Saddam's appeal

Looks like the appelate division has spoken:

BAGHDAD, Dec. 26 -- An Iraqi appeals court on Tuesday upheld a ruling to execute deposed leader Saddam Hussein for crimes against humanity and said he could hang within 30 days.

"From tomorrow, any day could be the day of implementation," chief judge Aref Abdul-Razzaq al-Shahin said at a news conference in Baghdad.

That's the way to do it. No pissing around like we do here in the United States.

On Nov. 5, a five-judge panel unanimously sentenced Hussein and two of his seven co-defendants to death by hanging. Four other defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 15 years to life, and an eighth was acquitted.

The high court also upheld the death penalty of two of Hussein's co-defendants, Shahin said, but returned the case of another convicted man to the high tribunal after deciding his life sentence was too lenient.

That's interesting. An appeals court who returns a defendant to the district bench because the sentence was too lenient. I like those guys.

But, the bigger lesson is that a defendant can be sentenced in November, file an appeal and have a decision on that appeal in December. Not bad at all, and from my way of thinking, the US Courts could take judicial notice. Punishment is no good as a deterrent unless the sanctions are quickly enforced. Wilbert Rideau could have benefitted from time limits like these.

I understand that the preferred method of hanging in the Arab world employs a braided wire cable, much like we use on a winch.