Saddam Hussein used a secret mail network to ferment a rebellion against the US forces, during the time between his downfall in April 2003 and his capture in December 2003.
Saddam sent letters with instructions for his subordinates.
In one letter he ordered his associates to change the target from coalition to Iraqi collaborators.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Friday, September 16, 2005
Guilty
In order to speed up the trial proceedings of Saddam Hussein, and avoid any nasty references to people and governments who supported him in the past, it seems that his fate has already been decided.
He is guilty.
That at least is the case according to an anonymous Iraqi judge, who told an Iranian news agency that Saddam Hussein's fate has already been decided.
The judge is quoted as saying:
"The trial of Saddam Hussein will be brief and immediately afterwards the former dictator will be hanged by a rope in one of the rooms of the Mukhaberat (Saddam's secret service) where thousands of Iraqis have been tortured and killed."
Adding:
"all efforts by foreign countries to prevent the death by hanging of the former dictator are useless, as the sentence has already been issued by the Iraqi people."
Not an auspicious start for one of the world's fledging democracies.
He is guilty.
That at least is the case according to an anonymous Iraqi judge, who told an Iranian news agency that Saddam Hussein's fate has already been decided.
The judge is quoted as saying:
"The trial of Saddam Hussein will be brief and immediately afterwards the former dictator will be hanged by a rope in one of the rooms of the Mukhaberat (Saddam's secret service) where thousands of Iraqis have been tortured and killed."
Adding:
"all efforts by foreign countries to prevent the death by hanging of the former dictator are useless, as the sentence has already been issued by the Iraqi people."
Not an auspicious start for one of the world's fledging democracies.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Saddam Hussein disappears
In an Orwellian twist, reminiscent of 1984, Iraq's children returned to school this week with a new syllabus that has effectively erased Saddam Hussein from its history.
The education department has replaced the old Baathist textbooks with a new set, that present a different version of history.
It is often said that history is written by the victors.
In the new version of the past, Baghdad no longer wins the Iran-Iraq war nor confronts the "evil" of Zionism alone.
The old requirement of instructing primary school children to learn such "catchy" phrases as "I love Saddam", is now forbidden.
Saddam is now rarely mentioned by name and, more worryingly, his rule is left unanalysed.
Those that ignore their history are destined to repeat it.
Old books, that are still in use, have had Saddamist pages and his photos ripped out or blanked out.
Indeed, there is no mention of the 1991 Gulf war; and the events of 2003 are described as a "major shake-up" of Iraq.
This of course, as unpalatable as it may be, means that some fifty years of Iraqi history has been expunged.
I am afraid you cannot simply do that, without creating a very dangerous vacuum; nature abhors vacuums.
Avoiding the past in this way, and refusing to confront it, will store up trouble for the future.
The education department has replaced the old Baathist textbooks with a new set, that present a different version of history.
It is often said that history is written by the victors.
In the new version of the past, Baghdad no longer wins the Iran-Iraq war nor confronts the "evil" of Zionism alone.
The old requirement of instructing primary school children to learn such "catchy" phrases as "I love Saddam", is now forbidden.
Saddam is now rarely mentioned by name and, more worryingly, his rule is left unanalysed.
Those that ignore their history are destined to repeat it.
Old books, that are still in use, have had Saddamist pages and his photos ripped out or blanked out.
Indeed, there is no mention of the 1991 Gulf war; and the events of 2003 are described as a "major shake-up" of Iraq.
This of course, as unpalatable as it may be, means that some fifty years of Iraqi history has been expunged.
I am afraid you cannot simply do that, without creating a very dangerous vacuum; nature abhors vacuums.
Avoiding the past in this way, and refusing to confront it, will store up trouble for the future.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Political Gimmick
Abdel Haq Alani, a senior member of Saddam Hussein's defence team, has said that the trial is nothing more than a political gimmick by the new Iraqi government.
He claimed that the trial is being held in order to generate support for next month's constitutional referendum.
Saddam, and seven other members of his regime, will stand trial in the Iraq Special Tribunal on October 19.
They are charged with ordering a massacre of 143 people in Dujail, in 1982 after a failed assassination attempt against Saddam. If convicted, Saddam could be sentenced to death.
Alani said:
"The court isn't even halfway ready to try the case. It's simply political capital being used to follow the referendum on the constitution."
