The delayed verdict on the first trial of Saddam Hussein is expected to be delivered tomorrow, two days before US mid terms.
On Sunday, five judges in a Baghdad court are scheduled to deliver their verdict and sentence on Saddam and former members of his regime, who have pleaded innocent to the killing of 148 Muslim Shiites from the northern Iraqi town of Dujail. The inhabitants were shot after an attempt to assassinate Saddam as he passed through the town in 1982.
The U.S. ambassador to Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad, has denied that his government had anything to do with the timing of the verdict, saying that while the United States gives security and logistical support to the court, it does not influence its decisions.
The Ambassador may, or may not, be speaking truthfully. However, he ignores the fact that justice has not just to be done, but be seen to be done. Where there is even the faintest hint of political influence in the timing or the result of the trial, the verdict and the justice system on which the new Iraq is supposed to be being built will be forever tainted and undermined.
This is not a promising start for the new Iraq.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Adjourned
Yesterday the court trying Saddam Hussein heard from Kurdish witnesses who spoke of the mass slaughter of civilian prisoners.
One survivor described a "ditch full of bodies" and prisoners shot two by two.
Another Kurdish witness described how he escaped the alleged massacre.
"The guards took two prisoners at a time from the bus, shot them dead and dragged their bodies to a huge ditch.
When it was my turn, I and my cousin alighted from the bus and we were blindfolded and handcuffed.
The guards asked us to lie down on the ground and then they sprayed us with bullets. I felt no pain. I thought that maybe when the bullet pierces the body, one doesn't feel the pain, but then I heard my cousin dying.
We were pulled away by our legs. I pretended I was dead."
The trial is now adjourned until 7th November, by which time the verdict of the first trial will be known and Saddam will be very likely facing the death penalty.
One survivor described a "ditch full of bodies" and prisoners shot two by two.
Another Kurdish witness described how he escaped the alleged massacre.
"The guards took two prisoners at a time from the bus, shot them dead and dragged their bodies to a huge ditch.
When it was my turn, I and my cousin alighted from the bus and we were blindfolded and handcuffed.
The guards asked us to lie down on the ground and then they sprayed us with bullets. I felt no pain. I thought that maybe when the bullet pierces the body, one doesn't feel the pain, but then I heard my cousin dying.
We were pulled away by our legs. I pretended I was dead."
The trial is now adjourned until 7th November, by which time the verdict of the first trial will be known and Saddam will be very likely facing the death penalty.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Bush Refused Saddam's Surrender
A former political adviser to Saddam Hussein's son is claiming that Saddam was willing to surrender to all American demands before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, but that the Bush administration refused his offers.
The disclosure has been made by Hossam Shaltout, a Canadian aerospace engineer and former American pilot, and founder of the peace organisation Rights and Freedom International. He claims that war could have been averted, but Bush aides blocked his efforts to announce Saddam's decision.
Quote:
"Saddam was willing to yield to all American demands, announced and unannounced, to reach peaceful resolution, but the Bush administration, including Elizabeth Cheney, undersecretary of State, David Welch, the U.S. ambassador in Egypt, and Gene Cretz, his political attache, did not respond to his offers."
Shaltout claimed that he was planning to fly from Amman to Baghdad to announce Saddam's decision, but the Royal Jordanian Airlines officials claimed that the US ordered the flight to leave five hours earlier causing him to miss the flight, preventing him from announcing on CNN that Saddam would bow to the Bush ultimatum.
Shaltout said he traveled by road to Baghdad, delaying him almost one day, but raced to get the communique approved from Saddam to broadcast over international TV stations broadcasting from Baghdad.
Two hours before the expiration of the Bush ultimatum, Saddam ordered Colonel Amer, his strongman, to facilitate Shaltout's broadcast of the communique. Colonel Amer ordered Allaa Mecky, the head of the Iraqi Channel 2 television, to accompany Shaltout and help him broadcast the communique."
