Saddam Hussein may be dead, but his voice was clearly heard in the courtroom on Monday; when a recording was played of him talking with his cousin, known as "Chemical Ali", about killing thousands of Kurds in the 1980's.
Saddam was heard to say:
"These weapons are only used at my orders..
It will force them out of their homes without water or food. It makes them evacuate their homes naked."
The trial continues.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Blair Uses Bush as Shield
Tony Blair will attempt to use President Bush's announcement tomorrow, about the increase in American troops in Iraq by 20,000, to cover his statement condemning the execution of Saddam.
Blair opposes the death penalty, yet because he is subservient to Bush cannot make too much of a public fuss over the state "lynching" of Saddam. However, Blair's ministers Brown and Prescott have already publicly condemned the execution; therefore Blair has to make some form of comment, as people are asking why he has been so silent on the matter.
Bush's statement will provide perfect cover for Blair.
Some cynics note that when Blair leaves office this year, he is hoping to make large amounts of money on the US lecture circuit. To openly criticise Bush would risk offending his future paymasters.
In other news, the corpse of Saddam is now being used to rally support by those sympathetic to him. A video of Saddam's corpse, apparently taken shortly after he was hanged, was posted on the net by a group sympathetic to Saddam.
It seems that the Iraqi and US authorities could not have screwed this execution up more, even if they tried to.
Blair opposes the death penalty, yet because he is subservient to Bush cannot make too much of a public fuss over the state "lynching" of Saddam. However, Blair's ministers Brown and Prescott have already publicly condemned the execution; therefore Blair has to make some form of comment, as people are asking why he has been so silent on the matter.
Bush's statement will provide perfect cover for Blair.
Some cynics note that when Blair leaves office this year, he is hoping to make large amounts of money on the US lecture circuit. To openly criticise Bush would risk offending his future paymasters.
In other news, the corpse of Saddam is now being used to rally support by those sympathetic to him. A video of Saddam's corpse, apparently taken shortly after he was hanged, was posted on the net by a group sympathetic to Saddam.
It seems that the Iraqi and US authorities could not have screwed this execution up more, even if they tried to.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Charges Against Saddam Dropped
In a bizarre twist, all charges against Saddam Hussein for the killing of 180,000 Kurds in the 1980s have been dropped.
Chief Judge Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa dropped all the charges, as Saddam's trial resumed this morning. The charges were dropped as, of course, Saddam is now dead.
Saddam's six co-defendants still face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
As noted earlier, the rush to execute Saddam has deprived many of seeing justice done.
Hardly a fitting beginning for the "new" Iraq.
Chief Judge Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa dropped all the charges, as Saddam's trial resumed this morning. The charges were dropped as, of course, Saddam is now dead.
Saddam's six co-defendants still face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
As noted earlier, the rush to execute Saddam has deprived many of seeing justice done.
Hardly a fitting beginning for the "new" Iraq.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Bush Rehabilitates Saddam
It beggars belief that Bush, surely the worst president in living memory, could further sully his reputation for incompetence.
Yet it appears that he has managed just that.
As if the fiasco of the post Iraq occupation was not bad enough, it seems according to reports that the manner of the state "lynching" of Saddam Hussein (which had been approved of by the US, and endorsed "after the fact" by Bush) has rallied support for Saddam on "Arab Street".
Bush has succeeded in reversing Saddam's image from that of failed dictator, to Arab martyr. No wonder Saddam had a smile on his face as he approached the gallows.
It should also be noted that it is reported that Bush has not actually seen the video of Saddam's execution.
As to the future, those of you who think that the failure in Iraq has taught Bush anything will be sorely disappointed. He is currently rallying an alliance of Saudi Arabia, Israel and the UK to take action against Iran.
The newly elected Congress and Senate in the US will need to get its act together very quickly, if it is to stop Bush starting something that would make the Iraq debacle look like a stunning success.
Yet it appears that he has managed just that.
As if the fiasco of the post Iraq occupation was not bad enough, it seems according to reports that the manner of the state "lynching" of Saddam Hussein (which had been approved of by the US, and endorsed "after the fact" by Bush) has rallied support for Saddam on "Arab Street".
Bush has succeeded in reversing Saddam's image from that of failed dictator, to Arab martyr. No wonder Saddam had a smile on his face as he approached the gallows.
It should also be noted that it is reported that Bush has not actually seen the video of Saddam's execution.
As to the future, those of you who think that the failure in Iraq has taught Bush anything will be sorely disappointed. He is currently rallying an alliance of Saudi Arabia, Israel and the UK to take action against Iran.
The newly elected Congress and Senate in the US will need to get its act together very quickly, if it is to stop Bush starting something that would make the Iraq debacle look like a stunning success.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Justice Was Done
President Bush, in reaction to the show trial "lynching" of Saddam Hussein, has said:
"I wish, obviously that the proceedings had gone in a more dignified way.
But my personal reaction is that Saddam Hussein was given a trial that he was unwilling to give the thousands of people he killed."
So that's alright then!
Bush conveniently ignores that fact that the trial was flawed, and that Saddam was still being tried for other offences.
Evidently Bush's "moral compass" has temporarily deserted him.