Adding that the trial had "nothing to do with the reality of the investigation."
He went on to say that:
"The defence team has not yet been finalized. It will be made public when the accused (Saddam) gives his approval to the new team."
Theoretically, Saddam faces a dozen trials; only if he doesn't get executed after the first one finds him guilty.
He claimed that the trial is being held in order to generate support for next month's constitutional referendum.
Saddam, and seven other members of his regime, will stand trial in the Iraq Special Tribunal on October 19.
They are charged with ordering a massacre of 143 people in Dujail, in 1982 after a failed assassination attempt against Saddam. If convicted, Saddam could be sentenced to death.
Alani said:
"The court isn't even halfway ready to try the case. It's simply political capital being used to follow the referendum on the constitution."
Adding that the trial had "nothing to do with the reality of the investigation."
He went on to say that:
"The defence team has not yet been finalized. It will be made public when the accused (Saddam) gives his approval to the new team."
Theoretically, Saddam faces a dozen trials; only if he doesn't get executed after the first one finds him guilty.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Kuwait Demands Death Penalty
Kuwait has requested, through a lawsuit against former Iraqi regime members, the death penalty for Saddam Hussein and his aides.
Kuwait Justice Minister Ahmad Baqer said that the death penalty was based on numerous crimes by the former Iraqi regime, and Kuwait was about to ask for judicial co-operation with Iraq.
On the possibility of Kuwaiti observers attending Saddam's trial, Baqer said this would depend on hearing procedures as well as on Kuwaiti public prosecution.
Quote:
"This issue is handled by the public prosecution and it is an independent authority".
The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry submitted a file, containing the lawsuit against the former Iraqi regime, to a special tribunal via the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
The file contained details of names of the accused, description of their crimes and evidence.
Kuwait Justice Minister Ahmad Baqer said that the death penalty was based on numerous crimes by the former Iraqi regime, and Kuwait was about to ask for judicial co-operation with Iraq.
On the possibility of Kuwaiti observers attending Saddam's trial, Baqer said this would depend on hearing procedures as well as on Kuwaiti public prosecution.
Quote:
"This issue is handled by the public prosecution and it is an independent authority".
The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry submitted a file, containing the lawsuit against the former Iraqi regime, to a special tribunal via the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
The file contained details of names of the accused, description of their crimes and evidence.
Friday, September 09, 2005
Futile Defence
The defence team of Saddam Hussein are venting their spleens in public, about the futility of their task.
They are reportedly furious with the "politically motivated statements" by unnamed Iraqi officials, who talk about a quick execution if Saddam is found guilty.
Khalil Dulaimi, Saddam's chief lawyer, said:
"There is no chance of holding a just and honest trial in such an atmosphere and these verdicts appear to have been issued beforehand. It's futile to even have a defence".
Dulaimi went on to say that the Iraqi special court, that will try Saddam, had not notified the defence of the timing of the trial or sent any paperwork on the charge of killing 143 Shi'ite villagers after the failed assassination bid.
The defence believe that the Iraqi authorities want a quick trial, without charging Saddam with other crimes; these could implicate other Iraqi politicians, who currently hold power now.
It is also worth noting that there may be those in the USA who also back this stance, as a more protracted and detailed trail would highlight Washington's previous backing of Saddam.
Doubtless, those who want to see Saddam executed will get their way. However, those who want to see justice done, and all the crimes committed under Saddam's rule (by him and others, yet to be named) brought into the public arena may be disappointed.
Will justice be served, and will Iraq be healed by a Kangaroo court?
They are reportedly furious with the "politically motivated statements" by unnamed Iraqi officials, who talk about a quick execution if Saddam is found guilty.
Khalil Dulaimi, Saddam's chief lawyer, said:
"There is no chance of holding a just and honest trial in such an atmosphere and these verdicts appear to have been issued beforehand. It's futile to even have a defence".
Dulaimi went on to say that the Iraqi special court, that will try Saddam, had not notified the defence of the timing of the trial or sent any paperwork on the charge of killing 143 Shi'ite villagers after the failed assassination bid.
The defence believe that the Iraqi authorities want a quick trial, without charging Saddam with other crimes; these could implicate other Iraqi politicians, who currently hold power now.