It was very late at night and CNN in Baghdad was closed. So they went to al-Jazeera, and Shaltout told al-Jazeera Washington correspondent Hafez Almirazy on the air that he had the Iraqi government's official reply to the Bush ultimatum. Moments after Mirazy asked him for a brief, the plug was pulled on the transmission. Shaltout has a copy of that interrupted broadcast.
Shaltout said that when the Americans arrived in Baghdad, he offered his assistance to U.S. military officials. Instead he was arrested by Marines who went to his hotel suite taking his documents. Shaltout has the videotape of his arrest, and several supporting documents.
If this claim is true then the Bush Administration should be held to account, in the same manner as Saddam, for the thousands of lives lost during this criminally negligent fiasco.
The disclosure has been made by Hossam Shaltout, a Canadian aerospace engineer and former American pilot, and founder of the peace organisation Rights and Freedom International. He claims that war could have been averted, but Bush aides blocked his efforts to announce Saddam's decision.
Quote:
"Saddam was willing to yield to all American demands, announced and unannounced, to reach peaceful resolution, but the Bush administration, including Elizabeth Cheney, undersecretary of State, David Welch, the U.S. ambassador in Egypt, and Gene Cretz, his political attache, did not respond to his offers."
Shaltout claimed that he was planning to fly from Amman to Baghdad to announce Saddam's decision, but the Royal Jordanian Airlines officials claimed that the US ordered the flight to leave five hours earlier causing him to miss the flight, preventing him from announcing on CNN that Saddam would bow to the Bush ultimatum.
Shaltout said he traveled by road to Baghdad, delaying him almost one day, but raced to get the communique approved from Saddam to broadcast over international TV stations broadcasting from Baghdad.
Two hours before the expiration of the Bush ultimatum, Saddam ordered Colonel Amer, his strongman, to facilitate Shaltout's broadcast of the communique. Colonel Amer ordered Allaa Mecky, the head of the Iraqi Channel 2 television, to accompany Shaltout and help him broadcast the communique."
It was very late at night and CNN in Baghdad was closed. So they went to al-Jazeera, and Shaltout told al-Jazeera Washington correspondent Hafez Almirazy on the air that he had the Iraqi government's official reply to the Bush ultimatum. Moments after Mirazy asked him for a brief, the plug was pulled on the transmission. Shaltout has a copy of that interrupted broadcast.
Shaltout said that when the Americans arrived in Baghdad, he offered his assistance to U.S. military officials. Instead he was arrested by Marines who went to his hotel suite taking his documents. Shaltout has the videotape of his arrest, and several supporting documents.
If this claim is true then the Bush Administration should be held to account, in the same manner as Saddam, for the thousands of lives lost during this criminally negligent fiasco.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Trial Descends Into Farce and Recriminations Again
Khalil al-Dulaimi, Saddam Hussein's chief lawyer, warned on Sunday of worsening violence in Iraq and chaos across the Middle East if Saddam is sentenced to death on the 5th of November (two days before the US midterms).
The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, mounted a pr campaign to spike the mounting speculation that the timing of the verdict was set to coincide with midterms.
Quote:
"That decision was made by the Iraqi judges. But we don't determine the date for holding the meetings or the trial or the date for making the decision or announcing the decision with regard to Saddam Hussein."
Al-Dulaimi said that he wrote directly to President Bush.
"I warned him against the death penalty and against any other decision that would inflame a civil war in Iraq and send fire throughout the region.
Any foolish American decision will further complicate things and will pose a serious threat to U.S. interests in the region."
He also claimed the offices of Saddam's defence team in the U.S. controlled Green Zone of Baghdad were ransacked over a week ago, and said that more than 1,400 pages of trial documents were damaged.
"Some 1,450 pages were blackened and we believe that the prosecution was behind this."
Badee Izzat Aref, a lawyer for one of Saddam's co-defendants, also said the lawyers' offices had been ransacked. He said there was no sign of a break-in.
