Puppet Iraqi Prime Minister Rejects Criticism of Saddam's Execution

Thanks to Sophia at Les Politiques for translating this astonishing article concerning Maliki's embrace of law and order in the new Iraq.

On Saturday January 6th, 2007, Iraqi prime minister, Nouri El-Maliki, speaking on the aftermath of the execution of Saddam during a military ceremony in honor of the 86th foundation anniversary of the Iraqi army, north of Baghdad, threatened states who criticised the execution of Saddam by stating that the Iraqi government will ''have to revise its diplomatic relations with all states who did not seem to respect the will of the Iraqi people''.

This was the first official reaction of the Iraqi government after the hanging of former Iraqi president on the Muslim religious holiday Eid Al-Adha, December 30th.

"We reject and condemn official and media reactions of some governments... We are staggered by these reactions which are literally shedding tears over a despot under the pretext that he was executed on a holy day while Saddam has always violated holy celebrations. We consider these critics as an insidious sedition and a flagrant interference in the internal affairs of Iraq, as well as an affront to the families of the victims of Saddam''

According to El-Maliki, the execution of Saddam, contrary to what the enemies of the Iraqi people are claiming, ''was not the result of a political decision''. ''It was the result of a just trial, which Saddam did not really deserve.''

A pirate video taken with a cellphone and shown on the internet has prompted the indignation of the international community. The video shows Saddam being insulted and heckled by Shia witnesses who were present at the execution.

Welcome to the new post-Saddam Iraq. It's a place where certain people don't deserve "just" trials, which is exactly the same mindset that operated when Saddam was in power.

Now we all know that Saddam did not give "just" trails to many of the people he butchered and, indeed, he did not receive one. Maliki seems to be saying that because Saddam did not give such "just" trials, he has forfeited the right to such a trial himself and those of us who say who should have been treated with more respect are wrong.

Maliki is missing the whole point. We do not prove that Saddam was wrong by replicating his behaviour.

In a democracy everyone deserves a just trial. Maliki, like Saddam, is inferring that certain people don't deserve such things.

That's the same mindset as the man they just hanged. So what's new about this newly democratic Iraq?

tag: Iraq, Iraq war, Saddam Hussein, hanging, Maliki, , execution, death penalty