The Trial of Saddam Hussein and The Fallout of The War

The Trial of Saddam Hussein

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The fallout in the Middle East from the regime change in Iraq

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Witness From Beyond The Grave

The trial of Saddam Hussein resumed yesterday, needless to say the Saddam could not resist a touch of bravado.

Saddam berated Rizgar Amin, the presiding judge, over his (Saddam's) alleged ill-treatment at the hands of guards.

Ramsey Clark, a former US Attorney-General, attended the trial in order to ensure that there's fair play.

Quote:

"My plan is to go to the court in Baghdad Monday morning, representing the Defence Counsel in this particular situation, who are threatened with death".

Clark wants the trial to be held outwith Iraq.

Before proceedings could get underway, Saddam lectured the court about the invasion; quote:

"They are in our country. You, you have the authority. You have sovereignty, you are Iraqi and they are westerners and they are invaders and occupiers."

He also had a complaint about the fact that the broken elevator, in the court, had meant that he had to walk up four flights of stairs.

Saddam was also miffed at having his pen and paper taken away by the guards, the judge ordered that he be given something to write with.

Judge Amin called on the prosecution to present its case against. The first trial relates to the 1982 massacre of more than 140 Shi'ites in the village of Dujail, allegedly murdered in response to a botched assassination attempt on Saddam.

The first prosecution witness, Waddah al-Sheikh a senior Iraqi intelligence officer, spoke from a pre recorded video tape; as he had died in hospital from cancer.

Al-Sheikh described how more than 400 men, women and children from Dujail, were rounded in response to gunmen opening fire on Saddam's motorcade.

Quote:

"And I was confident through the interrogation that those who shot at the motorcade were no more than 12 people, and I don't know why they arrested that large number of citizens and I had no role in the arrest. "

The other 35 living witnesses will give testimony from behind a curtain, in order to protect them from assassination. It should be noted that the Chief Judge has also received death threats.

The trial has been adjourned until next week.

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