Aziz Testifies

Tariq Aziz, one of Saddam Hussein's closest henchmen, took the stand last Wednesday to defend his former boss.

Aziz said that the government of the day reacted lawfully during the attacks against the state and government, including the 1982 assassination attempt against Hussein.

Aziz claims that he was never told by the other defendants about the crackdown against Shiites in Dujail, following the assassination attempt. He took the view that "no one is guilty of anything", and that the enforcing of law by the government is not a crime.

Aziz said that Barzan Hassan, the former head of the secret police, would have told him if Hassan or the intelligence agency had been torturing people. Aziz also testified that former Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan had nothing to do with the crackdown.

Aziz claimed that the Dawa Party of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki tried to kill him and Saddam during that period, and said that dozens of students were killed then.

Quote:

"I'm a victim of criminal acts committed by a party presently in power now. Try them."

How the worm has turned.