Chief prosecutor Jaafar al-Mousawi said al-Dulaimi's claims were "baseless and show the inability of the defense team in defending their clients."
Al-Dulaimi said he would return to those proceedings when they reopen Monday. However, he stormed out the courtroom on Monday shortly after he had ended a month long boycott of the trial.
Al-Dulaimi submitted a dozen motions, including one to allow foreign lawyers to attend the trial without permission of the court. Chief Judge Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa denied most of them.
Al-Dulaimi said:
"I'm withdrawing"
The judges aid:
"I allow you to withdraw. Go ahead."
After his lawyer left, Saddam complained that the court appointed replacement lawyers for him "despite our wish to be represented by our own attorneys."
He accused the court of violating the law, which he said stipulated that court-appointed attorneys are provided only for defendants who cannot afford counsel.
The farce continues.
The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, mounted a pr campaign to spike the mounting speculation that the timing of the verdict was set to coincide with midterms.
Quote:
"That decision was made by the Iraqi judges. But we don't determine the date for holding the meetings or the trial or the date for making the decision or announcing the decision with regard to Saddam Hussein."
Al-Dulaimi said that he wrote directly to President Bush.
"I warned him against the death penalty and against any other decision that would inflame a civil war in Iraq and send fire throughout the region.
Any foolish American decision will further complicate things and will pose a serious threat to U.S. interests in the region."
He also claimed the offices of Saddam's defence team in the U.S. controlled Green Zone of Baghdad were ransacked over a week ago, and said that more than 1,400 pages of trial documents were damaged.
"Some 1,450 pages were blackened and we believe that the prosecution was behind this."
Badee Izzat Aref, a lawyer for one of Saddam's co-defendants, also said the lawyers' offices had been ransacked. He said there was no sign of a break-in.
Chief prosecutor Jaafar al-Mousawi said al-Dulaimi's claims were "baseless and show the inability of the defense team in defending their clients."
Al-Dulaimi said he would return to those proceedings when they reopen Monday. However, he stormed out the courtroom on Monday shortly after he had ended a month long boycott of the trial.
Al-Dulaimi submitted a dozen motions, including one to allow foreign lawyers to attend the trial without permission of the court. Chief Judge Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa denied most of them.
Al-Dulaimi said:
"I'm withdrawing"
The judges aid:
"I allow you to withdraw. Go ahead."
After his lawyer left, Saddam complained that the court appointed replacement lawyers for him "despite our wish to be represented by our own attorneys."
He accused the court of violating the law, which he said stipulated that court-appointed attorneys are provided only for defendants who cannot afford counsel.
The farce continues.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Date of Verdict Fixed To Help Bush
As already noted on this site, the date of the verdict for Saddam Hussein's first trial has been moved to 5 November so as to help President Bush in the midterm elections on 7 November. It is expected that the Republicans will receive a public drubbing for their criminally irresponsible handling of the invasion and post regime occupation.
On the October 29 edition of CNN's Sunday Morning, CNN anchor Betty Nguyen reported that "[a] letter from Saddam Hussein's lawyer to President Bush ... Accuses the White House of trying to time the verdict before the midterm elections."
In a later segment, CNN video correspondent Arwa Damon reported that Saddam lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi "accuses U.S. President George Bush and the U.S. administration for deliberately orchestrating the date" so that the verdict in the first trial of Saddam will be announced "just two days before the midterm elections."
Damon continued: "We were expecting a verdict mid-month. It was, however, delayed."
On the October 29 edition of CNN's Reliable Sources, CNN anchor T.J. Holmes said, "The verdict is to be announced a week from today, a date Saddam Hussein claims is timed to the U.S. elections two days later."
View the CNN broadcast here CNN.
On the October 29 edition of CNN's Sunday Morning, CNN anchor Betty Nguyen reported that "[a] letter from Saddam Hussein's lawyer to President Bush ... Accuses the White House of trying to time the verdict before the midterm elections."