It is also worth noting that there may be those in the USA who also back this stance, as a more protracted and detailed trail would highlight Washington's previous backing of Saddam.
Doubtless, those who want to see Saddam executed will get their way. However, those who want to see justice done, and all the crimes committed under Saddam's rule (by him and others, yet to be named) brought into the public arena may be disappointed.
Will justice be served, and will Iraq be healed by a Kangaroo court?
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Saddam Hussein Has Not Confessed
Contrary to earlier reports, it now seems that Saddam Hussein has not confessed to any crimes committed during his presidency.
That at least is the case according to Khalil Dulaimi, Saddam Hussein's chief attorney.
He is quoted as saying:
"There was no confession by the president and all the investigations in this case do not implicate him at all" .
Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani, had said that an investigator who questioned Saddam told him that he had extracted confessions from him and that Saddam had signed them.
This is a matter for the trial to decide.
That at least is the case according to Khalil Dulaimi, Saddam Hussein's chief attorney.
He is quoted as saying:
"There was no confession by the president and all the investigations in this case do not implicate him at all" .
Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani, had said that an investigator who questioned Saddam told him that he had extracted confessions from him and that Saddam had signed them.
This is a matter for the trial to decide.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Saddam Hussein Confesses
Saddam Hussein has confessed to crimes, and should be hanged "20 times". That is at least the view of Jalal Talabani, his successor as Iraq's president.
Quote:
"Saddam deserves a death sentence 20 times a day because he tried to assassinate me 20 times".
Adding:
"There are 100 reasons to sentence Saddam to death".
Conveniently, Talabani is refusing to sign the death warrant should one be forthcoming.
His excuse is that, as leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, he had once signed up his party to an international ban on capital punishment.
Quote:
"Saddam deserves a death sentence 20 times a day because he tried to assassinate me 20 times".
Adding:
"There are 100 reasons to sentence Saddam to death".
Conveniently, Talabani is refusing to sign the death warrant should one be forthcoming.
His excuse is that, as leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, he had once signed up his party to an international ban on capital punishment.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Saddam Hussein Meets Lawyer
Saddam Hussein met his Iraqi lawyer, Khalil Dulaimi, yesterday.
The meeting dealt with Saddam's trial for the 1982 massacre of Shiites, which will begin on October 19.
Saddam and seven others will be tried over the massacre of over 140 Shiite villagers in Dujail, after a failed assassination bid against him.
He faces the death penalty if found guilty.
Members of Saddam's Jordan-based defence team have said the announcement of the trial date was politically motivated, in order to distract attention from the deteriorating situation in Iraq.
They also have complained that Dulaimi does not have enough time to adequately prepare for the trial.
The meeting dealt with Saddam's trial for the 1982 massacre of Shiites, which will begin on October 19.
Saddam and seven others will be tried over the massacre of over 140 Shiite villagers in Dujail, after a failed assassination bid against him.
He faces the death penalty if found guilty.
Members of Saddam's Jordan-based defence team have said the announcement of the trial date was politically motivated, in order to distract attention from the deteriorating situation in Iraq.
They also have complained that Dulaimi does not have enough time to adequately prepare for the trial.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Defence Complains About Trial Date
Saddam Hussein's defence team have complained that they will not have enough time to prepare for the trial, which is due to start on October 19.
A legal adviser to Saddam's family, Abdel-Haq Alani, said that starting the trial next month would "undercut the defence capability to review the case."
Alani said that the defence had received no official notice about the date.
Quote:
"How can one review thousands and thousands of pages in just a matter of a few days. This court has been deliberating with the evidence for the past year, but it has been keeping it away from the defence, which is not fair."
Under Iraqi law, the defendants will stand before the judge while he reads the charges. The defence will then be given the opportunity to respond, and ask for a postponement.
Saddam faces the death penalty if he is convicted.
A legal adviser to Saddam's family, Abdel-Haq Alani, said that starting the trial next month would "undercut the defence capability to review the case."
Alani said that the defence had received no official notice about the date.
Quote:
"How can one review thousands and thousands of pages in just a matter of a few days. This court has been deliberating with the evidence for the past year, but it has been keeping it away from the defence, which is not fair."
Under Iraqi law, the defendants will stand before the judge while he reads the charges. The defence will then be given the opportunity to respond, and ask for a postponement.
Saddam faces the death penalty if he is convicted.
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