| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
KeyserXSoze King of Otters
Great Old One Joined: 02 Jun 2002 Total posts: 1040 Gender: Unknown |
 Posted: 03-07-2004 19:58 Post subject: Saddam Hussein's Trial Thread |
 |
|
|
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3862875.stm | Quote: | Gaddafi daughter to defend Saddam
The daughter of Libya's leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has joined Saddam Hussein's defence team.
Aisha Gaddafi, in her mid-20s, joins 20 to 30 lawyers involved in the ousted Iraqi leader's defence, lawyer Mohammed al-Rashdan told BBC News Online.
Mr Rashdan said it had not been decided what role the law graduate would play.
Saddam Hussein made his first court appearance on Thursday to hear seven preliminary charges read out to him, including genocide.
Colonel Gaddafi has publicly defended Saddam Hussein and berated Arab leaders who he accuses of co-operating with the US.
Death threats
Mr Rashdan, a Jordanian, said as many as 1,500 lawyers had expressed an interest in defending "President Saddam Hussein".
PRELIMINARY CHARGES
Anfal campaign against Kurds, late 1980s
Gassing Kurds in Halabja, 1988
Invasion of Kuwait , 1990
Crushing Kurdish and Shia rebellions after 1991 Gulf War
Killing political activists over 30 years
Massacring members of Kurdish Barzani tribe in 1980s
Killing religious leaders, 1974
But, he said, 20 to 30 were actively involved at the moment - from France, the UK, the US and Belgium, as well as Arab countries like Lebanon and Libya.
They wanted to travel to Iraq to see their client as soon as possible but wanted guarantees on security from Iraqi and US officials, Mr Rashdan said.
"We have been receiving many death threats" from Iraq, Mr Rashdan told BBC News Online, sometimes from Iraqi religious figures.
He said if no security guarantees were given, Saddam Hussein's lawyers would still go to Baghdad, accompanied by Western media journalists. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
| KeyserXSoze King of Otters
Great Old One Joined: 02 Jun 2002 Total posts: 1040 Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 08-08-2004 21:57 Post subject: Iraq issues warrants for Chalabis |
|
|
|
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3547142.stm | Quote: | An Iraqi judge says he has issued two arrest warrants for former Governing Council member Ahmed Chalabi and his nephew, Salem.
Ahmed Chalabi is wanted in connection with financial charges, the judge said.
He said Salem Chalabi, the head of the tribunal trying Saddam Hussein, is sought on suspicion of murder.
Ahmed Chalabi was once the Pentagon's favoured candidate to lead Iraq, but he fell from favour amid allegations of links to Iranian hardliners. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| WhistlingJack Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Total posts: 4297 Location: The Sewers of The Strand Age: 9 Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 06-11-2006 12:04 Post subject: Wot, No Conspiracy Theories? |
|
|
|
I'm surprised that some people aren't making more of this...
If Saddam was on trial for 'crimes against humanity', then why wasn't he tried at an international court, in a venue such as The Hague?
Is there any link between the timing of the verdict and the imminent US mid-term elections?
Did he get a fair trial? Amnesty International don't appear to think so... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| DerekH16 Puzzled by life Joined: 02 Aug 2001 Total posts: 1035 Location: Edinburgh Gender: Male |
| Posted: 06-11-2006 15:13 Post subject: Re: Wot, No Conspiracy Theories? |
|
|
|
| WhistlingJack wrote: | I'm surprised that some people aren't making more of this...
If Saddam was on trial for 'crimes against humanity', then why wasn't he tried at an international court, in a venue such as The Hague? |
Because either a) the crimes he was charged with all took place in Iraq, against Iraqis, or b) the Hague can't pass a death sentence 
| WhistlingJack wrote: | | Is there any link between the timing of the verdict and the imminent US mid-term elections? |
Coincidence, surely? 
Evidence of his guilt was produced, and only excuses in his defence, so it was fair as far as that goes. Mind you, everyone knew the verdict before the trial even started, so... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Degrizzzz Great Old One Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Total posts: 169 Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 06-11-2006 15:25 Post subject: |
|
|
|
| interesting timing for them to finally come to a conclusion, still, million to one shots come up nine times out of ten.. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| escargot1 Joined: 24 Aug 2001 Total posts: 17711 Location: Farkham Hall Age: 3 Gender: Female |
| Posted: 06-11-2006 15:25 Post subject: |
|
|
|
I heard an interesting discussion on the subject of the fairness of the trial on the Today programme.
To sum up briefly, America paid for the trial. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| dr_wu Great Old One Joined: 31 Oct 2006 Total posts: 157 Location: USA Gender: Male |
| Posted: 06-11-2006 16:45 Post subject: |
|
|
|
| I read in the morning paper today( here in the states) that they are going to hang him. I wonder how much more violence that will touch off or if it may be the spark that leads to total civil war between the Shiites and Sunnis...? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| feen5 Don't tread on any mines Joined: 09 Feb 2004 Total posts: 1576 Age: 40 Gender: Male |
| Posted: 06-11-2006 17:36 Post subject: |
|
|
|
I'm not sticking up for Bush and Blair but i will say At least Saddam had a trial (of sorts) which is more than can be said for poor souls that suffered at his hands. I'm not pro death penalty but it sure is hard not to justify it in some cases especially Saddams.
