Situating the Death of Saddam Hussein in New World Order

The President of Iraq Saddam Hussein, in American custody, was finally put to death on the occasion of Islamic festival of sacrifice. The most shocking part of the hanging was that his legs were chained while ropes were put in his neck. He was used by the occupation forces as a most effective method of Iraqi humiliation right from the time of his capture to unlawful killing. He was deprived of many rights under international law. He was not even allowed to meet his lawyers and relatives as per his rights in international law. Iraqi trial court is now completely exposed for his surrender to American agenda. In this context his death can be questioned in international law.

What is shocking to note that the way the US handling of Iraqi affairs shows lack of legitimacy of national and international laws. It also shows that might is superior to justice. It has raised some questions? Will it taken as a New Year Gift to the Western world or a provocative action to the non-Western world? Will Saddam Hussein emerge as super-hero of Iraq? Kuwait and Iran have taken his death as a gift of humanity but they can be reasonably indicted for the death of Iraqis since 2003 and destruction of Iraq. This might please some of those who disliked him for certain reasons but mainly those who are working as the agents of the Occupation forces. Little pleasures would be magnified world over by the ‘supportive’ media to celebrate his demise as a kind of liberation of Iraq like what was shown at the time of the fall of Baghdad and the capture of Saddam Hussein.

On the country, a large section of people both inside Iraq and outside in the streets would see his painful demise as the most tragic incident in the history of Iraq. Despite his some cruel actions and orders, he built and rebuilt Iraq, particularly the education of women, construction of roads, communication, higher education, employment, health, electricity, water and other infrastructure for capacity building of Iraq. Saddam Hussein was of course a great rebel against emerging international order. Anger of the majority of the world community can be realized easily by witnessing pains among general public across religious, regional and linguistic lines all over the world.

He was also a builder of Strong State in the volatile region of West Asia. He was a great hope for many Iraqis during the Sanctions for diverting Iraq’s resources for Iraqi people. His respect grew more after he refused to leave the country and preferred to die in his homeland. His respect crystallized after he refused several American offers, in side American jail, to conform to American demands. Finally he would be remembered as super-hero for many Iraqis and others for his patriotism who neither got a fair trial nor were his views aired freely. His three legal aids were murdered and the whole jural processes were shrouded amidst confusions and secrecies.

In most of his deliberations, Saddam had accused American democracy for being violent and criminal to Iraqis. He also denounced al-Qaeda and sectarian violence. He called for mercy to himself but for Iraqis. He never repented on the death of his sons and dispersal of his family. He always cried over sectarian attacks and killings. However, he cannot be called a failed leader because of his three main achievements. He proved that he was true son of the soil who also became the symbol of national resistance and Iraqi unity. By cooperating with the UN for several years, he exposed major weaknesses of the UN which became instrumental in the destruction of Iraq on several counts. He also succeeded in exposing the United States on the pretext of WMD, Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights. Over the years, we have seen the fall of Iraq into a chaos created by the occupation forces.

The final verdict of the American sponsored court on upholding the death sentence of the captured President of Iraq and his killing has been more surprising than the ‘paternalistic’ foreign policy of the United States pursued elsewhere in international relations. There are signs particularly in Iraq that the Iraqi resistance which is supported by nationalist Iraqis (Shii and Sunni as well as Kurds) speeded up attacks on the occupation forces in different parts of Iraq. On the other hand, massive demonstrations took place in many parts of Iraq in support of Saddam Hussein which are almost unreported realities of Iraq as all the media agencies have to perform under American guidelines for media persons. It is more than certain that dead Saddam would emerge as hero of the century for Iraqis who witnessed the blood sacrifice of his sons and grandson in war against occupation. Saddam’s photographs have already become national symbols for many Iraqis and non-Iraqis.

Disastrous outcome

The hanging of Saddam Hussein would in fact seem to bring five major changes inside Iraq. One, the resistance will be deadliest against their military targets. Two, division of Iraq will be an acceptable option. Three, enemies of Iraq would engineer and maximize more episodes of explosions and attacks in civilian areas, thereby concretizing sectarian colour of tensions and attack resulting in full-fledged civil warlike situation in Iraq. Four, political instability and turbulent situations would be phenomenal in West Asia which would be characterized by more internal conflicts, anti-Establishment syndrome, violence, and border conflicts. Last, Palestinians would never get a fair deal from any quarter as Israel would be more assertive and aggressive against non-conformist parties and leaders of this region. As a result, the New Middle East would be disastrous for long-term peace and order in the entire region.

