him before he was hanged.

I'll not argue with any opinions but this one I find very possible. I really, really hate to raise a CT but this is just to delicious to pass up -- that joint coalition/Iraqi forces would conspire to arrange an escape, and then proceed to apply interrogation techniques pretty much guaranteed to yield valuable results.

No, I'm really not that cynical, or conspiratorial, but given after-the-fact evidence (or lack thereof such as a public inspection of the execution/body), I could be swayed.

I say he is far, far to valuable to be just offed in this manner without first getting out of him everything he really knows. I know that some think that torture does not work, but I have a different opinion (but I don't want to derail this thread with that).

 

[marksman]

He'll be executed, certainly within 30 days, and within 72 hours if all the "niceties" can be arranged. Putting it off only allows those who will use it for an excuse to do more violence more time to plan and prepare.

 

[Cleon]

I'll not argue with any opinions but this one I find very possible. I really, really hate to raise a CT but this is just to delicious to pass up -- that joint coalition/Iraqi forces would conspire to arrange an escape, and then proceed to apply interrogation techniques pretty much guaranteed to yield valuable results.

What would he know that's all that valuable? He's under guard 24/7, and knows nothing about what the insurgents are doing (especially the non-Baathists). Any WMD investigations are long since over, especially since the people principally involved have been in custody for a while. I don't see Saddam knowing anything that isn't already known.

 

[Skibum]

I think he will be dead by tomorrow.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

You forgot the "He is hanged and then three days latter rises from the dead and ascends to heaven" option.

 

[casebro]

I think he will be dead by tomorrow.

I agree. He'll be done for before things have a chance to change. It's been a few days since the 30 day ruling, that's enough time to tie a knot around his neck.

Are we assuming he is to be hanged, not beheaded? I guess Iraq has some official method.

 

[shemp]

He will be hanged. He will claw his way out of the grave and become Zombie Saddam. And I for one welcome our new Zombie Saddam master!

 

[webfusion]

I think he will be dead by tomorrow.

Agree.

This is vital, to avoid it happening after the start of the Eid ul-Adha (which is tomorrow, when the boundary of crescent visibility appears at Mecca)

 

[marksman]

Article

Could be hours... could be days... depends on what the Iraqi Prime Minister's religious gurus tell him... tick, tock, tick, tock.

 

[steverino]

I know that some think that torture does not work, but I have a different opinion (but I don't want to derail this thread with that).

Then I will. Torturing Saddam Hussein works for me.

 

[steverino]

I think he'll be executed solely to make the Bush regime look like it can actually achieve something.

Really?

 

[Lisa Simpson]

Arab TV is reporting he's dead. So I was at least partially right.

 

[Merko]

I don't see Saddam knowing anything that isn't already known.

I think he has (unless he's already dead) a lot of knowledge that could implicate a lot of people in very serious crimes. Too bad many of those people are probably the very ones controlling his execution..

 

[Pardalis]

Too bad many of those people are probably the very ones controlling his execution..

What the hell does that mean?

 

[Rob Lister]

Well, I guess this poll is closed and I lose my JREF Million. 13 members get to split the mil