There has been some very interesting debate going on about the trial all the same. It seems to me from what ive been listening to that most americans (who support the war) believe they made a mistake in bringing him in alive. Many analyists seem to think that it would have been better all round if they had blown his brains out straight away when they found the bugger. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| jefflovestone Paddington - peace be upon Him
Great Old One Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Total posts: 1348 Age: 45 Gender: Male |
| Posted: 06-11-2006 17:41 Post subject: |
|
|
|
| escargot1 wrote: |
To sum up briefly, America paid for the trial. |
I agree. I think it was something factions in the American government really needed and was going to happen by hook or by crook.
Also, I think with the way this conflict is panning out, with the end becoming this fuzzy amorphouse piecemeal affair, it's as close as the American government are going to get regarding offering some kind of closure. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| theyithian Keeping the British end up
Joined: 29 Oct 2002 Total posts: 11649 Location: Vermilion Sands Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 06-11-2006 18:24 Post subject: |
|
|
|
I'm rather appalled that, for all our talk of installing an enlightened democratic spirit, they're still going to hang him. The death penalty is a repulsive and atavistic response suited to the hard-of-thinking. It is very rare that i applaud Blair - but his simple words on the matter:
"Britain opposes the death penalty whether it's Saddam or anybody else".
brought my nods of approval. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| misterwibble Great Old One Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Total posts: 355 Location: Nearby Age: 21 Gender: Female |
| Posted: 06-11-2006 18:43 Post subject: |
|
|
|
Well let's face it that's an easy moral stand for him to take. It can't possibly affect the ultimate outcome of the trial and any appeal, but it makes him look a compassionate caring human being.
As he's leaving the job in a few months, it doesn't matter what Dubya thinks of his namby pamby lily livered liberalism either.
Or maybe he's expressing a deeply held ethical belief, and I'm just a tad cynical in my old age. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| crunchy5 Great Old One Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Total posts: 1951 Gender: Unknown |
| Posted: 06-11-2006 19:13 Post subject: |
|
|
|
He had to choose between Cherie and Wuh and finally came down on Cherie's side good Catholic girl that she is.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L05244002.htm
| Quote: | Cardinal Renato Martino, head of the Vatican's Council for Justice and Peace, said that carrying out the death sentence by hanging would be an unjustifiably vindictive action.
"For me, punishing a crime with another crime -- which is what killing for vindication is -- would mean that we are still at the point of demanding an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," he was quoted as saying by Italian news agency Ansa.
"Unfortunately, Iraq is one of the few countries that have not yet made the civilised choice of abolishing the death penalty," said Martino, effectively the Pope's justice minister.
Martino raised the ire of the United States government three years ago when he said the U.S. troops had treated Saddam "like a cow" when they captured him.
Roman Catholic Church teaching is against the death penalty except in the most extreme circumstances, stating that modern society has all the means needed to render a criminal harmless for the rest of his natural life without capital punishment.
Jesuit priest Father Michele Simone, deputy director of the Vatican-approved Jesuit journal Civilta Cattolica, said opposing the death penalty for Saddam did not mean accepting what he had done.
"Certainly, the situation in Iraq will not be resolved by this death sentence. Many Catholics, myself included, are against the death penalty as a matter of principle," he told Vatican Radio. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| jefflovestone Paddington - peace be upon Him
Great Old One Joined: 02 Sep 2006 Total posts: 1348 Age: 45 Gender: Male |
| Posted: 06-11-2006 22:12 Post subject: |
|
|
|
| crunchy5 wrote: |
| Quote: |
Roman Catholic Church teaching is against the death penalty except in the most extreme circumstances, stating that modern society has all the means needed to render a criminal harmless for the rest of his natural life without capital punishment. |
|
I thought this particularly interesting. I wonder what those "extreme circumstances" would be? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| TheCavynaut Great Old One Joined: 08 Feb 2006 Total posts: 246 Location: Hull Gender: Male |
| Posted: 06-11-2006 23:22 Post subject: |
|
|
|
| I'm generally speaking against the death penalty myself, but let's not forget that Saddam was hardly an 'ordinary' kind of killer. He was the leader of a sovereign state who used mass murder in order to consolidate his position. That's supposed to be unacceptable in today's world. Hopefully the message might just get through to the leaders of other countries (such as Sudan), that such acts will not be tolerated and that there is always a chance that the ultimate punishment will be administered to the perpetrators. It's long odds I know, but we can only hope. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| gncxx King-Size Canary
Great Old One Joined: 25 Aug 2001 Total posts: 13303 Location: Eh? Gender: Male |
| Posted: 06-11-2006 23:30 Post subject: |
|
|
|
| TheCavynaut wrote: | | I'm generally speaking against the death penalty myself, but let's not forget that Saddam was hardly an 'ordinary' kind of killer. He was the leader of a sovereign state who used mass murder in order to consolidate his position. That's supposed to be unacceptable in today's world. Hopefully the message might just get through to the leaders of other countries (such as Sudan), that such acts will not be tolerated and that there is always a chance that the ultimate punishment will be administered to the perpetrators. It's long odds I know, but we can only hope. |
Considering that Saddam's acts of mass murder were largely backed by the Americans and British who put him power, there's something horribly hypocritical about the whole affair. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
