I really don’t have anything startling to say about an Iraqi appeals court mandating that Saddam be hung within the next 30 days. Hell, I expected it to happen a month ago. From what I’m reading, Saddam’s defense doesn’t have much of a path forward. Unlike the U.S., justice is fairly swift in Iraq - or at least, swift to the point that there’s an opportunity for him to make the gallows walk on the day that the new U.S. congress takes office.

Do I sound like a bit of a cynic? I probably am. If he’s indeed to hang within the next month (and the execution could happen anytime, according to reports), would it simply be coincidental timing if the hanging happened on Jan. 4th? Steal some of the thunder from the swearing in of the 110th congress?

Listen, I’m not crying any tears for Saddam. I’ve said on many occasions that he’s a bad guy. But we’ve got our own bad guys on this side of the Atlantic ocean, and some of them are responsible for more murder and death than Saddam ever dreamed of committing.

My own opinion? Let Saddam rot. I’m not in favor of capitol punishment, anyway, so it would be duplicitous on my part to gleefully say, “Let the bastard swing!”. A more deserving punishment for Saddam would be to spend the rest of his life in solitary somewhere in the vicinity of The Hauge; sharing a dark, damp cell and a single, crusty, stainless steel toilet with some other high profile war criminals. I’m sure we could manage to find a cellmate or two for Saddam over the next few years.

And all snarkiness aside - if Saddam actually hangs, the blowback in Iraq is going to be indescribably bad.