Hrm, apologies for the piss-poor formatting (or so it appears to me) and lack of subject line in my last post (reproduced below with better formatting (I hope)). I'm stuck using a webmail interface for the time being and I've not quite gotten used to it yet. Wes Hellman

Tim May wrote:

...

So, I expect that even as I write CIA toxins experts are preparing what will make Saddam go away the quiet way. Look for him to go "of natural causes" before any War Crimes Tribunal can ever actually happen.

Wouldn't that be completely obvious? If Saddam just happened to die of "natural causes" it seems to me like anyone with half a brain would be able to figure out what probably happened. Maybe I'm remembering this incorrectly, but I think that when he was captured they said he was healthy. Regardless of whether or not that was actually the case, if it is in fact the official position, it seems like it would create troubles for a "natural death" scenario.

What would seem more likely to me is a Jack Ruby-style assassination. US forces let Iraqi security escort Saddam from prison to the beginning of his trial, for a nice photo-op. Unfortunately, as everyone knows, these Iraqi guards are still adjusting and what have you, so oops, somehow a vengeful individual gets through and shoots Saddam in front of all the cameras. Sure, we would have rather had him tried in a just court, but he /did/ make a lot of enemies over the years, and you know how that works...

Hell, they might not even have to explicitly hire anyone to do it. Just make sure security is kind of slack and let word of this slip out, and the problem takes care of itself...