The Viewer's Forum is a platform where you can share your views with others on any particular current issue.
Please Note - The views in this forum are from the contributors' own perspective.

Should the direct consent of the Iraqi people be obtained while deciding about the future of Saddam Hussain?  

Views must be focused and to the point to avoid unnecessary editing and should not exceed 250 words. No view without the full name and address will be entertained. 

Please send your opinions at
vf@jang.com.pk

Your Opinions  

If we look into the past, Saddam did no good for Muslim Ummah. All he did was for weakening the Muslim Ummah, and than if we feel, he even didn’t do any good to his own people too. Just hundreds of thousands killings and that’s all. So it really doesn’t matter who is going to finish the Evil, Iraqi People or Coalition forces. 

Saqib 
USA 
mymessege@earthlink.net  


There is no need to either consult the people of Iraq, USA, or United Nations in decision making of Saddam's trial or execution under the auspices of occupant forces. Saddam is not international or national terrorist who get him proves guilty. It is only USA propaganda. If he's been trailed then why not American’s Politician from 1980-2003 should also be questioned who accomplice in his so-called designs.

I think the better choice had to be taken is just release him in democratic Iraq under the title of his Bathe Party. If the peace and tranquility get restored there, he may have the chance to fight back in peaceful political atmosphere or could be turned down by his own people during election. 

One nation can't formulate the code of ethics and impose it to other by itself. Who got Americans to decide the fate of nations by wild and barbarian way? There is absolutely no criterion in this uni-polar world in general and secular coup is not an unusual phenomenon. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

S.H. Kayani
London-UK
sajjad_22010@hotmail.com  


Iraqi people can't decide the fate of Saddam because not only Saddam has captured but also the whole country has captured by the coalition forces. When there will be peace & freedom in Iraq than the question of Saddam's fate by Iraqi people may arise. Before the freedom of Iraq there is no need to seek a direct consent of the Iraqi's to decide the fate of Saddam Hussein.

Time will decide the fate of Saddam because the decision of Saddam's future would may influence under the coalition forces presently.

Arshad Ali Azhar
Lahore-Pakistan
paklands@hotmail.com 


The consent of Iraqi people should obtained in determining the fate of the saddam Hussain, because all people have the democratic right to choose a leader, or to reject a dictator. But it is certain that America will not do this and president George. W bush definitely wants to hang Saddam Hussain. As United States does not need Saddam to remain in power and he is now supposed to be a big hurdle in the economical, financial and political interests of the United States in the Middle East.

Zakir Habib Memon
Hyderabad-Pakistan
zsmemon@hotmail.com  


A brutal dictator (seemingly yes), a criminal (most likely), a murderer (seems to be). But what about humanity, law, human rights and justice. Saddam may have all the above condemnable attributes but he is a human and has rights. What they are going to charge him with are allegation (most likely to be true) but are not proven yet. He may be a good case for trial; but he is not yet a convict. 

In the West an accused is not shown on media unless proven guilty; a fair way to deal with a human. They did that, and rightly so, in the case of the Serb leaders of Yugoslavia. They were captured and were brought to the War Crime Tribunal in three-piece suits. When it came to Saddam, a Muslim leader, he was shown on all the major television networks in a very humiliating way. The way his head was moved; the way his mouth was inspected upon was so humiliating, so disturbing. It was an inspection of a butcher, selecting an animal for slaughter.

No human could uphold what Saddam did to his people and neighbors but humiliating him in that way was in no way a civilized act. The US is the sole Super power and the advocate of justice, fair play and rule of law but here one could say, ‘Action speaks louder then words’. 

The Allied forces invaded Iraq on the pretext (including other allegations) that Saddam was a grave violator of human rights. It is not worthy of them to violate the very principle, which was put forward as one of the reasons for war against Saddam.

Tahir Zaman
Karachi-Pakistan
cyber_teezee@yahoo.com  

H. A. Abbasi
Auckland New Zealand
abbasi200@hotmail.com

Adnan Akram
Luton-UK
imran.akram@ntlworld.com

Qasim Rizvi
rizviqasim@hotmail.com

Assad Hameed Malik
Muzaffar Garh-Pakistan
ahameed@ntc.net.pk

Syed Raza Abbas Zaidi
UK
razaidee@yahoo.co.uk

People in Iraq are really angry at what President Saddam had done in his regime and they might react negatively when they will be asked for the vote for his execution but we as civilized Islamic nation should sit together and raise this issue in OIC. 

US has already been declared a failed and confused conqueror who couldn’t find any weapon of mass destruction in Iraq, so US mission is accomplished. Now they shouldn’t have any interest what so ever on the Iraqi soil, whether it comes to the case against Saddam. 