Bush should also remember that Saddam was in US custody. The US handed Saddam over to the Iraqis for execution. It therefore should be assumed that the US was confident that the execution would not be turned into a public sectarian "lynching", the fact that it was makes the US culpable in this farce.
Bush has stated that he expects a full investigation into the "lynching".
Will that investigation also cover the decision by the US to hand Saddam over in the first place?
Bush might be "buying" into the convenience of Saddam's trail and execution, but the UN isn't.
Italy has condemned the death penalty as "barbaric", and is trying to raise the issue by calling for a "universal moratorium" on capital punishment.
If Italy, which became a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in January, decides to take the initiative, a resolution on the proposed moratorium could go before the UN General Assembly.
The UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, made an appeal to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani asking him to spare the lives of two former colleagues of Saddam, who are due to be executed later this week.
Quote:
"The concerns I expressed just days ago with respect to the fairness and impartiality of Saddam Hussein's trial apply also to these two defendants."
The "new" Iraq has blotted its copy book, thanks to the impatience of the US to eliminate the person who knew the most about the sources of funds and armaments during the Saddam era.
Mission accomplished!
"I wish, obviously that the proceedings had gone in a more dignified way.
But my personal reaction is that Saddam Hussein was given a trial that he was unwilling to give the thousands of people he killed."
So that's alright then!
Bush conveniently ignores that fact that the trial was flawed, and that Saddam was still being tried for other offences.
Evidently Bush's "moral compass" has temporarily deserted him.
Bush should also remember that Saddam was in US custody. The US handed Saddam over to the Iraqis for execution. It therefore should be assumed that the US was confident that the execution would not be turned into a public sectarian "lynching", the fact that it was makes the US culpable in this farce.
Bush has stated that he expects a full investigation into the "lynching".
Will that investigation also cover the decision by the US to hand Saddam over in the first place?
Bush might be "buying" into the convenience of Saddam's trail and execution, but the UN isn't.
Italy has condemned the death penalty as "barbaric", and is trying to raise the issue by calling for a "universal moratorium" on capital punishment.
If Italy, which became a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in January, decides to take the initiative, a resolution on the proposed moratorium could go before the UN General Assembly.
The UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, made an appeal to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani asking him to spare the lives of two former colleagues of Saddam, who are due to be executed later this week.
Quote:
"The concerns I expressed just days ago with respect to the fairness and impartiality of Saddam Hussein's trial apply also to these two defendants."
The "new" Iraq has blotted its copy book, thanks to the impatience of the US to eliminate the person who knew the most about the sources of funds and armaments during the Saddam era.
Mission accomplished!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Videoist Arrested
An Iraqi official, who is believed to have recorded Saddam Hussein's execution on a cell phone camera, was arrested on Wednesday.
Reports indicate that the person was an official who supervised the execution.
On Wednesday, an Iraqi prosecutor who was present at the execution denied a report that he had accused National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie of responsibility for the leaked video.
Quote:
"I am not accusing Mowaffak al-Rubaie, and I did not see him taking pictures.
But I saw two of the government officials who were present during the execution taking all the video of the execution, using the lights that were there for the official taping of the execution. They used mobile phone cameras. I do not know their names, but I would remember their faces."
The prosecutor said that the two officials were openly taking video pictures, which are believed to be those that have now infested the web.
What a farce!
This mockery of justice hardly bodes well for the future of the "new" Iraq.
Reports indicate that the person was an official who supervised the execution.
On Wednesday, an Iraqi prosecutor who was present at the execution denied a report that he had accused National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie of responsibility for the leaked video.
Quote:
"I am not accusing Mowaffak al-Rubaie, and I did not see him taking pictures.
But I saw two of the government officials who were present during the execution taking all the video of the execution, using the lights that were there for the official taping of the execution. They used mobile phone cameras. I do not know their names, but I would remember their faces."
The prosecutor said that the two officials were openly taking video pictures, which are believed to be those that have now infested the web.
What a farce!
This mockery of justice hardly bodes well for the future of the "new" Iraq.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Two More Executions
Saddam Hussein's half-brother Barzan Ibrahim, a former intelligence chief, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court, would be hanged this Thursday.
The exact place and time of the hangings had not yet been set.
As Bush said of Saddam's execution, this will of course not lessen the violence in Iraq.
The exact place and time of the hangings had not yet been set.
As Bush said of Saddam's execution, this will of course not lessen the violence in Iraq.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
The Execution of Saddam Hussein
I have already commented on the fundamental flaws in the trial, and speed of execution, of Saddam Hussein. I do not need to repeat in detail the fact that the foundations of the "new" Iraq have been fatally weakened by the failures of the trial and sentencing procedure.
However, it seems that another nail has been hammered firmly into the coffin of the "new" Iraq. The videos of the execution, currently swamping the net, show a number of people mocking and taunting Saddam as he is led to the gallows. Saddam gives as good as he gets, and a faint smile can bee seen on his lips.
The significance of this?
To allow a state execution of this importance to descend into scenes resembling "bear baiting" at a fairground side show give little credibility to the rule of law in the "new" Iraq, or indeed to the current administration struggling to control the forces unleashed by the regime change imposed on the country.
