Executing Saddam Is Not a Good Idea

If, as some pundits say, the war in Iraq is part of a larger war between cultures, the American side of the culture clash will lose a battle when Saddam is hanged (probably in the next day or so). Yes, Saddam is a horrible person; and, no, I don't feel sorry for him regardless of his fate. (I've had more than one nightmare about the guy.) Still, so-called civilized democracies do not hang people; outside of the United States, such nations do not execute people in any manner. I can't imagine that Hussein's execution will have a positive effect on the ground in Iraq, and by cooperating with the Iraqis to hasten this execution, the administration is making our nation look barbaric and bloodthirsty. Saddam Hussein needs to be tried in an international court and given a life sentence in The Hague, much like fellow genocidal despot Slobodan Milošević.