I wouldn’t dream of disagreeing with a word you said about MSGT Ellis. Tough job, tough situation. As one of those who criticized, I accept what you say. To answer your question, I too did 21 years, most of it in F-14 squadrons.

My criticism was not about how Ellis handled himself in dealing with Saddam. Telling an interviewer that Saddam was “gangsta”, which carries a positive note of admiration, is somewhat disturbing to me. That’s all.

I recall the account of an Iraqi doctor who treated Saddam’s wife. She had burns on her arms, burns that looked like somebody had burned her with a lit cigarette. She wouldn’t answer the doctor’s questions about how she got them. All she would say was that it wasn’t easy being the wife of Saddam.

Saddam had a favorite saying which his underlings often repeated: You get people to do what you want by hurting them. That’s why Saddam burned his wife. That’s why he threw his own son in prison. That’s why virtually all Saddam’s lieutenants were thrown in prison for a couple weeks of torture, to keep up the level of fear. That’s why Saddam wiped out whole populations of Iraqis.

If anything, this Army nurse’s account illustrates what a cowardly little creep Saddam was. He stood for nothing but his own ego, perfectly willing to tear humans to pieces to satisfy its whims and confirm his supremacy. The world is a better place without him. His death should give his peers a lot to think about.

One reason why I would like the West to be preserved, is because we pride ourselves on our humanity, dignity, and basic respect for human life.

In the past, more so, agreed. But not any longer. One phrase – the recent court innovation and so called right to abortion.

I need to go wash my hair.

SOMEBODY HOLD MY HAIR>>>>>>>>>>>………

So obviously, Allah, you don’t have long curly hair that needs to be held back when you V O M I T . Nuanced, I know, but if Michelle was doing the moderating—SHE would get it. DUH. Get it?

LOVE YOU , ALLAH…

All I feel now is a sense of justice and peace now that one more evil doer is dead. That picture of the kurd mother/baby get me every time. Anyone who can stand up for that and feel even a remote sadness for the evil can talk to my hand.

The nurse should have just stfu. Simple.

The Monster on January 1, 2007 at 11:02 PM

What a foolish analogy. If a Repubulican… What the heck? Saddam didn’t go on a killing spree, he mass murdered people like Hitler, or Mussolini, or Pol Pot, or Kim Jong, or Idi Amin, or whatever commie, marxist, dictator you need to name…notice no democracy could be named. If the people who he tortured, mass murdered, stole their familes, want to celebrate his death…let them. I would bet that if Saddam had taken your child (assuming you are old enough) had them torn apart by dogs while making you watch, you would dance at his death. If a whole neighboring village of a thousand people were lined up and shot, then buried (including woman, children and infants) you would dance at his death. You get to sit behind a computer and point fingers in the safety of your home. The worst thing that happens to you, is some guy posts on a thread that you do not understand the depths of anguish, pain, and suffering, that people go through when lives are destroyed by the whim of a dictator. And you will ignore the post, because you don’t get it.

I don’t think people like Saddam, Hitler, and the like deserve to be treated with dignity or respect.
They don’t. The people of Iraq who want to live in a free country, where the rule of law prevails (instead of institutionalized low-intensity tribal warfare, in the form of pressure-group politics feeding corrupt members of the ruling tribe at the expense of the others) are the ones who deserve for the parties to a legal controversy to be treated with dignity and respect.

That the execution became a Mookie al-Sadr pep rally was not a Good Thing. The Monster on January 1, 2007 at 11:02 PM

Agreed 150%. We’ll collectively pay for this later as it will seem that all is politics – even Saddam’s execution.

For my money, our government should have let our warfighters smoke al-Sadr when they had him. They didn’t, preferring to negotiate with and eventually legalize the militias.

What a boo-boo, to say the least. I fear it shall come back to haunt us.

I don’t think people like Saddam, Hitler, and the like deserve to be treated with dignity or respect.

They don’t. The people of Iraq who want to live in a free country, where the rule of law prevails (instead of institutionalized low-intensity tribal warfare, in the form of pressure-group politics feeding corrupt members of the ruling tribe at the expense of the others) are the ones who deserve for the parties to a legal controversy to be treated with dignity and respect.

That the execution became a Mookie al-Sadr pep rally was not a Good Thing. Let’s try a little thought experiment. Imagine that a Republican went on a killing spree, was convicted and sentenced to death. Now imagine that the doctor has put the needle in his arm, but the valve to turn on the nasty stuff hasn’t been opened yet, and the prison guards started chanting “Hillary, Hillary, Hillary!” or “Obama, Obama, Obama!”. No matter how bad the original crime might have been, the damage to the nation from such a spectacle would be unjustified.

