Well, I thought I'd let this topic simmer before entering the ring. For the verdict, I was less than 100 metres from the court where Saddam was. The verdict came in around 1230h local time on the 5th. About 0230h CST in Canada.
About 1240h, celebratory fire began throughout the city (at least in the area we are in, and in Sadr City to our north west). The amount of firing into the air was outragous, and I just thought to myself "what goes up must come down". This style of shooting AKs in the air is a cultural thing. Every citizen has the right to own one AK per family here.
Within an hour or so, most of the shooting tapered off to the odd short burst. Then quiet, as the city was in curfew mode, and even now in daytime, the restrictions are less. After dark the curfew exists, and any vehilce opertating runs the risk of being destroyed, Yesterday, the shops were open here in the IZ, and it was pretty much business as usual. I had spoke to some Iraqi Army at the Tomb of the Uknown Soldier, near the Crossed Swords, and in broken english, they were pleased with the verdict, as the majority of citizens here in Iraq are.
That evening of the verdict, the city was again quiet with the exception of USAF CAPs overhead, UAVs and helicopters busy all night long. Yes, there was some very large "crumps" for a few hours leading up to about 2330h local, but in reality, that happens all day long in this festering boil on the arsehole of the world. Thats what it is here. An angry angry culture, full of angry angry people with a milenuim of hatred passed on from one generation to another. We will not be able to change the mentality of these people, EVER!
I will be happy to get out of here when its time to rotate out.
For as long as there has been sand, this whole region has been in conflict, and I have come to the conclusion that the culture is the problem, for if they can't fight with someone else, they tear each other apart, hence now our own countries are swamped with these people, and our own big cities now feel their wrath. Sad, but true. I spent 10yrs in Sydney, and seen the middle eastern mentaility in my face. I have felt the fear it produced, and seen their contempt against our laws and our society in general. Its hard to understand unless you have experienced it. when you have lthe leader of the islamic people of Australia proclaiming that women in non-islamic dress deserve to be raped (again recent news in Sydney, but ongoing for years), well thats an outrage, but welcome to Australia!
For Iraq, democracy in a culture where it has been non-esistant will be long coming, if at all, with locals paying the price. Here, as always corruption and graft are rife in everyday Iraqi society. Thats just how it is here, and nothing will change that. Just like the maple leaf is a part of Canada.
The US liberation or invasion, which ever way you think, well I just don't know anymore. At times I look at the "devil you know" theory, and maybe he should have been left alone, and again I see the carnage he had caused and the open murder which had gone on, but he kept the country in some type of twisted order. I beleived the WMD theory at the time (and hope one day the evidence will be found), and I thought it was a just cause. It aint about oil either. So either way now, the US and her allies are here, including us Australians too. We, as a whole are just trying to make things a little better. The price is paid in countless Allied lives lost (105 US soldiers alone in October), along with many Iraqis, all at the hands of Saddam supporters, foreign militants, and any other loser wanting a piece of the Great Satan for whatever reason.
I have been out in the most worst areas of this city, and I have seen some of the most sickening sights, but thats the nature of the beast here in this hellhole of a place. These areas were here long before the 2003 and 1991 wars. Poverty beyond comprehension existed as Saddam and his government flourished happily.
Personally for Saddam, I thought the trial was fair. His supporters acted out murders and kidnappings to quash the court, and that never succeeded. So, of course he is guilty. You don't have to be rocket scientist to figure that out. I say carry out the sentance, but let the appeal process go through. If they hang him, so be it, for he has been tried by his peers, citizens who represent the nation in a majority. The Sunnis , the minority, for decades held the powerbase, abused othersw through which ever way they could, and now it's their turn to feel the crunch. So, either they come on board as one, or they carry on what they are doing. My prediction is they'll carry on their cowardly ways, killing anyone in their path. Keeping him alive will only enrage his supporters, and if executed, I beleive he will not be martyred, as overall through time, the country has a chance to become something it never could be. Freedom is something people don't really understand unless you had it before.
This entire nregion will never be settled, and if any of these savages here in this region ever get their hands on a nuclear weapon, they will use it against the west, and that will be our next worry, if not already. So, if you think you are safe, you're not.
Thats my opinion on the situation, here on a cold wet night in Baghdad.
Enjoy your safety and freedom back home,
Wes
EDITed for spelling - its late.
