Saddam to Be Handed Over to Iraqis Before Power Transfer

[CatWoman]

KUWAIT (Reuters) - U.S.-led forces will hand over Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) and top officials of his former regime to the Iraqis before the handover of power, a top lawyer who is coordinating the toppled dictator's trial said Tuesday.


"The coalition forces now have more than 100 detained former regime officials," Salem Chalabi told reporters upon arrival in Kuwait. "They will be transferred to us before the transfer of power, and they include Saddam Hussein, Ali Hassan al-Majid and Tareq Aziz."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=721&e=1&u=/nm/20040511/wl_nm/iraq_saddam_dc

[Frances]

1. Handed over to Iraqis?

Which Iraqis?

[CWebster]

3. The Chalabis?

The Pentagon's pick.

[Sub Atomic]

2. So how long before he's back in power?

:shrug:

[bif]

4. He'll be executed before he spills the beans.

[underpants]

5. "Today in Iraq the trial of Saddam Hussein continued..."

Of course the Iraqis should try him but it also offers a nice little buffer for the American press to keep testimoney away from the eyes and ears of the public.

I just hope they have adequate security around him.

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. "I just hope they have adequate security around him" - sure they will!

.
.
.

The BFEE will be happy to supply their best marksmen!

[underpants]

10. I meant to make sure someone doesn't try to bust him loose

I am surprised that he hasn't fallen down 30 or 40 times already.

[ConcernedCanuk]

13. *wink* - I know what you meant,

.
.
.

and YOU know what I meant!

right? :shrug:

[arwalden]

12. Precisely... His Testimony (Or His Final Statement Before Sentencing)

would be quite damaging to the US.

-- Allen

Without divination, without star charts, without a crystal ball... I expect that Saddam Hussein will be assinated during some careless moment when a Jack-Ruby-style vigilante manages to sneak thru security and pop off a couple of well-placed rounds. --- I'm just sayin.

[MGKrebs]

6. Jeezus. Unbelievable.

Why not just wait until the transfer? Of course! We will not have as much control! The cynicism, the arrogance, the assumption of our stupidity, is just overwhelming sometimes.

[Imperialism Inc.]

14. This trial is a planned Bush distraction for the election season.

They have to get it going and quick because there is a lot to distract from right now.

[daleo]

8. It will probably be a Kangaroo court, run by puppets

There will be great care taken to ensure that U.S. involvement in Saddam's regime is kept out of evidence. It will be interesting to see what charges they bring to bear:
- waging international war against Iran (too much messy involvement and encouragement by Reagan, including Rummy).
- using poison gas (same problem as above).
- waging international war against Kuwait (still problems about involvement of U.S. ambassador saying "none of our concern at first", but they can probably work around that).
- torture, rape rooms, murder of political opponents (obvious problems about hypocrisy now, but that probably won't be much of a barrier - it will be interesting to see how much actual evidence exists compared to the claims that have been made).

Trying Saddam could be a real hot potato, though. A former tyrant can become a rallying symbol to an occupied nation, if he is seen to be a sufficiently great enemy of the occupier.

[CWebster]

9. Perhaps when released he will be suffering from senility

suddenly acquired while in US custody. A little lobotomy goes a long way.

[Say_What]

11. That's why the don't want him turned over to the World Court in the Hague

even though international rights groups have called for that.

<clips>

... In the past, HRW has led an effort to persuade other governments to bring a case against Iraq for genocide against the Kurds before the World Court in The Hague.

But in its statement Wednesday, HRW warned against what it called a "political show trial" of Hussein. "Saddam Hussein's capture is a welcome development and it's important that the Iraqi people feel ownership of his trial," said HRW director Kenneth Roth. "But it's equally important that the trial not be perceived as vengeful justice."

Like LCHR's Posner, Roth also stressed the importance of involving international jurists as a means of ensuring that the proceedings not amount to a show trial.

Like LCHR, HRW, as well as Amnesty International, has criticized the IGC's new law. While the law is generally consistent with international standards, it lacks key provisions to ensure a fair trial.

The law, for example, does not ensure that guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt; nor does it address how witnesses and victims will be protected.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1215-05.htm

[NutritionFacts]

15. Pathetic

They should just shoot him and get it over with if they are going to do this.

This isn't going to be a trial for justice, it's going to be a trial for revenge. I believe in fair trials. It's why we don't let partisans sit on juries here. It's like trying an african american with a jury composed of klan members. The "trial" is just for show.