Class Act.

[c9]

Iraqi court issues verdict on one of the multiple concurrent trials of Saddam Hussein. Death, as expected.

US government is paying $90 million of the Iraqi courts' $145 million annual expenses.

The verdict isn't done being written, but the announcement was completely coincidentally made just in time for the Sunday talk shows in the US, and to affect the election tomorrow.

I wish I was evil so I could appreciate this more.

Comments

[ironmanjt.livejournal.com]

LOL some Republican congresscritter was on TV this morning saying "Do you REALLY think we could influence an independent Iraqi Judiciary?!"

Um, I guess that's because it's not really independent ;-)

[skeezix1000.livejournal.com]

Isn't it a double-edge sword? A guilty verdict does, I suppose, gratify those who still care about Saddam Hussein. But don't the scenes of unrest in Iraq resulting from the verdict cause even more concern among those with doubts about the Iraq-adventure?

[c9.livejournal.com]

For some, yes. But think realistically about the electorate. What percentage fall into each of these categories?

1. Reads and listens to headlines, reads news stories and watches detailed reports, researches Iraq politics, knows difference between Kurds, Sunnis, and Shiites.

2. Reads and listens to headlines, reads news stories and watches detailed reports.

3. Reads and listens to headlines only.

I suggest that the vast majority fall under #3, so the only message they're receiving today is (as CNN artfully put it) SENTENCED TO DEATH. Kinda sad.

[skeezix1000.livejournal.com]

Who gave group #3 permission to vote?

[primary-suspect.livejournal.com]

The same people that give group #3 permission to have offspring as well... ;-)

[nihilicious.livejournal.com]

I don't like Bush at all, but I can only take the conspiracy theories so far. This one seems a little far-fetched without more evidence than the timing in and of itself. Plus, the risk of backfire would be pretty huge ... dead American soldiers are the Republicans' worst liability right now.

Besides the President.

Only marginally related: I love this reference from globeandmail.com:

Appeal ruling on Hussein verdict expected in January
Curfew eases after widespread violence fails to emerge following imposition of death sentence

I love the image of widespread violence failing to materialize. I feel sad for the widespread violence, like it's let us down somehow.

[c9.livejournal.com]

It's true, there's not a lot of gain in this. There's two ways to look at it, each appealing in its own way: either the Republicans are desperate enough to think this is worth it, or it's simply a coincidence that is awfully easy to spin.

Day 13 of Widespread Violence Watch
(CP) After nearly two weeks, widespread violence has again failed to plague our streets and villages. A prominent official in the Bush administration, speaking on condition of anonymity, predicted that the violence would get here "any day now."

[sappiboi.livejournal.com]

I'd have to agree with nibs on this one. As the concpiracy theories generate people aren't really taking into account that muslim court typically has quick deliberations on not only verdicts but also sentencing.

It isn't like western judicial systems. Most of the media forget the crimes being punished when dealing with criminals here.