Our Queen of Hearts: Hazim al-Shaalan

Off with her head! [The Queen of Hearts-Alice in Wonderland]

Well, you can't say we didn't try to help the Iraqis be nicer people. After all, we got rid of that horrible Saddam Hussein for them. He was a torturer. He gassed his own people. The world is better off without him. The Iraqis can now live in freedom in a democratic society like ours. They are so happy. They are so grateful to America. But wait a minute.... The news today must be wrong. Hazim al-Shaalan says he's going to start cutting off hands and heads! Hazim---no,no! That's just not nice.

What to do? You know, I think the world would be better off without Hazim. He's a mean man. This is getting so complicated. So many mean people to get rid of, so little time. Hey, Congress, we need more money. (Uh, oh! Maybe you shouldn't have voted for those big tax cuts for big business yesterday.)

Read what Iraq's new defense minister said this week:

Iraq's new defense minister promised a crackdown. "We will cut off their hands and behead them," Hazim al-Shaalan said. Iraqi forces would lead the raids, with only logistical help from U.S. troops, he added. (Reuters)

Iraqi Defense Minister Hazim al-Shalaan promised a "house-to-house" search for anybody involved in planning the suicide attack. "We will cut off the hands of those people, we will slit their throats if it is necessary to do so," he told reporters. (AP)

Well, you can lead a horse to water....... If Iraq isn't going to work out, there are always other countries we can go and help. Right?