In a later segment, CNN video correspondent Arwa Damon reported that Saddam lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi "accuses U.S. President George Bush and the U.S. administration for deliberately orchestrating the date" so that the verdict in the first trial of Saddam will be announced "just two days before the midterm elections."
Damon continued: "We were expecting a verdict mid-month. It was, however, delayed."
On the October 29 edition of CNN's Reliable Sources, CNN anchor T.J. Holmes said, "The verdict is to be announced a week from today, a date Saddam Hussein claims is timed to the U.S. elections two days later."
View the CNN broadcast here CNN.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Saddam's Last Request
Saddam Hussein has requested that if the verdict from his first trial, due to be presented on the 5th of November, is for his death then he wants a specific style of execution.
Namely, blindfolded and tied to a post before a firing squad.
The timing of the verdict was been moved to the 5th of November, allegedly because the judges were having trouble making their minds up. Now here's the funny thing, the revised date is just two days before the US midterms.
Some cynics have suggested that President Bush has "requested" this date so as to maximise the political gain for the Republican Party, which currently faces a well deserved drubbing from the electorate for its criminally incompetent handling of the invasion and post Saddam occupation of Iraq.
It would be somewhat ironic if the verdict were "not guilty". I guess though, President Bush has been assured by those in the know that the verdict will be "guilty".
Namely, blindfolded and tied to a post before a firing squad.
The timing of the verdict was been moved to the 5th of November, allegedly because the judges were having trouble making their minds up. Now here's the funny thing, the revised date is just two days before the US midterms.
Some cynics have suggested that President Bush has "requested" this date so as to maximise the political gain for the Republican Party, which currently faces a well deserved drubbing from the electorate for its criminally incompetent handling of the invasion and post Saddam occupation of Iraq.
It would be somewhat ironic if the verdict were "not guilty". I guess though, President Bush has been assured by those in the know that the verdict will be "guilty".
Thursday, October 26, 2006
We're Winning
Despite declaring "Mission Accomplished!" a couple of years ago, President Bush has now stated that "Absolutely, we're winning..".
This of course contradicts "mission accomplished" (ie job done) and the actual situation of the ground in Iraq, which is now embroiled in a low level civil war.
The reality of course makes uncomfortable viewing for the President, as mid terms will be held in less than two weeks; where it is expected that the Republican party will be on the receiving end of a well deserved drubbing from the voters, for the mess that they have inflicted on the Iraqi people and the servicemen who are dying for a lost cause.
President Bush has used recent press conferences to "very magnanimously" state that he is not satisfied, and to tease the audience and voters that he is aware of their concerns and that there will be change of course.
I think it unlikely that this President will voluntarily change course, people who receive their instructions direct from God tend not to be very flexible.
A change of course will happen, once the reality of partition takes place and there is no longer an Iraq to stabilise. In the meantime, many more innocent people and servicemen will die.
However, the soap opera of Saddam's trials will continue. It is quite possible that by the time the trials have finished, Iraq will have ceased to exist and there will be no lawful body to carry out the sentence.
Mission accomplished!
This of course contradicts "mission accomplished" (ie job done) and the actual situation of the ground in Iraq, which is now embroiled in a low level civil war.
The reality of course makes uncomfortable viewing for the President, as mid terms will be held in less than two weeks; where it is expected that the Republican party will be on the receiving end of a well deserved drubbing from the voters, for the mess that they have inflicted on the Iraqi people and the servicemen who are dying for a lost cause.
President Bush has used recent press conferences to "very magnanimously" state that he is not satisfied, and to tease the audience and voters that he is aware of their concerns and that there will be change of course.
I think it unlikely that this President will voluntarily change course, people who receive their instructions direct from God tend not to be very flexible.
A change of course will happen, once the reality of partition takes place and there is no longer an Iraq to stabilise. In the meantime, many more innocent people and servicemen will die.
