Anybody else surprised?

[Nugget]

I can't say I'm particularly shocked (let's face it, Milosevic is claiming that he's too ill to stand trial), but really?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews...name_page.html

[Bifta]

Well, at least if he dies from ill health he won't be revered as some sort of martyr.

I have to agree with Bifta, it is better if he dies that way and puts a end to it at last. He shoould have been quietly killed much early by his staff or the americans. What ever happens now it will be bad

[Nugget]

Originally Posted by Damien

I have to agree with Bifta, it is better if he dies that way and puts a end to it at last. He shoould have been quietly killed much early by his staff or the americans. What ever happens now it will be bad

Hmmm, not so sure about him being 'quietly killed much earlier'

I have to say that I have no problem with him dying of ill health (although I do believe he should stand trial for his crimes) - I just think it's strangely coincidental that, after signing forms to say that he was 'in good health' that all of a sudden, there's evidence of a stroke

[Jerrek]

That trick can probably work with the world "court," but it doesn't work with the United States and Iraq.

"Under the Geneva Convention we're entitled to have access to our client" blah blah blah...

Under the Geneva Convention, you shouldn't have been gassing Kurds...

This is a crappy trail anyway

There is clear proof he did those crimes. Thats why i said it would have been better if he was killed earlyer and save us the bother wwith this bloody trail. He gassed the kurds and a lot more, at least hitler did the good thing and killed himself to save us the bother

Originally Posted by Damien

There is clear proof he did those crimes. Thats why i said it would have been better if he was killed earlyer and save us the bother wwith this bloody trail.

Re: Milosevic's and, indeed, Saddam's trial, and any others, here's a rather apposite quote from "A Man for All Seasons"

* * * * *

Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!

More: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get
after the Devil?

Roper: Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!

More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on
you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is
planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if
you cut them down (and you're just the man to do it!), do you really think
you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the
Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!

* * * * *

[Nugget]

Originally Posted by Damien

This is a crappy trail anyway

There is clear proof he did those crimes. Thats why i said it would have been better if he was killed earlyer and save us the bother wwith this bloody trail. He gassed the kurds and a lot more, at least hitler did the good thing and killed himself to save us the bother

But justice dictates that a trial must take place, irrespective of the fact that, to all intents and purposes, we all know what he's responsible for. We already have the situation where Uday and Qusay can't be brought to justice, yet they were aguably as bad (if not worse) than their father.

Which would you prefer - a trial that shows the wqorld exactly what he did, or somebody else facing a trial for murdering another person? It doesn't matter if that person was a dictatorial tyrant, murder = murder and he deserves to face justice.

[zovat]

We who shout to the world that murder is wrong, genocide is wrong, and inhumane treatment is wrong, should listen to our own statements and live by our own creed.

In other words - we put him on trial for (amongst other things) the murder (although he claimed they were killed for crimes that were never publicly proven) of his opponents.
We should be seen to be totaly scrupulous and fair in our handling of this trial, for fear of becoming hypocrites whose word means nothing in the world.

I would love to see both Saddam and milosovitch swing from the highest tree, but I would want the world, and especially their own people, to see that it was done fairly, and JUSTICE (not VENGANCE) was served.

(Oh and if they want someone to open the trapdoor on Saddam - I'm available )