NICE idea

Dr. Richard Dawkins, who regards President Bush and Prime Minister Blair as "war criminals", does not believe that Saddam Hussein should have been executed. That, he asserts, is far too uncivilised and that the late genocidal dictator's life should have been spared. Not, mind you, so he could spend his days in a cell, but rather to be poked and prodded by psychologists and sociologists ad nauseum as a prime speciman of the genus dicator.

This sort of "mercy" makes me immensely glad that I'm an uncivilised proponent of the hanging. At least, unlike Dr. Dawkins, I was willing to regard Saddam as a truly evil man, but a man none the less, to be merely hanged and leaving his ultimate fate to God's judgement. I was pleased to see Saddam go to the gallows and was not bothered in the least that some of the people that he'd oppressed and terrorised for over a generation taunted him as they placed the noose around his neck, but I draw the line at the sort of "humaneness" that Dr. Dawkins advocates that would have reduced him to the status of a lab rat to be experimented on and "treated" endlessly in a fashion that would have made a Borgia blanch.

C. S. Lewis, please call your service.

Justice Served

Saddam Hussein Hanged

Now approaching room temperature.

Saddam Hussein, former president of Iraq and infamous mass murderer, was executed at 6 AM Baghdad time.

I've had to deal with the smell of that dictator from varying proximity for over a quarter of a century ever since I started doing archaeological excavations in the Middle East. I have seen first hand the effects of his actions and the lives of friends and acquaintances have been affected, damaged, and even lost due to his evil. On my wall is a union jack from the First Gulf War and I've been following the second closely ever since it became the main front in the war against the Jihadists, so I was particularly keen to see this outcome.

However, It isn't because of any personal animosity that I hold for the monster that I am so openly pleased at this moment. I have very few truly driving passions in my life, but one of them is a deep-seated loathing of tyranny that makes me literally cheer when one is brought to task for his crimes. Any time a murdering tyrant does a Ceausescu I am absolutely delighted just as I am disappointed every time a Stalin dies in bed.

It doesn't happen often enough, but when it does, I have hope for the future of our sorry planet.

My wife reminds me that saying such things as Saddam now being three inches taller and wears a size six collar is unchristian. Therefore, I shall finish by saying that Saddam has now gone to meet his Maker and may God have mercy on his soul.

The Last Saddam Update?

Now it looks as though Saddam is going to be executed early Saturday morning Baghdad time-- which means it could happen any moment.

Stay tuned.

Update: Official: Saddam hangs by 6 AM Baghdad time.

Set the Tivo.

Quote of the Day

If that many British Muslims turned out to protest interference with their customs, the Blair government would be bending over backward to please them.

Instapundit on the 300,000 people who turned out for foxhunting on Boxing Day in defiance of the government's ban.

Saddam to Hang

Saddam Hussein has lost his appeal and will hang within the next thirty days.

It's a shame they can only do it once.