Pacific Views

The Washing of Hands

When I read this in yesterday's New York Times:

One participant described the meeting this way: “The Iraqis seemed quite frustrated, saying, ‘Who is going to execute him, anyway, you or us?’ The Americans replied by saying that obviously, it was the Iraqis who would carry out the hanging. So the Iraqis said, ‘This is our problem and we will handle the consequences. If there is any damage done, it is we who will be damaged, not you.’ ”

I couldn't help but think of another case where the subjected people took the consequences for blood on their own heads from the invaders.

24 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” 25 And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!”

Matthew 27-24:25

Clearly Saddam was terrible man, but it was a true sham of an execution and the person who owns the responsibility for it is still Bush because he had total and complete control over Saddam until hours before the event. And what a shame that Saddam could be made a martyr for the insurrectionist cause. So often it seems we are doomed to relive all the worst mistakes of history.

Posted by Mary at January 2, 2007 01:54 PM | Iraq | Technorati links |