22. The Butcher of Baghdad: Would you kill a dictator?

Bad People

BBC

True Crime

4.4 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 15 April 2021

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The former President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, was implicated in the killing of between 50,000 and 100,000 people. In 2006, he was sentenced to death by hanging for committing crimes against humanity. But do his crimes justify his death? Should we be writing him off as evil or is it worth trying to empathise with him? And does revenge actually make us feel good in the long run? Warning: This episode contains strong language and descriptions of violence Presenters: Dr. Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen Producers: Louisa Field & Caroline Steel Assistant Producer: Simona Rata Artwork: Kingsley Nebechi Music: Matt Chandler Series Editor: Rami Tzabar Academic Consultants for The Open University: Dr. Zoe Walkington Dr. Camilla Elphick Commissioning Assistant Producer: Adam Eland Commissioning Executive: Dylan Haskins Commissioning Editor: Jason Phipps Bad People is produced in partnership with The Open University and is a BBC Audio Science Production for BBC Sounds #BadPeople_BBC

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to introduce myself.
0:03.7	My name's Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a Load of Sport Podcasts.
0:08.4	I'm lucky to do that at the BBC because I get to work with a leading journalist, experienced
0:12.2	pundits and the biggest sport stars.
0:14.3	Together we bring you untold stories and fascinating insights straight from the players'
0:18.5	mouths.
0:19.5	But the best thing about doing this at the BBC is our unique access to the sport in world.
0:25.0	What that means is that we can bring you podcasts that create a real connection to
0:28.8	dedicated sports fans across the UK.
0:31.2	So if you like this podcast, head over to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more.
0:37.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.
0:40.5	Sophie, would you go back in time and kill Baby Hiller?
0:44.6	I would not.
0:46.8	I would kill his parents.
0:48.5	Oh.
0:49.5	Wait, no?
0:50.5	Yeah, I know.
0:51.5	I know what you're thinking.
0:52.5	I can see your face.
0:53.5	So I would kill his parents and then I would adopt Baby Hitler.
0:57.5	I would make sure he didn't go to war because when he went to war that he was very traumatized
1:01.6	and you know, some would say that that might be one of the reasons, yada yada yada.
	...

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