Someone needs to have a private conversation with PM al-Maliki, and explain to him that the people who carry out sentences such as this need to STFU and do their jobs, and that anyone who has custody over a prisoner must go out of their way to promote the dignity of the nation. That means no sectarian comments, even though the execution was for killing Shi’a. When the co-defendants get their turn after Eid, there better not be a repeat of that ‘Moqtada’ crap.

When you sign up to be a medical professional, you put your personal feelings aside and do your damn job. I would prefer that the nurse had worded his response more along those lines, and explained to Saddam that for him to comment on such matters would be unprofessional, but it was close enough.

Pretending to be a medical doctor, pretending to have knowledge, and using that pretend knowledge to attack other people.

I am not a medical doctor for the record. I apologize for making anyone to think so.

He did the best job. As a doctor in training, Our aim is to help or patients in all aspects till they

It was a overstatement.

Just to make it clear, when I point out that you lied in your postings, that is not an attack, it is a fact.

I was not disputing your comments. I just added some context. I cannot provide a physical evidence, only words.

Facts are something that liberals have a hard time understanding, so I understand your confusion.

I try to distinguish between opinions and facts. The need for Saddam to be executed for destroying his people is an opinion. The fact is that he actually killed his people.

Your comments weren’t “violent”–what Saddam did to the Iraqi people was violent. Your problem is that you don’t know the difference

I did not understand what you were trying to say.

You are typical of most liberals, who will say and do most anything to try to get their point across. You will use lies as a basis of argument, then cry foul when they are pointed out.

Facts are something that liberals have a hard time understanding, so I understand your confusion.

right2bright on January 1, 2007 at 8:09 PM

LOL!

Ouabam on January 1, 2007 at 7:42 PM

Quabam, no vehemence intended, and I think that it is fine that you post here, glad to have you. It is just important to have honest postings. And I had just noticed that you were, well let me put it this way, shading the truth a bit. Pretending to be a medical doctor, pretending to have knowledge, and using that pretend knowledge to attack other people.
Please keep posting, now that we know who you are and what ethics you adhere to. You are typical of most liberals, who will say and do most anything to try to get their point across. You will use lies as a basis of argument, then cry foul when they are pointed out.
The best phrase to use is; you have been exposed or you have been outed.
Just to make it clear, when I point out that you lied in your postings, that is not an attack, it is a fact. Facts are something that liberals have a hard time understanding, so I understand your confusion.

Defending myself is pushing me over the edge. If you want me out of this site, ban me. I don’t have time like any of you to go hating people. Let’s just end it here or keep on the circle of insults

“Over the edge”, eh? You’re a funny little boy, Ouabam. Aren’t you a little young to be taking so many meds?

Your comments weren’t “violent”–what Saddam did to the Iraqi people was violent. Your problem is that you don’t know the difference

Janos Hunyadi on January 1, 2007 at 6:53 PM

Follow your own advice. Don’t feed the trolls. I find it interesting that most of you actually respond to what I say with such vehemence. I also took time out to google all your comments and others’ comments in this site. You guys have a history of attacking others. And I actually wanted Allah to ban me when I posted those violent comments. If you think that I am fraudulent, ignore me. I neither gain anything nor lose a dime commenting on this site. I might sound questionable to all of you. Defending myself is pushing me over the edge. If you want me out of this site, ban me. I don’t have time like any of you to go hating people. Let’s just end it here or keep on the circle of insults. You might think getting rid of me is winning the war between Conservs and libs. I am just laughing. That’s all.

All of you folks complaining about this guy I wonder two things: 1) Have you ever served in the military? 2) What would you have done in his shoes and NOT risk a Article 32 hearing or 15-6 investigation?

If anything the guy has my complete sympathy. I’d not want the job he had.

armyvet on January 1, 2007 at 6:58 PM

Copy that, armyvet. Well said

I thought it was an interesting article, and found nothing bowl-worthy about it.

He really didn’t give away much.

Sorry for the typo.

2. I feel he did a good job in the interview. He really didn’t way much. Like another poster said, it was a fairly good non-answer. He was decent, polite, well-spoken, etc. What a servicemember should be in an interview.

3. Not all liberals are in the Med Corps and JAG. I knew plenty in Military Intelligence and the AG and infantry and even some in SF (not many).

