Iraq to Debate Overhaul of Saddam Trial--Daily Star

[Gloria]

From the new World Media Watch up now at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical
Tomorrow at Buzzflash.com

2//The Daily Star, Lebanon Tuesday, July 12, 2005
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=16677



IRAQ TO DEBATE OVERHAUL OF SADDAM TRIAL

Lawmakers seek to speed up the pace of long-delayed proceedings

By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Compiled by Daily Star staff

BAGHDAD: Desperate to try Saddam Hussein more than 18 months after his capture, Iraq's Parliament will debate a bill this month to reorganize the U.S.-created court tasked with trying the ousted leader. Deputy speaker Hussein Shahristani told deputies yesterday that the first reading of the draft legislation will take place July 20.



"The proposed legislation will be really comprehensive," Mariam al-Rayyes, a deputy sitting on Parliament's judicial committee, said. "We want to speed up the date of Saddam's trial, we hope it can be held before the referendum on the new constitution in October."



Rayyes said that the new legislation deals with potential loopholes in the tribunal's bylaws or elements that may contradict Iraqi law, but gave no further details.



Many Kurdish and Shiite MPs who dominate the National Assembly have charged that the Iraqi Special Tribunal is controlled by the Americans, saying this has slowed up the process of bringing Saddam to trial.

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[ihelpu2see]

1. do they want to be able to try him before the country falls into civil war?

or are they wanting to show that they have due process?

[applegrove]

2. Perhaps they feel by letting the country watch the trial together on

the T.V. some recognition of past abuses and understanding will develop. If the families of the Sunnis who are fighting to maintain their elite position they had under Saddam - know more about what went on under him - easier to say - Okay: he was bad and those were bad times. No point in glorifying that past. Many were murdered.

And perhaps Iraqis could move on then. More together. Truth and reconciliation commission in South Africa was the only way to let South Africa move ahead after Apartheid. Not every single criminal was brought to justice - but people talked about what was done to them and people apologized for their actions.

Smart move by the Iraqis. They need understanding. Information was non-existent under Saddam. It was all propaganda. Now they have the chance to be on the same page.

[geek tragedy]

3. Good. Iraqis kicking the Americans out of the process can only

enhance the legitimacy of the proceedings.