The Neo-Cons are pulling out all stops to stack the deck - just as they always try to do, al la Tom Delay, etc.
But, in their eagerness to 'prove' Saddam Hussein guilty of war crimes (as if there were any doubts), will Bush, et all compleely screw up the trial of Saddam Hussein too? Sure looks like it:
Asked why he has declined to defend Hussein in his upcoming ‘trial’, famed Swiss international legal expert Marc Heinzelin had this to say:
“I would not like to see the trial turn into a circus show.”
“Investigating magistrates were killed, as well as witnesses and evidence was destroyed . . . “
comparing Nuremberg to the trial of Hussein: “The tribunals can only be compared in part. In both cases it is the victors holding court over the losers. But the difference is that the trials of Nuremberg had a historic goal. They wanted to get as close as possible to the truth about Nazi crimes.”
“The trial of Saddam Hussein is the exact opposite. The trial focuses on a small part of the criminal record of the Iraqi regime . . .”
“I think it is all about justifying the United States’ invasion of Iraq and to string Saddam Hussein up sooner rather than later without asking too many questions.”
“What’s the point of a trial if the defense has not been able to take part in the investigation?”
“The trial of Saddam might provide wonderful material for a US television series with a lawyer and a prosecutor crossing swords. But, this has got nothing to do with a fair trial.”
“In light of the Geneva and the Hague Conventions . . . . this court is clearly illegal. Occupying powers have no right to change the legal system of a country. This is precisely what the US has done.”
“. . . this is not a regular court deliberating the case. Special tribunals are completely against international law.”
“What’s more, the judges were not elected but appointed by the occupying powers. They flew in a nephew of *Mr. Chalabi. . . . he was a lawyer in London specializing in commercial law. Later he was appointed president of the Iraqi special tribunal.”
They are probably gonna completely bomb here too!
* Now, where oh where have we heard THAT name before?
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