December 15, 2003
Saddam Innocent
Make no mistake about it. There will be a significant number of Americans who will criticize the capture, trial and execution of Saddam Hussein.
Recent events should and are being greeted with celebration by most. But that will change quickly. It won’t even take a week for the press to forget anything good ever happened and start listening to whatever criticism comes barreling down the turnpike.
The first thing you should expect is this will be used as a criticism of Bush. “Why did it take so long?” And “Why didn’t they catch Osama Bin Laden before Saddam?” The implication is they’re trying to catch one but have forgotten the other. I think guys with zillions of dollars in cash and many loyalists ought to be able to evade capture for a long time. They had to catch one or the other first. It turned out to be Saddam. But since it didn’t happen overnight or sooner some Americans will use the length of time it took to capture Hussein as a hammer to bludgeon Bush.
No matter how much information interrogators get from Hussein it won’t be enough to satisfy these folks. What we learn or don’t learn about WMDs will not be enough for the anti-war faction.
No matter the witnesses.
No matter the pictures.
No matter who tries him.
There will be criticism.
I’m glad to hear he’ll be tried by Iraqis. Because only from his victims will he receive his proper reward. In the end the head of his statue won’t the only head that will tumble.
- Ed Powell