Up until now, the only humanizing story I'd heard about Saddam was that he enjoyed fishing with hand grenades. For all the repressive things he did while he was in power, Iraq was a stable and (compared to now) prosperous nation. The United States government, in all it's arrogance, arbitrarily decided to "export democracy", taking the attitude that that form of government was the only way to run a country. Iraq had one of the best health care and educational systems in the Middle East, a dominant secular influence in government, and strong legal protections and rights for women – before the United States invaded it.

Now, Iraq looks and feels like Soviet invasion-era Afghanistan: hundreds of people are being killed every day, and the country's infrastructure has been all but destroyed. 4 years on, even basic utilities like electricity and running water have yet to be completely restored. In place of the former stable, secular government, we now have an increasingly conservative Islamic puppet government that isn't representative of the population. Just this past week, British soldiers killed/captured an entire local Iraqi police force, and destroyed the police station, on suspicion that the officers were members of a Shi'ia death squad. Regardless of America's intentions, their actions and continued presence in Iraq have killed almost as many Iraqis in 4 years as died during Saddam's entire 3+ decade reign as President of Iraq. Let us not forget that the sole justification for invading Iraq in the first place was to confiscate Saddam's WMDs – weapons that were nowhere to be found, even by the most U.S.-friendly of weapons inspectors. Should anyone have been surprised that the weapons didn't exist? Oh, but of course, the U.S. has proof that they exist: they were the ones that sold Saddam the weapons!

As for Saddam's "trial", that circus somehow managed to be less fair and impartial than the kangaroo courts of Ba'athist Iraq. 8 lawyers killed, at least 3 different judges resigned or were removed – one by the Prime Minister's own office, on the grounds that he was being "too soft" on Saddam.The Iraqi leader was railroaded through the "justice" system, and unceremoniously murdered by masked man in a barbaric and voyeuristic publicly filmed hanging. Iraqi officials have countered by insisting that Saddam was treated with "dignity", both in life and in death. In fact, his executioners taunted him incessantly at the gallows, and danced and sang around his corpse as he lay dead on the floor. Saddam, to his credit, put on a ballsy and fabulously defiant show that lasted right up until the moment of his death. He went to the gallows without a mask and, according to those who witnessed the hanging, without any fear, apprehension or regret.

Why the quick execution? It wasn't because of approaching religious holidays. Think about it: Saddam was only tried for the Dujail massacre. He was never tried for the poison gas attack against a Kurdish village, or any of the other atrocities he committed against Iranian soldiers and civilians during the Iran-Iraq war. Why? Because all of those crimes were committed using weapons bought from – you guessed it – the United States. This fact alone would have meant Donald Rumsfeld being called to testify, in addition to Saddam giving his own testimony. Embarrassing information on U.S. foreign policy might have come to light. The Bush Whitehouse, in it's current fragile and unpopular state, would have wanted to avoid such public scrutiny.

Congratulations, George W. Bush, you've done what not even Saddam himself could do – made a secular, largely unpopular dictator into a legend and a martyr, and the new champion of the Muslim world. Mr. Bush: you, sir, deserve a pat on the back – for ruining one of the oldest and most beautiful parts of the world. Even though your poll numbers suck right now, at least your ego can feel good, knowing that you're the single most dangerous person on the face of the earth.

Source: BX forums