The second trial of Saddam Hussein will begin on August 21. In this one he will face charges relating to the campaign against Iraqi Kurds in the late 1980s.
The Iraqi High Tribunal charged Saddam with genocide in April, after investigative judge Ra'id Juhi announced investigators had completed their work gathering witnesses and evidence and were ready to go to trial.
The campaign included the gassing of 5,000 civilians in the village of Halabja in 1988, this will be prosecuted separately.
The total mortality rate is estimated at between 50,000 to 200,000.
The question is, given the ongoing killings of various members of the defence team and instability in Iraq will there be anyone left to conduct the trial?
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Saddam Delusional
It seems that Saddam Hussein has become delusional, that at least is the only conclusion that one can draw from the interview that Khalil al-Dulaimi (the head of Saddam's defence team) gave the other day.
In the interview, Khalil al-Dulaimi said that Saddam is the key to returning stability to Iraq.
Quote:
"He's their last resort. They're going to knock at his door eventually.
Saddam is the only person who can stop the resistance against the US troops."
Seemingly Saddam raised the topic during a meeting, and indicated that he would be willing to help the US "for the sake of saving both peoples - the Iraqis and Americans."
I believe that the Americans will only consider that offer when, how does the phrase go?
"Hell freezes over!"
In the interview, Khalil al-Dulaimi said that Saddam is the key to returning stability to Iraq.
Quote:
"He's their last resort. They're going to knock at his door eventually.
Saddam is the only person who can stop the resistance against the US troops."
Seemingly Saddam raised the topic during a meeting, and indicated that he would be willing to help the US "for the sake of saving both peoples - the Iraqis and Americans."
I believe that the Americans will only consider that offer when, how does the phrase go?
"Hell freezes over!"
Monday, June 26, 2006
Saddam Ends Hunger Strike
Less than 24 hours after starting their hunger strike in protest at the murder of one of their lawyers, Saddam Hussein and his entourage have ended it.
They stopped their strike Thursday evening, just hours after they had announced it.
Another piece of pointless grandstanding.
They stopped their strike Thursday evening, just hours after they had announced it.
Another piece of pointless grandstanding.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Saddam On Hunger Strike
Saddam Hussein has started a hunger strike as a protest over the killing of a senior defence lawyer at his trial.
Khamis al-Obeidi's body was found dumped in Baghdad, hours after he was abducted from his home.
Saddam Hussein and his seven co-accused have vowed not to eat until their defence team received "international protection".
Khamis al-Obeidi's body was found dumped in Baghdad, hours after he was abducted from his home.
Saddam Hussein and his seven co-accused have vowed not to eat until their defence team received "international protection".
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Saddam's Lawyer Murdered
The body of Khamees al-Ubaidi, one of Saddam Hussein's main defence lawyers, has been found by Iraqi police today.
It was riddled with bullets.
Khamees al-Ubaidi is the third member of the defence team to have been killed since the start of the trial.
It was riddled with bullets.
Khamees al-Ubaidi is the third member of the defence team to have been killed since the start of the trial.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Closing Arguments
The closing arguments are now being presented in the trial of Saddam Hussein. The prosecution has today called for the "heaviest possible penalty".
The final defence arguments are scheduled for 10 July, after which the five-judge panel will consider its verdict.
The prosecution lawyers said that the defendants had "carried out a systematic, wide-scale attack" in Dujail.
"They carried out broad imprisonments of men, women and children, who were exposed to physical and mental torture, including the use of electrical shocks."
They are demanding the maximum punishment for the defendants, ie the death penalty.
One of the defendants, Barzan al-Tikriti Saddam Hussein's half-brother, tried to interrupt Chief Judge Rauf Abdel Rahman several times.
The judge told him he would be able to speak after the prosecution had concluded its arguments.
The trial continues.
The final defence arguments are scheduled for 10 July, after which the five-judge panel will consider its verdict.
The prosecution lawyers said that the defendants had "carried out a systematic, wide-scale attack" in Dujail.
"They carried out broad imprisonments of men, women and children, who were exposed to physical and mental torture, including the use of electrical shocks."
They are demanding the maximum punishment for the defendants, ie the death penalty.
One of the defendants, Barzan al-Tikriti Saddam Hussein's half-brother, tried to interrupt Chief Judge Rauf Abdel Rahman several times.
The judge told him he would be able to speak after the prosecution had concluded its arguments.
The trial continues.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Trial Adjourned
The trial of Saddam Hussein, and seven of his co-defendants, was adjourned yesterday until June 19.
The court has heard from all the defence witnesses. After hearing all the defence witnesses, Chief Judge Raouf Abdul Rahman said:
"The court has adjourned until June 19 and the prosecutor, complainers have to submit their memorandums at this date."
Yesterday the court heard from six witnesses, who were Saddam's former bodyguards and Saddam's half brother Sabaawi Ibrahim.
During Sabaawi's testimony, he had an argument with Judge Rahman. Rahman ordered the session to be closed after Ibrahim made negative comments about the presence of the U.S. forces in Iraq.