The faint smile?
Saddam knew full well what will happen to the country and the region, following his demise, and was in fact taking a perverse pleasure in the chaos that exists and will continue.
This does not augur well for the future.
It is likely that Bush will announce the deployment of 30,000 extra troops in January. This is the last throw of the dice by the current American administration, in their failed Iraq venture.
Bush's ally, Blair, once said that Iraq was the crucible in the fight against terrorism
Did anyone ask the Iraqi people if they wanted their country to be turned into a crucible?
The American troops, theoretically, will be sent to "stabilise" the country. However, that number will be too little too late; they will end up becoming targets themselves.
Iraq will split along religious and ethnic lines, with a fortress of attempted US influence maintained in Baghdad by the American troops.
The religious chaos between Sunnis and Shias, unleashed in Iraq, will spread to the rest of the Middle East and the West will be confronted with a major war (beyond their understanding or control) in the region.
The threat to the oil supplies will force the West to send troops to the region and to, in effect, occupy the Middle East. The West will end up having to occupy the region for decades, until the oil runs out or until a political solution can be found.
All of this chaos and bloodshed could have been avoided, if one man had not tried to avenge the failure of his father in the early 90's.
Mission Accomplished!
However, it seems that another nail has been hammered firmly into the coffin of the "new" Iraq. The videos of the execution, currently swamping the net, show a number of people mocking and taunting Saddam as he is led to the gallows. Saddam gives as good as he gets, and a faint smile can bee seen on his lips.
The significance of this?
To allow a state execution of this importance to descend into scenes resembling "bear baiting" at a fairground side show give little credibility to the rule of law in the "new" Iraq, or indeed to the current administration struggling to control the forces unleashed by the regime change imposed on the country.
The faint smile?
Saddam knew full well what will happen to the country and the region, following his demise, and was in fact taking a perverse pleasure in the chaos that exists and will continue.
This does not augur well for the future.
It is likely that Bush will announce the deployment of 30,000 extra troops in January. This is the last throw of the dice by the current American administration, in their failed Iraq venture.
Bush's ally, Blair, once said that Iraq was the crucible in the fight against terrorism
Did anyone ask the Iraqi people if they wanted their country to be turned into a crucible?
The American troops, theoretically, will be sent to "stabilise" the country. However, that number will be too little too late; they will end up becoming targets themselves.
Iraq will split along religious and ethnic lines, with a fortress of attempted US influence maintained in Baghdad by the American troops.
The religious chaos between Sunnis and Shias, unleashed in Iraq, will spread to the rest of the Middle East and the West will be confronted with a major war (beyond their understanding or control) in the region.
The threat to the oil supplies will force the West to send troops to the region and to, in effect, occupy the Middle East. The West will end up having to occupy the region for decades, until the oil runs out or until a political solution can be found.
All of this chaos and bloodshed could have been avoided, if one man had not tried to avenge the failure of his father in the early 90's.
Mission Accomplished!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Saddam Hussein executed
Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging at 03:00GMT today.
The world will not shed many tears for the end of the dictator's life. However, the world should note that the execution in this manner has eroded what little credibility there may have been in the actions of the US in bringing about Saddam's demise.
The following points should be borne in mind:
The world will not shed many tears for the end of the dictator's life. However, the world should note that the execution in this manner has eroded what little credibility there may have been in the actions of the US in bringing about Saddam's demise.
The following points should be borne in mind:
- There were no WMD aimed at the West.
- Saddam posed no immediate, or medium term, threat to the West.
- The post "regime change" occupation of Iraq has been an unmitigated disaster.
- Iraq is now on the precipice of a civil war.
- The Middle East may well erupt into a civil war between Shias and Sunnis.
- Saddam was still being tried for genocide against the Kurds. Where is the justice for them, or the victims of his other crimes, in executing him now?
- The trial of Saddam was littered with irregularities and inconsistencies, to base the verdict on the outcome of a flawed trial is to send a signal to the world that justice does not count for much in the "new" Iraq.
- The speed of the execution was to satisfy the US and current Iraq administration's political agenda.
- A country that bases its future on a flawed legal system (as was demonstrated by the shambles of the trial) has no future.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Death Sentence Confirmed
The death sentence imposed on Saddam Hussein from his first trial, has been confirmed the other day.
Hardly surprising, since neither the ruling party in Iraq nor the current administration in Washington can afford to leave him alive. After all, he knows who supplied him with his money and weapons.
The execution, despite the fact that his current trial has not yet ended, is scheduled for within 30 days.
You never know, Iraq may still be in one piece when it is carried out, any longer and a unified Iraq would be highly unlikely.
Mission accomplished, as someone once said.
Pah!
Hardly surprising, since neither the ruling party in Iraq nor the current administration in Washington can afford to leave him alive. After all, he knows who supplied him with his money and weapons.
The execution, despite the fact that his current trial has not yet ended, is scheduled for within 30 days.
You never know, Iraq may still be in one piece when it is carried out, any longer and a unified Iraq would be highly unlikely.
Mission accomplished, as someone once said.
Pah!
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