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Iraq
Krauthammer: Killing Him Softly
2003-12-19
Another superb column by Dr. Krauthammer. Just the first bits here.
The race is over. The Oscar for Best Documentary, Short Subject, goes to . . . "Saddam’s Dental Exam."

Screenplay: 1st Brigade, U.S. 4th Infantry Division.

Producer: P. Bremer Enterprises, Baghdad.

Director: The anonymous genius at U.S. headquarters who chose this clip as the world’s first view of Saddam Hussein in captivity.

In the old days the conquered tyrant was dragged through the streets behind the Roman general’s chariot. Or paraded shackled before a jeering crowd. Or, when more finality was required, had his head placed on a spike on the tower wall.

Iraq has its own ways. In the revolution of 1958, Prime Minister Nuri Said was caught by a crowd and murdered, and his body was dragged behind a car through the streets of Baghdad until there was nothing left but half a leg.

We Americans don’t do it that way. Instead, we show Saddam Hussein — King of Kings, Lion of the Tigris, Saladin of the Arabs — compliantly opening his mouth like a child to the universal indignity of an oral (and head lice!) exam. Docility wrapped in banality. Brilliant. Nothing could have been better calculated to demystify the all-powerful tyrant.
More at the link. Watching Saddam take the tongue blade without complaint is going to do more to demoralize the jihadis than just about anything else we do.
Posted by:Steve White

#7  Guys, when George C. Scott describes the Roman triumph the way you just did at the end of the movie "Patton" is my very favorite part of an all-time classic film about one of our finest generals.
Posted by: Jennie Taliaferro   2003-12-19 3:55:17 PM  

#6  No, the slave was telling him "Remember you are just a man". The Roman had a big fear of a general getting a swollen head and becoming dictator (in the modern sense). It ended happenning with Marius, Silla and later Cesar.
Posted by: JFM   2003-12-19 3:34:03 PM  

#5  "...and standing behind the Victor would be a slave, whose job was to whisper in the ear of the Victor "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi"...
Posted by: mojo   2003-12-19 1:12:43 PM  

#4  In the old days the conquered tyrant was dragged through the streets behind the Roman general’s chariot.

Um, no. Roman triumphs (the parade that a victorious general was granted by the Senate upon his return) had a rigid order and procedure about them. The vanquished general/leader/foe, having been captured, to that point was always treated well -- clean, fed, etc. He was paraded in the triumph dressed in his best wardrobe, and either walked of his free will or was on what we today would call a float. Other portions of the triumph would depict the battles, show the loot, etc. About 2/3 of the way through the triumph, the vanquished leader would be taken out of the triumph to a special Roman prison (forget the name) where, out of sight of everyone, he would be stangled or cast into a deep, dark sewer pit.

The whole point was that if the vanquished foe was humiliated or mistreated it would cheapen the triumph and by implication lessen the Roman victory. The Romans didn't want that, they wanted to show the world just how great the victory was, so turn out the foe in his finest.

Which if you think about it is exactly what we're doing in the 21st century. Saddam is being treated properly -- no cruelty, no torture, etc. It shows even more the power of the US/coalition victory and the rightness of our cause. Very shrewd.
Posted by: Steve White   2003-12-19 12:47:47 PM  

#3  In the old days the conquered tyrant was dragged through the streets behind the Roman general’s chariot. Or paraded shackled before a jeering crowd. Or, when more finality was required, had his head placed on a spike on the tower wall.

Sounds good to me!
Posted by: CrazyFool   2003-12-19 9:00:46 AM  

#2  In all the focus on Saddam, what is lost in the shuffle is that, in previous times, he'd have been treated a lot worse than we treated him.
Posted by: Ptah   2003-12-19 7:57:25 AM  

#1  mmmmmmm, Army of Steve. I've got an account from yet another foot soldier in the Army of Steve on the capture of Saddam...first hand account from the 101st. I'll post tomorrow a.m PST pm on this thread. For now...bedways is rightways...righty-right.
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2003-12-19 3:17:40 AM  

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