H. A. Abbasi 
Auckland New Zealand
abbasi200@hotmail.com


Who will obtain Iraqi peoples’ consent and how?

Adnan Akram
Luton-UK
imran.akram@ntlworld.com


Saddam Hussain is deposed President of Iraq where he ruled as a cruel dictator. He killed thousands of his own countrymen. Iraqis should decide his fate after the establishment of democratic government in Iraq.

Qasim Rizvi 
rizviqasim@hotmail.com 


The Iraqi Democratic government and not the current government should certainly decide the fate of Saddam Hussain. However, one should not expect that US (Bush Government) would wait for Saddam's trial until democracy is established in Iraq.

Hayat Khan Niazi,
Peshawar


The subjects of a country are the best judges to decide the fate of their leaders and future of their countries. The people of Iraq rather than any other country's rulers should decide the future of Saddam Hussain. The people of a country have all the rights to resist against any movement, upsurge and intruders who have the designs against the stability and integrity of a country. This is a fact that the peoples of Iraq should decide about their country. 

Assad Hameed Malik
Muzaffar Garh-Pakistan
ahameed@ntc.net.pk


No one has the right to punish Saddam except the people of Iraq specially the 70% odd majority of Iraq, which has been the main victim of his cruelty. It should be upto them to execute or forgive him. Not the Americans who have their hands coloured with the blood of Muslims all over the world. 

Syed Raza Abbas Zaidi
UK
razaidee@yahoo.co.uk 

The fate of Saddam Hussain should certainly be decided by the Iraqi democratic government and not the current puppet government that is either biased or under US pressure. However, one should not expect that US will wait for Saddam's trial until democracy is established in Iraq. 

Arshad Chaudary
Florida, USA
Amehmood998@aol.com 


Peace and stability in Iraq are more important than Saddam Hussein’s fate. The fair approach will be that he should be tried after an elected Government is installed in Iraq. America is responsible to ensure that a fair trial is held.

Syed Nizam Uddin Ashraf
Karachi-Pakistan

United States and its coalition forces did not seek prior permission from Iraqi people to attack Iraq and oust Saddam Hussein from power. So there is no need to seek a direct consent of the Iraqi people while deciding the future of Saddam Hussein after his arrest. 

The trail of Saddam Hussein for the world will just be eyewash. The ex-Iraqi president will have to meet his fate whatever will be decided by U.S. President Mr. George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Mr. Tony Blair. 

Saddam was the only son of the entire Arab world who would have challenged Israel for its atrocities committed by the Israeli soldiers in Palestine. People who are glad on the arrest of Saddam Hussein are living in fool’s paradise. Infact people have not yet visualized the other side of the picture. 

Let us all wait and see how it all happens. Time will speak itself. 

I am really not concerned whether Saddam Hussein is set free or face death penalty. What concerns me are the coming days of Christmas and the New Year, when the orphan children and widows of the coalition forces will miss their fathers and husbands, who will never come back in this world to wish "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year" to them. 

People voice must be honored while deciding the fate of Saddam Hussain. He must face the destiny of hatred, which he infested in the masses of his own country against him. His trial must fulfill the demands of all the fairness and impartiality. 

Meanwhile the forum of highly reputed anthropologists, psychologists and sociologist must take his case as to know the psyche of such a man who trembled the whole world. His death penalty is not a mere solution to the end. Actual time demands to reach at the roots and reasons for which such personalities emerge as dictator. His hiding in the Spider Hole shows his Cowardice and Hollowness.

Tahir Soomro
Riyadh


Iraqi people neither brought Saddam to power with their direct consent nor should they have said anything on his fate yet. They have been helpless viewers of a drama that never had any role for them.

Saddam is in the merciful hands of those who actually helped perpetuate his brutal regime, supplied him with all the weapons, showered him with loans and mega business deals and looked the other way when he butchered Iraqis and carried on with his senseless aggressions against Iran. They did not topple him after the first Gulf war because it did not serve their interests at that time. Iraqis were made to suffer under the sanctions while Saddam kept building his palaces and erecting statutes. The Iraqis and the world should accept whatever they decide about his fate.

It is ironic that a couple of decades ago in the month of December, Donald Rumsfeld under President Reagan was in Baghdad shaking hands with Saddam in an opulent palace, offering him a bouquet of loan guarantees as the U.S. reward towards Iraqi war against Iran. Now as Secretary of Defense he had the honor of announcing Saddam's capture from a hole by the U.S. special forces under him. I wonder how good they are at fooling the world.

T. Rasheed
USA


The best body could be the Iraqi congress elected by the Iraqi people. But the chances are that in the coming Iraqi council there would be people of USA interest. They would use Saddam for the political motivation and therefore justice may not be achieved. 