There were very strong signs even among the American hawks (which include representatives from both Democrats and Republicans) about the delay and rejection of the said death sentence as it would all its cards against Iraqis. They wanted to destroy Iraqi resistance in installments but this speedy jural process mirrors full-fledged involvement of the Zionists Lobby. Recent study of John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt on their deep penetration in the American system of decision making shows that the American aggressions on Iraq in March 2003 and its military occupation manifest the choice of the Lobby. There were emerging signs that growing American public pressures on the Federal government would result in withdrawal of forces which would have been disastrous for the Lobby.

There were signs that the American Senate would debate on the authorization of money for war expenditures which the Lobby want to avoid. The Lobby wants fiercer fighting in Iraq resulting in the killings of more American forces which would sensitize American public for supporting tit-for-tat policy of the US against Iraqis. The Lobby wants that the US and its allies should continue its war and aggressions on the pretext of terrorism. John Mearsheimer’s study clearly shows that the US is not pursuing its national interests in Middle East due to Lobby’s grip over the State Department. Besides, there are several recent publications by Western authors who have specified Israel’s interests and design in American occupation of Iraq. Iraqis in general also blame Israel for their sufferings.

America exposed

It can, however, be said that physically dead Saddam would be more deadly for the American and British forces who have no legitimacy inside Iraq except in the eyes of few pro-American Shii, Sunni and Kurds. A large number of Iraqi Shii who had earlier opposed Saddam for some reasons or the other, have now changed their opinion due to massive war crimes committed by the occupation forces day and night. Over three and a half years, they have realized that the so-called liberators are thousand times worse than the Saddam regime. Reasons are quite obvious. They realized that pro-Shii and pro-Kurd attitude of the occupying forces in Iraq expose the latter in clear terms. They have observed that their patrons are aggressive, belligerent and biased towards the Shiis in Lebanon, Syria and Iran. Similarly the Americans always supported Turkey against its Kurdish population.

Similarly, the Sunnis know well that Sunni dominated regime in Saudi Arabia is already a prime target in the classified pages of the 9/11 Report. Iraqis and others have also witnessed how Yassir Arafat was treated despite his secular, sacrificing, moderate and friendly approaches. He was disliked by the Neocons of the US and hated by Israel because of his non-conformity to their design for New Middle East. Only Abdullah’s regime in Jordan is comparatively trusted ally of the United States because it has qualified in the ‘conformity tests’ on several occasions. It is a fact that the US has always forgotten its friends for the sake of its ‘expansionist’ interests. Russia sided with the US against Hitler but the latter was designated as ‘evil empire’. Similarly, the US promoted Talibaans against the Red Army but later it bombed them.

Iraqis betrayed

It is now clear to most of Iraqis and others that its was neither crime, nor WMD, nor Saddam as Iraqi leadership was the factor for American aggression but his non-conformity and the Baathist philosophy of economic sovereignty which was posing resistance to the grand plan for the conformist New Middle East. It is due to this objective, most of Iraq is now the prime target for American belligerence. Most of Iraqis cannot forget how their economic, educational, and social capacities were crippled by the deadliest Sanctions resulting in the death of two millions. Therefore, Iraqis except the benefited Kurds can reasonably indict the US and its major ally UK for their massive losses, sufferings and humiliations both during the Sanctions and Occupation.

One can also review all the developments in Iraq where the US priority has been only building over 14 military bases, completing its largest embassy, engineering ethnic conflicts, car bombs in markets, and assassinations of leading Iraqis, forcing over 100,000 Iraqis to become refugees every month, psychological operations through media manipulation and other problems of Hobbesian state of nature. The US and its sponsored administration also failed in restoring security, law and order, supply of electricity, water and other humanitarian relief including the working of hospitals. On the contrary, their engagements in creating political institutions and constitution in Iraq only benefited their agenda rather than benefiting Iraqis in general. They not only violating human rights in various capacities but also obstructing even minimum efforts for humanitarian relief in the country. Iraqis have also lost on economic front mainly due to ‘total capture’ by the occupation forces on their oil wells. As a result, majority of Iraqis have not even a kind of ‘police state’ nor there are opportunities for any improvement due to ‘occupation’ which resulted in lawlessness and plundering of Iraq. It is in this context, elimination of Saddam is aimed at compounding painful situation in Iraq.