I saw this movie at the Twin Cities "Get Real" documentary film festival. Very interesting movie. I was struck by how much McNamara reminded me of Donald Rumsfield. I wonder if Rumsfield will be as contrite in his old age. I didn't grow up in the 1960s, so I didn't know much about McNamara. I was struck by how wide-reaching his career was, as well as destructive.

The way the questions were asked really made me feel like the interviewer hated McNamara. He seemed to be yelling at him. If that's the case, I really respect McNamara for sitting there in the face of such tough questions.

Following "The Fog of War", the next movie was a short about global trade which I think you would enjoy, Nathan. It's called "The Luckiest Nut in the World" and uses nuts to illustrate the problems and benefits of globalization. Ironically, one of the first images was McNamara getting off a World Bank plane.

So it's bad if one tainted nation tries another, but if a group of tainted nations get together and do it, it's okay?

Doesn't make much sense to me.

Nathan writes "Who are we to sit in single judgment on Hussein's murders or Kurds or others in Iraq?"

It won't be us. It will be the Iraqis.

Unless the trial waits until the Iraqis have full elections, debate and appointment of judges, etc., "the Iraqis" judging Hussein will be de facto picked by the US. So using proxies doesn't escape the problem of taint.

Should that be the case, and our fingerprints are all over the jury, Saddam stands a considerably better chance at getting a fair trial.

If, however, the Iraqis are capable of running their own country now and (as many say) we should get out, then the Iraqis are certainly capable of putting Saddam on trial, applying whatever standards they deem best. Is that better?

Michael,
Per a relatively recent case, the U.S. courts don't have jurisdiction outside of U.S. territory. Our Commander in Chief apparently does, however, and he's already stated what penalty he wants applied.

A pre-trial verdict which voids any pretense we can make that we will give Saddam a fair trial.

I haven't seen any media coverage that indicates anything but a show trial...the debate seems to be mainly who gets a cut of him, where, and how to keep our dirty laundry under wraps while using the trial to maximum political effect.

But whatever, I think Saddam Hussein is a distraction from the civil war that's slowly building in Iraq. And his trial, fair or not, would be a farce in the face of that.

There is simply no legal basis for handing over for trial an American prisoner of war to an agency of a non-sovereign country, which is what the IGC is. The notion of a "fair trial" by Iraq is therefore mute. The U.S. would essentially be handing Saddam over to itself. This would reduce any subsequent proceeding to nothing more than a show trial.

Of course, this is exactly what the administration needs. There is simply too much evidence that would be laid out by a proper defense, and while this might not be sufficient to exhonerate, it would certainly be mitigating. This could produce perhaps the worst possible outcome for the administration; exposure of the heavy-hand of U.S.-Saddam complicity and a guilty verdict without the death penalty. An intollerable result as the administrastion faces re-election.

I think Nathan confuses the guilt of individuals and the guilt of nations. When Saddam is tried, Iraq will not be on trial. Whether or not the US government through its elected representatives made morally questionale decisions, or even committed war crimes, does not make a person like Saddam any less guilty. To be consistant, maybe McNamara should be prosecuted as well, but I can still sit in judgement of Saddam.

With all respect to the People of the USA, and it´s military forces where ever they may be, i think the prescent state of the USA can be summed up with "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."

First off, the US People: In manys eyes the US population is loud, overbearing and holier-than-thou. That is because of an unfortunate fact that "Empty cans rattle the most". In other words, it´s the morons with stupid opinions that shout the most, thereby silencing out the main group of logicaly discussing adults that is the large group of the US People. If you can find a solution to that problem, you will not only have made your own country a better place, but done a huge favour to the entire humanity.

Second, the US Military: It is with respect and a certain admiration i salute the US troops stationed around the world. Now don´t get me wrong, i do not think the US military has anything to do all over the world any more, but that is a political desission more than a military one. From raw recruit up to large unit commanders i respect your skill and determination to do a job you have trained long and well for. Generals and up are a different thing though. They smell and act more like politicians than military people, being more interested in rubbing backs and earning favours than looking after their troops. (With a few good exceptions.)

Third, the US Goverment: Oh boy, here is where it realy takes a horrible wrong turn. From everything i see and read the US Goverment is nothing but a bunch of self-serving leaches with 95% of the politicans giving the remaing 5% a bad reputation. If you look at it, it was the US Goverment that has cause some of the worst warlord dictators to come to power, all in the name of fighting Communism, and it is all coming back to take a huge chew out of the US collective @ss and then blow up in a very spectacular way. The biggest problem is the US inability to admit that you (The Goverment) screwed up in a magnificent way, even admitance that you (Againt the Goverment)made a few wrong calls is like prying out teeths with a plyer.

And there you have the reason why so many are disliking USA these days. We see you doing wrong, we see you making right decisions for the wrong reasons and the other way around, and still your Goverment goes on like it can do nothing wrong, like your allies never do anything wrong.

To close this of i would just like to state that i have nothing against the American people, and i have respect for the US military. It is your Goverment that is causing the problem, and you,(The People) need to deal with it soon before a real wack-job gather enough political backscratchers to get into the oval office and causes a dissaster. Don´t think it can happen? Remember that Hitler was elected too, and made his way to power by chance and the support of a few very wealthy businessmen and bankers.

Here´s hoping for a better future for us all.

Yours Truly

Neutral-View

(And pardon any spelling errors. English is not my main language, and i´m a bit rusty on the spelling.)