The Iraqi Governing Council has declared today official Iraqi Independence Day.
Groovy.
Yeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwww!!!
There are still many ways that things can go wrong in Iraq, but at least Saddam’s return to power is no longer one of them.
Iraqis can finally speak the truth about Saddam without wondering if they’ll pay for it down the road.
I agree that the tribunal in The Hague is the appropriate place for him. First of all, there’s no real authority in Iraq to turn him over to, nor does it look like there will be by next July - despite today’s developments. Second, if he’s held in Iraq, the possibility that Ba’athist insurgents might somehow manage to free him would always be present. And third, regardless of the US’ having not signed on to that tribunal, if we can turn people over to frickin’ Syrian intelligence to be interrogated under torture, we can turn Saddam over to The Hague.
That is so good!
It’s been a long time coming.
I’m wondering what will happen now. Ya know, so many people have been repressed for so long. I wouldn’t be suprized to see all hell break loose now. I’m not so sure it’s going to be better very fast.
Kathy
Got the bugger!
No money for the troops. We can’t take reward money, or even extra pay from foreign governments, as the Saudis offered to do during Desert Storm.
Doubt his wife peached on him. She never knew precisely where he was. Almost certainly it was one of his ‘staff’ that was hangin’ with him, couriers, guards, etc.
…with a scottish accent, thanks to that Budweiser thingy.
I just covered my mouth with my hands and giggled insanely when I snapped on the TV to get the weather.
WOOOOO HOOOOO!
Let the healing begin! Here’s one dictator who won’t be retired to some beach somewhere. I don’t care who gives him justice as long as he gets it.
This changes everything. I would NOT want to be the campaign advisor to any Dem today. Sails minus wind all over the ocean of the race right now.
I dunno–I think with Laura’s coloring, an emerald green gown with blue overtones will look nice at the Second Inaugaral, how about y’all?
I’m sure they did, that, too. But they didn’t video that (actually, I bet they did - for documentation that his handling was reasonable - but you won’t be seeing THAT part of the tape), because it WOULD have been humiliating.
He had to be checked for any method of suicide (poison, razor blade, etc.), because we are now totally responsible for his welfare now.
As for the video…the entire Middle East is the most credulous place for rumors, wild speculation and zany conspracy theories - like this board, sometimes - that can well be imagined. He HAD to be seen by the peeps.
And quote me on this: even that isn’t gonna do it for some. We’ll hear in the next few days that it wasn’t really him, and the Jews cooked up a plot to snap up the $25 million bux for themselves.
They were also getting DNA samples with that exam, Bluesman. Good idea, that.
Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
Did they have his DNA from before? I mean, how did the DNA help them identify him?
Kathy
I just flipped on TV2 this morning (well, around twelve…), and there was this bald guy digging around in some old hippies mouth. I’m just watching this, rubbing sleep crust out of my eyes when all of a sudden it struck me.
“Wait a minute, isn’t that… whoa!”
Then I laughed and I laughed.
Wow.
What a surprise!
I can only hope that they capture Osama and his band of loonie men in the same or worse to look at condition in the very near future.
I wonder how long before the troops come up with a ditty about Saddam having only one ball. 
I just ran outside and gave a big ole WOOOOO HOOOOO! to the neighborhood, too. (They prolly awready thank I’m crazy, anyway.)
The Iraqis deserve it, they earned it with their blood and treasure to a much greater extent than we or the Coalition did.
But it must be remembered that this day would never have come without this President and US military power. Upon Saddam’s death, Qusay would have become what his father was…only worse. More ruthless, more intelligent.
[Paul Harvey]Stand by for SPIN![/Paul Harvey]
Good suggestion…but, hey, First Hunny would look glamorous and classy in a housecoat.
What are these red flags I’ve seen on TV? Some of them look for all the world like the Soviet flag. I guess the ‘sickle’ is really a Muslim crescent… right?
When his son’s were killed, people didn’t believe it. I wonder why they are able to accept it’s him so much easier.
Kathy
Why did they let him keep his moustache after shaving his beard?
I hate Bush for lying about the WMD’s, but still, this is great news.
The situation in Iraq should improve now.
However, saying “OK, Iraq is stable, let’s bring all the troops home,” would be exactly the wrong thing to do. If we go home now, Iraq will collapse and some other guy will end up as dictator.
Around here they’re running local footage of Iraqi expats celebrating out on the sidewalks. It makes me all sniffly.
I heard that was because that’s how people knew him and they thought that they would be better able to see that it was really him.
Kathy