Fortune Has Left Him... Fate Awaits Him

This from The Australian--

Saddam to hang 'within months'
Hala Jaber, Baghdad
February 20, 2006

SADDAM Hussein could be executed within months if he is found guilty of ordering the massacre of 140 people from the town of Dujail, the chief prosecutor in the former Iraqi dictator's trial has said.

And the ousted Iraqi dictator, who faces 11 other charges, will not be able to cheat the hangman by dragging out legal proceedings in a series of trials.

The prosecutor, Ja'afar Moussawi, said that under a law passed late last year, all death sentences must be carried out within 30 days of an appeal failing, regardless of any other charges.

"Once one of the accused on the Dujail case, for example, has been sentenced to death, then he won't be tried on other charges," Mr Moussawi said in an interview. "Other charges will automatically be dropped against that particular defendant, even if the case itself is brought against others."

Mr Moussawi was reluctant to be drawn on how long the Dujail case, which began four months ago against Saddam and seven co-defendants, would take but said it had "passed the 75% mark".

You can read the rest here.


Strangely, I'm torn as to whether or not he should be executed. Saddam certainly deserves to hang, but another part of me can't help but pity the man and wonder if his soul is still within reach.

I did say it was strange. Don't ask me to explain it... I didn't expect to feel this way. I guess he should have taken the U.S.'s offer and departed peacefully into exile.