For Those Who Cry for Saddam …

IN his recent book about the war in Iraq, “State of Denial,” Bob Woodward recounts a story told by Prince Bandar Bin Sultan, who was Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Washington for 25 years. After the seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca by the Juhaiman Group in 1979 , Prince Bandar and late Saudi King Fahd once met with Saddam Hussein. The problem was solved when Saudi authorities arrested 500 members of the group and their supporters.

According to Prince Bandar, Saddam asked King Fahd to kill all 500 people, their sons, brothers and fathers to ensure that no one would dare to do such a thing again in the future.

I tell this story for all of those now crying for Saddam Hussein. A lot of Arabs, such as the Palestinians, Jordanians and people of some North African countries, have gotten used to loving dictators. We want to tell this story to the people in European countries and some international human rights organizations, which are protesting the death sentence against Saddam. We want to tell them that this is the way Saddam Hussein led his people for over 35 years.

Saddam and his supporters didn’t believe in courts. For the enemies of Saddam and his cronies, the death sentence was always close at hand. This is what they did for [Iraqi] King Faisal II and Abdul Kareem Qassim .

What is happening to Saddam Hussein has happened many times before in history. Western countries that criticize the death sentence handed down to Saddam did the same when World War II German leaders were sentenced to death. It is the same fate that has befallen many others. We hope the death sentence against Saddam is implemented as early as possible, in order to close this page in history.