We Got Him... Now What?

Finally, the US troops in Iraq have captured Saddam Hussein. Congratulations are due, but two questions are worth asking:

a) why did it take so long?

b) who will try him?

It took eight months to find Saddam. It would have been much faster without continuing widespread support from ordinary Iraqis. And the Bush administration's lack of an exit strategy, or even basic dimplomatic skills, is largely responsible for that. There is no justification for US gloating now.

Where and by whom will Saddam be tried? TV reports this morning suggest that Saddam may have already been flown out of Iraq, presumably to Guantanamo Bay or some other US military hideout. The Iraqi Governing Council said last week that Saddam will be tried by Iraqi in Iraq, but the Bush Boyz may have other ideas.

US senators including Republican John McCain are already demanding that Bush do SOMETHING with the Guantanamo Bay prisoners, whose legal limbo has dragged on for two years. Saddam's trial needs to be fair and internationally recognized, which is unlikely to apply to any Gitmo kangaroo court.

I know - let's re-establish the International Criminal Court. Bill Clinton supported the ICC but Bush backed away from it... even before 9/11.