Saddam Hussein

There's so much being said on this subject at the moment. There are so many issues and, to be frank, I don't intend to get into them all. I know that there are serious doubts as to the legality of the trial of Saddam Hussein, issues covered in detail here. I also am completely opposed to the death penalty, for a number of reasons, including religious ones. I also don't believe, however guilty Saddam Hussein is found to be, that this diminishes the wrongness of the invasion into Iraq or the atrocities that have also been committed by his enemies.

However, the point I would like to make is a slightly different one at this moment. Legal or not, I do believe that Saddam Hussein is guilty of a great number of crimes against humanity and against the Iraqi people, including genocide. (However guilty, he is still entitled to a fair trial.) Given the enormity of his crimes, why should he get off lightly - a few moments suffering and then it's all over. Even if the hanging takes an hour or so, that's a relatively short time. Leave aside the question of eternal punishment - if he merits that he will have that at the end of his life, regardless. What I would like to see is him to be locked up for the rest of his life and made to live every day of his life in prison, in solitude, in whatever suffering is possible without contravening his human rights, and making him pay day by day, moment by moment, in constant reminder for his crimes. So that we can stand up and say, "yes, what he did was wrong, and he is still paying for it." The enormity of these crimes cannot be wiped out in one moment.

My regular readers will recall that I follow the case of Augusto Pinochet in Chile. I personally have a friend who was tortured under Pinochet's regime. I know that Pinochet is old and frail, and probably won't live long to serve any prison term if he ever comes to trial, BUT the very fact of a trial being held and him being made to stand trial, would send a statement to the world that people will be held accountable. And this man should be held up as accountable for the rest of his life, however much of it he has left.

Recently, Ian Huntly, the Soham murderer, failed in a suicide attempt. I remember seeing the headline on one of the UK tabloids: "Better Luck Next Time". No! Why should this man, who committed a horrific crime and ended the life of two innocent children, be allowed to take an easy way out? Leaving aside the question of eternal punishment, again, which will happen anyway, why should this man be able to cut short his earthly punishment?

Like other serial killers, mass murderers, and those who commit atrocities whether it be against individuals or against races, Saddam Hussein and the others I have mentioned should absolutely NOT be allowed the easy and quick punishment that is death. This is not a punishment, it is a release. Leaving aside my own ethical stance on the death penalty, surely the enormity of these crimes mean that death is not enough. These people should be made to live with the consequences of their crimes for the rest of their lives.