The trial resumes 19 June.
The court has heard from all the defence witnesses. After hearing all the defence witnesses, Chief Judge Raouf Abdul Rahman said:
"The court has adjourned until June 19 and the prosecutor, complainers have to submit their memorandums at this date."
Yesterday the court heard from six witnesses, who were Saddam's former bodyguards and Saddam's half brother Sabaawi Ibrahim.
During Sabaawi's testimony, he had an argument with Judge Rahman. Rahman ordered the session to be closed after Ibrahim made negative comments about the presence of the U.S. forces in Iraq.
The trial resumes 19 June.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Lies, Damnable Lies!
The trial of Saddam Hussein resumed yesterday, during the session four witnesses for the defence admitted lying during their testimony.
They claim that they had been bribed and threatened.
One claimed that he only gave evidence for the defence, after one of his sons was kidnapped. He alleged that a son of one of Saddam's co-defendants, Mohammad Azzawi Ali, told him:
"You have three days to decide whether to testify or not, otherwise we'll kill your youngest son."
Other witnesses claim that they were paid $500, and coached to give testimony.
The claims were read out by a judge, and were denied by the defence. Indeed, Saddam chose to suggest that it was the prosecution who had been threatening witnesses.
He then went on to grandstand, as is his common practice in this trial, about the violence in Iraq.
Quote:
"How do you expect people, thinking they're going to be subjected to the same fate, not to change their testimony?"
An American lawyer for the defence, Curtis F.J. Doebbler, also claimed that the four defence witnesses had been beaten. He went on to complain that the defence had not been able to visit Dujail or visit certain witnesses.
None of this adds credibility to the trial. As noted before, a Nuremberg style trial outside of Iraq would have served the Iraqi people better.
As now looks likely, by the time the trials of Saddam have been concluded, Iraq will have ceased to exist to witness punishment.
They claim that they had been bribed and threatened.
One claimed that he only gave evidence for the defence, after one of his sons was kidnapped. He alleged that a son of one of Saddam's co-defendants, Mohammad Azzawi Ali, told him:
"You have three days to decide whether to testify or not, otherwise we'll kill your youngest son."
Other witnesses claim that they were paid $500, and coached to give testimony.
The claims were read out by a judge, and were denied by the defence. Indeed, Saddam chose to suggest that it was the prosecution who had been threatening witnesses.
He then went on to grandstand, as is his common practice in this trial, about the violence in Iraq.
Quote:
"How do you expect people, thinking they're going to be subjected to the same fate, not to change their testimony?"
An American lawyer for the defence, Curtis F.J. Doebbler, also claimed that the four defence witnesses had been beaten. He went on to complain that the defence had not been able to visit Dujail or visit certain witnesses.
None of this adds credibility to the trial. As noted before, a Nuremberg style trial outside of Iraq would have served the Iraqi people better.
As now looks likely, by the time the trials of Saddam have been concluded, Iraq will have ceased to exist to witness punishment.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
The Dead Shall Speak
The chief investigative judge in Saddam Hussein's trial, Raid Juhi, has said that there is documentary evidence of over 100,000 victims of the crackdown against Shiites following on from the 1991 Gulf War.
Juhi was visiting two grave sites last Saturday, where skeletons have been unearthed wearing clothes and blindfolds.
Juhi is quoted as saying:
"When the whole search is done, we could announce a number of mass graves and of victims.
Some people were loaded on buses and taken somewhere and those vehicles and buses came back with no people on them."
Although Saddam and seven of his henchmen are currently on trial for the killings of more than 140 Shiites following a 1982 assassination attempt against him, the Iraqi authorities say that there could be over a dozen more trials.
President Jalal Talabani has said that he doubted that any death sentence on Saddam would be carried out, until all the trials were complete.
Herein lies the problem with this approach. By selecting to try Saddam "piece meal", rather than in the form of a catch all Nuremburg style trial, the authorities are allowing him to play for time. It is more than possible that the trials will be ongoing for years, by which time will there be an Iraq left to carry out the final sentence?
Juhi was visiting two grave sites last Saturday, where skeletons have been unearthed wearing clothes and blindfolds.
Juhi is quoted as saying:
"When the whole search is done, we could announce a number of mass graves and of victims.
Some people were loaded on buses and taken somewhere and those vehicles and buses came back with no people on them."
Although Saddam and seven of his henchmen are currently on trial for the killings of more than 140 Shiites following a 1982 assassination attempt against him, the Iraqi authorities say that there could be over a dozen more trials.
President Jalal Talabani has said that he doubted that any death sentence on Saddam would be carried out, until all the trials were complete.
Herein lies the problem with this approach. By selecting to try Saddam "piece meal", rather than in the form of a catch all Nuremburg style trial, the authorities are allowing him to play for time. It is more than possible that the trials will be ongoing for years, by which time will there be an Iraq left to carry out the final sentence?
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