Coming as it did on the eve of a holiday weekend, Saddam Hussein’s execution has not yet received the full attention of the opinion press and the blogosphere. In the coming days, the trickle of commentary so far is certain to become a deluge.
Still, what’s already been written is more than enough to occupy at least a good part of New Year’s day. So for those looking for a starting point for their reading, we offer a short roundup of commentary on the subject.
Op-eds:
Feared and Pitiless; Fearful and Pitied by John Burns, The New York Times
Only Stupid, Sadistic Dictators Hang . . . and Saddam Was Both by Niall Ferguson, Sunday Telegraph
So Long to ‘Our’ Tyrant by Andrew Cockburn, Los Angeles Times
Keeping Faith With a Bloody Tradition by Christopher Hitchens, Los Angeles Times
For All Those He Murdered, I’m Glad He Has Hanged by Jason Burke, The Guardian
From the blogs:
Executing Saddam on Eid al-Adha is a Mistake, Counterterrorism Blog
The Timing, Stupid Abu Aardvark
Saddam’s Execution The Washington Realist
Saddam’s Death Belgravia Dispatch
Saddam Dead; Footage Everywhere DefenseTech