Secondly, Iraqi people were also in Iraqi cabinet and about one million of his army, they were also tool of his dictatorship. Of all, Saddam is the culprit of Iraqi people and also torturous for his neighbors like Iran, Kuwait etc. Therefore the right body for the Saddam's trial is the UN tribunal. It should make sure for a true justice (a justice we could be proud of) that should include an arrest warrant for all those involved in brutality, massacre, torture of Innocent Muslims of the world and especially of Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine. I would say that Justice must prevail to prove that the world is ruled by the majority of human beings and not by the beasts.

Saleem A. Qureshy
Canada

Logically, the people of Iraq should decide the future of Saddam Hussain. However, are we sure that we can correctly assess the will of Iraqi people with the puppet Iraqi Council controlled by Americans? People of Iraq are now living under fear, subjugation and occupation of American Forces, who have been ruthless in killing innocent civilians including children, women and old people. It may be dangerous for them even if Iraqis want to give their true verdict. 

Therefore, only those opinions will surface, which are in line with US wishes. Americans supplied Iraq with chemical and biological weapons to kill Iranians and Kurds and to test on humans. Now Americans are showing pictures of dead people on their TV to win over World opinion to award death penalty to Saddam. Saddam, being alive, will be a whistle blower on shady deals of CIA. 

If he is put before the ICJ (International Court of Justice) in The Hague, like President Milosevic. Saddam may disclose shocking revelations to the World and unveil the CIA 's ugly plans. Therefore, although UN Secretary General Kofi Anan has favored that Saddam be tried in ICJ, it will not be agreed by USA. In Milosevic’s case, it is interesting to note that he is conducting his own defense in ICJ, he is cross examining General Wisely Clark, the US Presidential candidate. Milosevic is also standing as a future candidate in Yugoslavia's coming elections. If his war crimes are not proven and he is let free, he may come back as the future President again. Can we imagine that Americans would like such a possibility for Saddam by sending him to the ICJ?

With the double standards of western World, we should not be dreaming of justice. Saddam, no doubt has committed atrocities against his own people, but he will never get a fair trial, unless he is sent to ICJ under UN sponsorship.

Squadron Leader (R) Ansar Ahmad 
New York.


The subjects of a country are the best judges to decide the fate of their leaders and future of their countries. The people of Iraq rather than any other country’s rulers should decide the future of Saddam Hussain. The people of a country have all the right to resist against any movement, upsurge and intruders who have the designs against the stability and integrity of a country. 

Saddam Hussain had been a blue-eyed boy of USA during Iran-Iraq war. He should be treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention charter designed for the POWs. Democratic norms and values should prevail in the war torn countries like Afghanistan and Iraq and people must be asked about fate of Saddam Hussain through an open vote.

Mohammed Ashfaque Koraal
Dhahran - Saudi Arabia

Islam likes forgiveness to revenge and if Saddam is really sorry about things he has done then I think we all should give him a chance to live. He may live but already he seems dead. Nonetheless it is up to Iraqi people to decide.

Riswan Ali Chaudhry


Well, after a lot of secret operations and open raids Saddam is finally smoked out of its hiding place. His fate hangs in balance. Justice and fair play demand Iraqis to be the sole arbiters of sadam's fate but things are not as straight as we might want to look at them. The fact that America even bypassed United Nations in its foray on Iraq and did not budge even after Saddam was deposed, should be kept in mind while predicting the fate of Saddam.

People Of Iraq are themselves divided in their sympathies for Saddam. The scenes of jubilation and protest are shown side by side on Both CNN and BBC. Whether a war traumatized nation, which is also riven in loyalties, would be able to give its verdict is a question only time would settle. 

The most probable prospect, as it seem to me, will be a nemesis carefully engineered in Washington to punish its arch enemy but it would not be without an Iraqi Veneer -a little concession from the upholders of democracy. 

Ammara Khan
Lahore

People of Iraq are in the best place to decide about the future of Saddam Hussain. The democracy should prevail and let Saddam Husain be handed over to the will of the people of his country so that no dictator could aspire to hold on power against the will of his subjects.

Filza Khalid
Islamabad


By all democratic and civilized norms the people of any country are the best judge to decide about the future of the country they live and about their rulers and leaders. The foreign powers or elements have always been seen and should be seen as intruders no matter under which pretty makeup they appear. 

This consideration is natural as even the animals and insects do not like predators and a small bird vigorously yearn to fight a venomous snake while saving its abode. So it should be upto the Iraqi people not only to decide about the future of Saddam Hussain but also about the future of their country as well.

Ali Hyder Mangi
Larkana    

Send this page to a friend!

The News International Pakistan