Azeem Ibrahim: The Fate of Dictators -- Justice and Revenge

Azeem Ibrahim: The Fate of Dictators -- Justice and Revenge

clip from article:

Now that Syria has been declared by the United Nations to be in a state of civil war, President Assad must be reflecting on the fate of leaders in the Middle East who have been overthrown recently. The ignominious capture of Saddam Hussein was followed by a speedy trial and hanging, televised so that justice may be seen to be done, according to Iraqi law. The capture and summary execution of Colonel Gaddafi of Libya was a barbaric example of rough justice, the display of his body for several days in a supermarket meat freezer being the ultimate indignity to satisfy the public's need for visual proof of his death. The highly controversial operation in Pakistan which ended in the death of Osama bin Laden was sanctioned by a ruling of U.S. law and was a example of ridding the world of a wanted terrorist without regard for legal transparency. The quick disposal of his body at sea was presumably to prevent his burial place from becoming a martyr's tomb and a rallying place for future terrorists.

Other deposed Middle Eastern leaders have fared somewhat better -- the public trial of bedridden Mubarak of Egypt continues sporadically and ex-President Ben Ali of Tunisia who fled to Saudi Arabia, is the subject of 18 trials in absentia, notably for murder and destabilizing the state. He has already been sentenced to 66 years in prison in total and has an international warrant out on his head.

In Syria, over 4,000 people have been killed in the last nine months and Syria has now been officially accused of crimes against humanity. The European Union has tightened sanctions against energy and financial sectors and the Arab League has just approved unprecedented economic sanctions against Syria. The main political opposition group, the SNC and the Free Syria Army formally recognized each other on November 28th as allies in opposition to the Assad regime.

You have to wonder what is going through the mind of President Assad as world opinion is lining up against him. If he had only recognized the needs of his people instead of turning his Army against them, he may have had a dignified exile with presumably his Swiss bank accounts to sustain him. But he has gone too far and one can only speculate what his exit strategy will be.

[read more at link]