However, the soap opera of Saddam's trials will continue. It is quite possible that by the time the trials have finished, Iraq will have ceased to exist and there will be no lawful body to carry out the sentence.
Mission accomplished!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
A Twist of Fate
In an unusual twist of fate, on the assumption that Saddam Hussein is not executed before next month's US mid terms (7th November), Saddam may in fact witness the denouement of his nemesis President Bush.
According to a poll in Monday's Washington Post independents, who make up around 33% of the electorate, say that they will vote for Democrats rather than Republicans by a margin of 59% to 31%.
The reason?
The failure of the Iraq mission, and the civil war that the "mission" has caused in Iraq.
The Republican Party is facing defeat in Congress, and quite possibly defeat in the Senate. Although Bush still has two more years in office, were he defeated in both Congress and the Senate his remaining two years in office would be thoroughly miserable as he would effectively be "castrated" politically.
We shall see.
According to a poll in Monday's Washington Post independents, who make up around 33% of the electorate, say that they will vote for Democrats rather than Republicans by a margin of 59% to 31%.
The reason?
The failure of the Iraq mission, and the civil war that the "mission" has caused in Iraq.
The Republican Party is facing defeat in Congress, and quite possibly defeat in the Senate. Although Bush still has two more years in office, were he defeated in both Congress and the Senate his remaining two years in office would be thoroughly miserable as he would effectively be "castrated" politically.
We shall see.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Saddam May Be Called To The Netherlands
A Dutch appeals court has indicated that it is studying the possibility of hearing testimony from Saddam Hussein as a witness in the appeals case of Frans Van Anraat a Dutch businessman, convicted for supplying chemicals used in gas attacks on Kurdish villages in Iraq in the 1980's.
Lawyers for Van Anraat have asked that Saddam and his cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid be called as witnesses.
The appeals court has asked an investigative judge to see if Saddam and other members of his regime could be heard "in the short term".
Van Anraat was sentenced to 15 years in prison, on December 23 2005, on charges of abetting war crimes.
Van Anraat lived as a fugitive in Iraq for 14 years, until the US invasion in 2003.
The date for the decision as to whether to call Saddam has not been released.
Lawyers for Van Anraat have asked that Saddam and his cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid be called as witnesses.
The appeals court has asked an investigative judge to see if Saddam and other members of his regime could be heard "in the short term".
Van Anraat was sentenced to 15 years in prison, on December 23 2005, on charges of abetting war crimes.
Van Anraat lived as a fugitive in Iraq for 14 years, until the US invasion in 2003.
The date for the decision as to whether to call Saddam has not been released.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Mis-spoken
Alberto Fernandez, a senior US state department official was quoted on al-Jazeera as saying that the US has shown "arrogance and stupidity" in Iraq.
Needless to say, the State Department were quick to try to "rubbish" this. A State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, said:
"What he [Alberto Fernandez] says is that it is not an accurate quote."
However, the BBC Arabic language experts the said that Mr Fernandez did indeed use the words.
Therefore, in a second attempt to "gloss over" this, Mr Fernandez has now said that he mis-spoke.
It is assumed that he has been told to say this.
Meanwhile CBS News has reported that $800M, earmarked to fight the insurgency in Iraq, had been stolen by people running the country's Ministry of Defence before the 2005 elections.
As ever, the body count also continues to mount.
Mission accomplished!
Pah!
Needless to say, the State Department were quick to try to "rubbish" this. A State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, said:
"What he [Alberto Fernandez] says is that it is not an accurate quote."
However, the BBC Arabic language experts the said that Mr Fernandez did indeed use the words.
Therefore, in a second attempt to "gloss over" this, Mr Fernandez has now said that he mis-spoke.
It is assumed that he has been told to say this.
Meanwhile CBS News has reported that $800M, earmarked to fight the insurgency in Iraq, had been stolen by people running the country's Ministry of Defence before the 2005 elections.
As ever, the body count also continues to mount.
Mission accomplished!
Pah!
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