December 5, 2005

STILL DON’T BELIEVE IN THE DEVIL?

Saddam's lawyers walk out of court (The Telegraph, December 5th, 2005)

The defence team in the trial of Saddam Hussein has walked out of court in protest at the legitimacy of the proceedings.

The lawyers left the court in Baghdad after the chief judge refused to allow Ramsey Clark, the former US Attorney General and member of the defence team, to challenge the legitimacy of the trial.

Mr Clark said he only needed two minutes to present his argument to the court, but Rizgar Mohammed Amin, the chief judge, said the tribunal had been established under the law by an elected Iraqi government and that only Saddam's chief lawyer could address the hearing.

Mr Amin told the defence it should submit its motion and writing and warned that the court would appoint replacement lawyers if the defence team walked out.

Saddam Hussein then shouted: "We reject the appointment of court employees to defend us," before chanting "long live Iraq, long live the Arab state".

When the judge explained that he was ruling in accordance with the law, Saddam replied: "This is a law made by America and does not reflect Iraqi sovereignty."[...]

International observers have raised concerns about the court, which operates under a mix of Iraq's criminal code, some international statutes and others written specifically for the tribunal, which was originally formed under US occupation.

Imagine how morally confused, if not depraved, one must become in order to convince oneself that the road to international peace and justice lies in saving Saddam Hussein


Posted by Peter Burnet at December 5, 2005 6:53 AM
Comments

I would tend to agree with the international observers.

A court of law that attempts to give Saddam any trial at all should raise the concerns of any decent person.

Posted by: Barry Meislin at December 5, 2005 7:14 AM

Why'o'why do I have this strange feeling that if it were George Bush on trial instead that these same "international observers" would be profoundly unconcerned about legitimacy. Nor do I believe that Ramsey Clark would come to his defense.

Posted by: MB at December 5, 2005 7:53 AM

I remember the ABA Journal had an article in which they were quite incensed at certain procedural irregularities in the trial given to Romanian tyrant Nicolae Caucescu before he faced the firing squad.

One of many reasons why I quit the ABA.

Posted by: Mike Morley at December 5, 2005 8:03 AM

People don't understand that mere legal proceedings cannot be used to establish justice in a lawless area. They can only be used after John Wayne shoots Lee Marvin. The conditions of order need to be established first.

Posted by: Chris Durnell at December 5, 2005 12:01 PM

Of course they have to save Saddam. It's tribal loyalty.He's one of them.

Posted by: Raoul Ortega at December 5, 2005 12:36 PM
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