However, what's done is done. Hussein has been executed (the video's out there somewhere, but I'm not inclined to link to such ghoulishness), and now the fallout of that act will start to occur.
Looking around the Al Jazeera website, I came across this article which summarizes some of the reactions in the immediate aftermath of Hussein's execution and burial.
The media reactions seem to range from debate over the timing of the execution being seen as offensive to some groups, to analysis of why the US should get its troops out of Iraq. Interestingly, it looks like there's quite a bit of emphasis on the US presence in Iraq - which is both understandable and very bad news.
The Lebanese Arabic daily Al-Safir said that Saddam was the first Arab president to be executed under occupation,...
When I say it's "bad news" - it's bad news for those who want Saddam Hussein to be a non-issue, and it's really not good for those who claim that the wars that BushCo has started in the Middle East are "protecting America".
By emphasizing that Hussein was executed while Iraq was still occupied by US troops, several key aspects of this mess become magnified:
1) It creates significant questions about the validity of the whole trial and execution process - especially in the minds of "average" people.
2) It detracts from the crimes that Hussein was accused of, moving the focus away from his actions as Iraq's President, and focusing them squarely on the US occupiers.
3) It winds up painting Hussein as a victim, rather than a perpetrator.
The combination sets the stage for people in the Middle East to grow the legend of Saddam Hussein as the "Leader who stood up courageously" in the face of American occupation, and paid the ultimate price for it.
Whether al Jazeera and other regional news outlets are "fostering" this image, it's not hard to see it emerging quite naturally. By being in a hurry to execute Hussein, Iraq (and by complicit actions, the United States) has created a ghost that will be extremely hard to put down - especially if Hussein continues to be painted in terms of a questionable trial and execution.
If Saddam Hussein becomes "Saddam Hussein of Legend", a mere withdrawal of US troops from Iraq may not be adequate to assuage the sense of grievance that will fester in the region.
In the short term, I wouldn't want to be an American trooper on the ground in Iraq. What has been (to know) a cross between civil war and a resistance action may well turn into a war of attrition.
So ... George ... the next move is up to you. Choose wisely - much more than your ego is riding on it.
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