Official: Saddam May Face Death Penalty (trial possibly in "weeks")

[Newsjock]

Edit to add link, change title to conform
http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/7495850.htm

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Saddam Hussein could be tried "in the next few weeks" and could be executed if convicted, one Iraqi Governing Council member said Monday. Other council members said a trial would likely begin later.

The trial will begin "very soon, in the next few weeks," said Mouwafak al-Rabii, a Shiite Muslim council member, told The Associated Press. "I can tell you he is going to be the first."

Al-Rabii noted that the U.S.-led occupation authorities have suspended the death penalty until there's a sovereign government, which is expected by July 1 under a deal with the U.S.-led coalition.

"We will get sovereignty on the 30th of June, and I can tell you, he could be executed on the 1st of July," said al-Rabii, a longtime human rights activist.

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[lazarus]

1. There goes Europe

UK pulls out at that point. The death penalty is going to be a real problem here.

[Tinoire]

6. Big time too Blair will have serious problems over this one!

Good.

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. no, unless Britain is an official part of the trial process

it won't be a problem. British Law Lords have acted as the last court of appeal for some otherwise independent Caribbean countries, which retained the death penalty (although this may change: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1089889,00.html
)
Also:

"Mr Straw indicated that, while Britain opposed the death penalty anywhere, he recognised the "reality" that it did exist.

"In the end, it is for sovereign governments and their courts," he told a news conference in London. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3318531.stm

[Snivi Yllom]

18. why?

Is Saddam a British citizen. They were right to furious about UK citizens at the Guantanamo death camp.

I can't imagine there will be much formal political objection over this.

[radfringe]

2. Iraqi Governing Council

won't be able to do more than to try Saddam in absentia (sp?)- if that

Saddam is in some undisclosed bunker in Bush*'s custody - so don't fool yourself in thinking that Bush* will turn him over to the Iraqi's

[0007]

4. I hope Saddam Hussein's trail is at the Hauge -

It would seem to me that the US wouldn't encourage an open trial where some in the US would be exposed as the connection to Saddam's ruthless power. And the fact that Saddam obtained chemicals from the US for mass destruction.

[zubeneshamali]

8. Not me.

Bush said this was a victory for Iraq. To deny them the opportunity to try their opressor would be to rob them of their long anticipated victory. Wring him dry in Gitmo, and then send him home.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

11. Unfortunately for the Chimpster, the vast majority of Iraqis now believe..

...that life was much better under Saddam. At least the Iraqis had electricity, food, water, and jobs under Saddam.

[BenFranklinUSA]

17. Better? Where do you get that?

Iraqis DO realize their resource issues are complicated by sabatoge.
They ARE distressed, but thankful Saddam is out.
Of course, they could choose to go back to submitting their daughters to being raped by Ba'athist in exchange for a tank of petrol, but I doubt it.

[ermoore]

23. And the trains ran on time.

Yeah, fascism rules.

[noonwitch]

19. I agree-let the Iraqis deal with him.

If they decide to kill him, well, it's Allah's justice. If the US kills him, we'll just make him a martyr for the radical islamic nutjob terrorists out there.

I'm opposed to the death penalty, but recognize that it is inevitable in this case.

[rocktivity]

20. The charges against Saddam will stand up in ANY court

if they're legit. Neither an Iraqi or US-controlled trial can be considered thuroughly objective. A public international trial is the closest we can get to neutral territory. (Oh, goody, Georgie STILL has the opportunitity to screw this up!)


rocknation

[Paschall]

25. Actually, I heard a legal specialist say on French TV last night...

...that they're not sure what Iraqi laws Saddam might be tried under in a national court. If the trial is held in Iraq, it seems it will be necessary to write laws retroactively to fit his crimes.

[Paschall]

24. But not all Saddam's victims were Iraqis

A national trial in Iraq would prevent those victims in Iran and Kuwait from obtaining justice.

That's why Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian human rights lawyer who just won the Nobel Peace Prize, has said she favors an international trial.

I think it's an important point, particularly if hearing the claims of Iranian and Kuwaiti plaintiffs allowed the court to look into Iraqi foreign alliances in the 1980s. *wink wink nudge nudge*

[chelaque liberal]

14. Don't count on it

There is no way that the Administration will allow for a trial that would shed light on such unpleasant little facts.

A fair and honest trial would have to conclude that the US war on Iraq was a criminal act of aggression.

[KDLarsen]

3. I wonder what rights al-Rabii are protecting..

.. since I thought that death penalty was one of the arch enemies of Human Rights activists.

[Junkdrawer]

5. I think they'll drag it out *unless* there is a growing movement for...

an international trial at The Hague, which will force them to start early as a fait accompli.

[zubeneshamali]

7. Europeans getting weak kneed at the prospect of justice for dictators?

So what else is new? Maybe this is why the trial and penalty phase will be held in Iraq, you think?

Personally, for a reprobate like Saddam, it would be nice if he took a little Carrib. cruise down to Gitmo or a few months until the Iraqi government gets on its feet and and the suspension ends.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

10. What kind of punishment would you propose for Sharon...

...and the Chimpster? In the eyes of most people, they're no better than Saddam.

[Paschall]

26. Being opposed to the death penalty is "weak kneed"?

Oh. I see you draw inspiration from Leviticus for your jurisprudence. Enough said.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

9. We've already turned Saddam into a martyr in the eyes of a number....

...of large factions within Iraq, so I really don't think allowing him to be executed is going to help.

[The Zanti Regent]

12. I bet you Saddam is "accidently" killed!

Ha ha, to quote Clint Eastwood, "NO TRIAL, NO REPORTS TO FILE..."

[chelaque liberal]

16. That wouldn't surprise me in the least

[Mokito]

22. A nice simple cold, fall, slip, etc.

A lot of tough and potentially embarassing question avoided.

[chelaque liberal]

15. I seriously doubt that there will be a trial before Nov 2004

Too much damaging info would come out.

[alarimer]

21. Plus

I have a feeling that he will never make it to trial. Shot while trying to "escape" or something. If there is a trial, it will only be a show trial; his guilt is pretty much a foregone conclusion and the information that could come out would be damaging to the US.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

27. absolutely! and it will be in Iraq and the death penaly will be carried

out immediately....they can NOT let this man's testimony speak to the world

[DoYouEverWonder]

28. They were not supposed to take Saddam alive

Now that they are stuck with him, I won't be surprised if there is some sort of quickie, bogus 'trial' and then the US will allow the Iraqis who hate him, to have their way with him. The WH is probably creating the backdrops for the parading of Saddam's body thru Baghdad has we speak.

[Ivote]

29. IRAQI JUSTICE

Didnt Iraq just do away with the death penalty in order to show that they can become a DEMOCRATIC society?