I wager it’s stashed next to those massive Iraqi WMD caches… 
Perhaps we’re speaking of wood chippers and the tale grew in the telling.
I dunno . . . every version I’ve heard of it has specificially said a *plastic *shredder.
Yes, but the discerning dictator/son of dictator could tow this around…rather, have his lackey tow this around…and shred his enemies as he pleased.
Seriously, one incident may be the start of the stories or the basis of the UL.
(thinking WAY more about this than I might normally–lousy week and all) Y’know, much as one would hate that happening to oneself, anyone one knows, or anybody else, for that matter, one must give him his props for being fairly original. Not a quick death yet relatively painless, though, so it still lacks style. There are two kinds of stylish death: fast and painless or slow and excrutiating. One wants the former for oneself and ones friends. The latter is for ones enemies. In that light, the tackiness of SH’s execution plus the minimal taunting is a lot better than he deserved and he showed it by staying a jerk to the end. Properly done, he should’ve been wimpering and begging for a death they wouldn’t give him.
Like I said, amateurs. Fear Itself was right: the Baathists would’ve done this right. They knew how to stretch out a death.
No, honest! I’m moderate to liberal politically! I’m generally opposed to the death penalty; “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord,” and all. There are just some exceptions that inspire thoughts I wouldn’t follow through on and I don’t discuss the topic with my pastor. Saddam was a really nasty customer who deserved what his people demanded of him but I felt bad for him seeing him with his neck stretched. AND if there’s a Heaven I believe he’s there, though in a personal Hell of complete cognizance of his actions. My vision of Heaven requires the presence of LOTS of psychiatrists to help people through their issues.
Begging your pardon, but the terms seem to be mutually exclusive. 
Why would that be? In my vision of Heaven there would be lots of people freshly cognizant of the repercussions of their actions and they are going to need to talk to SOMEBODY. It being Heaven, you and I don’t want to have to listen to them yammer on and on about how sorry they are and had they only known they’d’ve been nicer, so who better to do it professionals? And maybe after a thousand years Saddam will be together enough to have a beer with.
Hmm. Sorry to tip-toe in on this one so late…
On the observation that those who dont want executions televised/public must be wussy’s and need reality slapped in their face, may I suggest another viewpoint:
That executing someone with the power of the state behind them is a serious thing, and to publicly air the death smacks of vengence, and not justice. Also, most TV (in the US) is commercially owned, which leads to the somewhat distasteful notion of someone selling advertising spots with an execution as the sponsor draw… (What demographic is that?)
As we are not supposed to celebrate, or rejoice in the death of a fellow human, it needs to be treated with some form of seriousness, and dignity.
As far as how the execution was done in Saddam’s case, I found the ski masks a little off putting. Because of the fact that I draw my personal knowledge of Iraq (and other world events) from the 24hour news channels, the ski mask has been linked with images of terrorists in my mind. I realise that the individual men at the ceremony may have families to worry about in regards to reprisals, but still… it smacked of terroism and/or more of this sectarian thuggery as opposed to a solemn govermental duty.