4. I’ve met my VERY fair share of gung-ho types in both Med and JAG – airborne, pathfinder, ranger (chaplains with SF tabs) You meet slugs in ALL branches of the military and in each career field of each branch, whether it be SF, MI, AG, IN, etc.

5. Any person in this guy’s position would have to maintain a fairly neutral attitude about his duties. You’re there to carry out a responsibility and a duty – not issue verdicts, judgments, and vengence. Remember, for every guy/girl out there killing bad guys and we’re saying “great job” to ‘em for doing that – keeping us safe, there are also those who are doing the unpleasant jobs like this one.

6. Remember also there were guards and medical staff supporting the Nuremburg prisoners after WW2.

7. I sure wouldn’t want to humanize Saddam (can’t stand the guy and he deserved to be executed). But what person wouldn’t talk about family in that situation? Looking at it another way, Saddam could have easily been looking to see if he could use Ellison as a confidante or cohort in an escape or some other scenario. One of the first steps in collecting intelligence is befriending someone and turning them into a source.

8. He was ordered to keep the guy alive – no matter how he had to do it. He was given a lawful and direct order by a superior ranking officer.

I spent 21 years in the military. So I don’t speak from a lack of experience.

All of you folks complaining about this guy I wonder two things: 1) Have you ever served in the military? 2) What would you have done in his shoes and NOT risk a Article 32 hearing or 15-6 investigation?

If anything the guy has my complete sympathy. I’d not want the job he had.

I’ve read your postings, and you still have not put forth one original thought–none of you leftie trolls ever does. You spout the same lame tired garbage, and try to pick at anything you see as making all conservatives look bad

These threads are a discussion among like-minded adults, not target practice for a spoiled, self-absorbed child.

Every time you voice your sympathy for Saddam, you only look worse to most of the people here

….and no one cares about your age. I said you SOUNDED eighteen, maybe nineteen. That was an over-estimate…

Ouabam on January 1, 2007 at 5:17 PM

Well someone is still spoon feeding you Doogie. It is always best to tell the complete truth Doogie. You have never had a patient, you have only read a couple of books, you would like to be in med school someday (actually you never said this, but with all of the lies you posted I figured why would you have only one truth in your post). You are not a doctor in training. Doogie, you are a phony, a fake. You have no right to argue with someone with lies.

As a doctor in training, Our aim is to help or patients in all aspects till they leave our sight. If you wanted him to behave like the Palestinian doctor in Sweden, I would not stop you. Such relationship helps us to offer the best treatment.

if your patients get the feeling that you are ignoring them when they are talking to you, that doesn’t help the patient/medic relationship.
Everybody does not think like you guys: speaking death to power.

Ouabam on January 1, 2007 at 1:58 PM

Thanks for the medical tips Doogie. Now how about the relationship built on honesty.

http://theseoultimes.com/ST/db2/images/1618-20050318092430.jpg

Anybody can display human qualities. We’ve all seen photos of Saddam with his arm around the shoulders of a small child, huge grin on his face. So he read poetry, watered plants, and fed birds. This man seriously believed himself to be the spiritual heir to Nebuchadnezzar. He desired the title of king, not president. Surely he was a king, because we all know that his 100% election results were generated under threat of death. I suspect that he believed once he was handed over to the Iraqis he’d get free, so as long as he was in American custody he had hope. And just like the Gitmo detainees, he was being well cared for, so how bad is it really?

But none of that matters in the least. The photo AP put up under Ellis’s last quote says why. Despite pretenses to humanity, the man was inhuman, and responsible for immense inhumanity. That is all we need to know.

I don’t fault MSGT Ellis for his choices while doing his duty in caring for Saddam. I think him unwise for allowing his thoughts on it to be published.

So, that is why we have the troll Honora giving us her liberal wisdom all the time while saying her husband was in the military as a doctor for whatever years. They are a different bunch then the regular forces across the board.

Catie96706 on January 1, 2007 at 1:01 PM

I believe honora’s ex-husband was in the military…

What did you expect him to say?

How about not dignifying it with a response?

Allahpundit on January 1, 2007 at 1:18 PM

…or not with a stupid or PC one…

And, I hear that Ahmadinejad and Chavez, also Castro, can be pretty charismatic. Also, Kim Jong Il apparently plays musical instruments and likes classical music.

Everything is a matter of perspective and the media and idealists don’t have any. Or they have it in favor of tyrants. How such ‘intelligent’ elitists can’t realize this is completely beyond me. Hypocricy, pure and simple!