Put Sadam back?

[mr d]

Hello

 

What would happen if Sudam was put back into power. True he was convicted and sentenced to death. But sentences can be overturned on appeal.

 

Could he restore stability to Iraq? Would he be more able and willing to halt Iran's Ambitions?

 

He was the U.S. man once, could they use him again. And would he be worse than what Iraq is likely about to fall into?

 

Mr D

[ParanoiA]

Hello

 

What would happen if Sudam was put back into power. True he was convicted and sentenced to death. But sentences can be overturned on appeal.

 

Could he restore stability to Iraq? Would he be more able and willing to halt Iran's Ambitions?

 

He was the U.S. man once, could they use him again. And would he be worse than what Iraq is likely about to fall into?

 

Mr D

 

Well, I believe we could restore stability to Iraq if we didn't discriminate between innocent and guilty, sweeping mass deaths and slaughter fests, torture and kidnappings...etc. That's a no brainer.

 

Our approach, although demonized politically, is far more ethical and moral than anything Saddam did - which also works against us since the insurgency knows our responses will always be surgical rather than mass bombing and gassing.

 

So, I think we'd do our own thug gang routine before we'd bring Saddam back to do it.

[Sisyphus]

No, I don't think even Saddam could bring order to Iraq at this point. Various other forces, be they sectarian militias, or Al Qaeda, or the new democratic factions, have gained too much of a foothold, and couldn't be put down by the kind of methods Saddam Hussein used.

 

Also, that would completely obliterate whatever (admittedly small) credibility we have left.

 

Also, are you INSANE?

[mr d]

Hello

 

First off as to being insane, why I certainly hope so, especially when compare to the people held up by the media and goverment as pillars of sanity. And can you offer up a standard by which to judge sanity?

 

Secondly the question is one to make people think, can a policy that does not include a brutal repression of opposition actually function in actions such as were taken in Iraq.

 

Americans currently, past history tends to be quite different, try waging wars yet at the sametime want to be seen as friends and benefactors to the people they are waging war against. Actually now that's liberate and bestow democracy on.

 

As seen in Somalia and Afghanistan unless the people being 'liberated' are looking to do so, simply removing one unfriendly goverment only allows for chaos unless the people want to form a new peaceful country. Simply setting up a puppet goverment saying 'Your Free' and getting out appears to lack the effectiveness needed.

 

In the future more ethnic and religious wars could drag in the United States. For as having encouraged most other major countries to spend less on, and dispand much of their own military, America is left as the only country with sufficent resources to under take such operations. The only true super power currently.

 

Can America effectively eliminate threats if unwilling to employ the means, whatever level of repression is needed, to totally and perminately remove threats to security?

 

Are you INSANE?

 

Mr D

[Pangloss]

All hail the insane!

 

No, I'm afraid it's pointless to even ponder this one, as it just isn't going to happen. Even if the situation completely falls apart there the Shi'a are going to execute Saddam, no ifs, ands or buts.

[SkepticLance]

I read an article by an Iraqi political scientist (I guess that makes him an expert?) who said that the only possible road to any sort of stability in Iraq right now is partition. If it is split into three states, that may be a road towards peace.

1. Sunni state.

2. Shiite state.

3. Kurd state.

 

At least the Kurds would be delighted!

[Pangloss]

It was interesting that the Iraq Study Group specifically recommended against the "three-state solution". Their problems were, as I understand it (not having read the report yet), the ones we discussed here on the board, e.g. having too many mixed-population areas (like Baghdad), the oil problem, etc.

 

Politically speaking, since that solution was mainly proponed by Democrats and has virtually no support amongst Republicans (or at least not at the White House), it is now essentially orphaned. Expect to see it disappear from radar.