NationStates Jolt Archive

Saddam lawyers walk out of trial
Saddam Hussein's lawyers have walked out of his trial in Baghdad in protest at the replacement of the chief judge for allegedly favouring the defence.

The deposed leader was ordered to leave the courtroom.

Mohammed al-Uraibiy was presiding in place of Abdullah al-Amiri, who was removed after he was accused of being too soft on the former Iraqi leader.

When the session began the defence lawyers questioned the impartiality of the trial.

"We don't expect this court established under the occupation authorities to be fair, so we decided to withdraw from this trial," defence lawyer Wadoud Fawzi told the court, reading a statement on behalf of the defence team.



I have to agree with Saddams lawyers. A judge should be impartial in any trial no matter how small or big. However I also acknowledge the judge had o live under Saddams regime and probably hated it. So what do you think? Will the deposition of this judge give Saddam a fair trial or is it a miscarry of justice?

The trial is a farce. I don't think anyone doubts that he actually did these things, so why muck around like this?

The defence is only protesting because the last guy put up with their crap and this one won't.

The trial is definitely a farce and not even a good one. We go through the effort because we're trying a man who wouldn't go through the effort of a trial for anyone if he were still in power.

Frankly, I don't think he deserves a trial, but he gets one anyway because that's how the good guys work. I hate the war and think it's one of the biggest mistakes the US has ever made, but Saddam still gets a trial, as fair as it can be made.

I have to agree with Saddams lawyers. A judge should be impartial in any trial no matter how small or big. However I also acknowledge the judge had o live under Saddams regime and probably hated it. So what do you think? Will the deposition of this judge give Saddam a fair trial or is it a miscarry of justice?

The last judge wasn't impartial, either. Not by a long shot.

Think about it - there isn't any doubt that Saddam did these things. And, it's no secret that the majority of Iraqis would love to see him stoned to death by a raging mob, and then have his body ripped to pieces for souvenirs.

I don't care about a free trial, whatever happens he's still gonna get killed or spend all years in jail.
But sure, a fair trial is not to much to ask for, I suppose. Unless the judge is from islam.

They threw out the last judge because the guy made comments saying that Hussein wasn't a dictator, which showed bias in Saddam's favor. He also allowed Saddam and his lawyers to badger witnesses.

Just because this guy won't let Hussein act like he's still the president of Iraq doesn't make him biased.

If Goering got a trial, so should Saddam.

*sighs*

If the US really did want to depose him, they should have shot him straight away. Let's have a sample of two failed and two successful revolutions -

The revolution succeeds

Russia '17 (October) - shot the Tsar and his family.
Romania - took the leaders out into the street and executed them.

The revolution fails

Venezuala - Chavez is taken out of power but left intact.
Russia '17 (earlier) - The Tsar is under house arrest.

Saddam can just piss away any charges, and appeal for just about everything. The US can't win this one, Saddam is a canny chap.

If Goering got a trial, so should Saddam.

Goering killed himself.

*sighs*

If the US really did want to depose him, they should have shot him straight away. Let's have a sample of two failed and two successful revolutions -

The revolution succeeds

Russia '17 (October) - shot the Tsar and his family.
Romania - took the leaders out into the street and executed them.

The revolution fails

Venezuala - Chavez is taken out of power but left intact.
Russia '17 (earlier) - The Tsar is under house arrest.

Saddam can just piss away any charges, and appeal for just about everything. The US can't win this one, Saddam is a canny chap.

If we had shot him out of hand, I'm sure we would never hear the end of it on NS General about what international laws we had broken.

Can't make you happy, can we? If we try to try him, you bitch and moan and say it's a failure, and I'm sure we would get more of the same if the soldiers that found him had just popped a few rounds through his skull.

Show Court anybody?

It is entirely transparent that he simply will not recieve afair trial, and a travesty it is too.

I find it amusing that the US invades and deposes Saddam, and nearly three years on they can't even prosecute the guy. They can't successfully prosecute a war criminal despite mounds of evidence, and they want to try and pacify and democratise Iraq...

They threw out the last judge because the guy made comments saying that Hussein wasn't a dictator, which showed bias in Saddam's favor. He also allowed Saddam and his lawyers to badger witnesses.

Just because this guy won't let Hussein act like he's still the president of Iraq doesn't make him biased.

Yup the guy seemed to think that what happened to Saddam was such a tragedy. Good thing he got booted.

Even the worst of humanity should get a fair trial and I'm sure Saddam Hussein is getting one despite the hyperbole of his defense lawyers.

If we had shot him out of hand, I'm sure we would never hear the end of it on NS General about what international laws we had broken.

Can't make you happy, can we? If we try to try him, you bitch and moan and say it's a failure, and I'm sure we would get more of the same if the soldiers that found him had just popped a few rounds through his skull.
Oh, I don't know. I don't remember many tears being shed over the deaths of Qusay or Uday. I know it's a matter of faith with you that liberals loved Saddam Hussein, but I don't know of many defenders of the asshole. Our objections to the war don't mean we support the guy.

But since we captured him instead of killing him, we do owe him the decency of a fair trial, just like we'd owe Osama one if we capture him instead of killing him (if we ever manage to do either).

I find it amusing that the US invades and deposes Saddam, and nearly three years on they can't even prosecute the guy. They can't successfully prosecute a war criminal despite mounds of evidence, and they want to try and pacify and democratise Iraq...In all fairness, the US isn't trying him. They refused to because they knew the trial would never be accepted by the world community if they had. On the other hand, the US didn't dare turn Hussein over to the World Court or the ICC because they'd have allowed all sorts of embarassing stuff to come out in open court (like the chem weapons sold to Hussein by the US, etc.).

In all fairness, the US isn't trying him. They refused to because they knew the trial would never be accepted by the world community if they had. On the other hand, the US didn't dare turn Hussein over to the World Court or the ICC because they'd have allowed all sorts of embarassing stuff to come out in open court (like the chem weapons sold to Hussein by the US, etc.).

I thought the U.S. doesn't like the World Court in general since it could very easily declare that America isn't actually the champion for freedom and democracy as the U.S. government claims.

Goering killed himself.

But he still got his trial.

If we had shot him out of hand, I'm sure we would never hear the end of it on NS General about what international laws we had broken.
Yeah, 'cause if you had broken international law, I'm sure NS General would be your biggest concern :rolleyes:

Can't make you happy, can we? If we try to try him, you bitch and moan and say it's a failure, and I'm sure we would get more of the same if the soldiers that found him had just popped a few rounds through his skull.
Why not give him a proper, fair trial? Why can't you just do a proper job of it instead of this half-hearted drivel? Then you would make me happy ;)

It's like the invasion all over again; The planning stopped too soon - "After the invasion we'll occupy, no problem." "After capturing Saddam we'll try him, no problem."

In all fairness, the US isn't trying him. They refused to because they knew the trial would never be accepted by the world community if they had. On the other hand, the US didn't dare turn Hussein over to the World Court or the ICC because they'd have allowed all sorts of embarassing stuff to come out in open court (like the chem weapons sold to Hussein by the US, etc.).
And since the US refuse to acknowledge the ICC, they didn't really have any world court to try him in. (Not to mention the dubious legality of the invasion prohibited the UNSC from creating a tribunal to try him in)

If we had shot him out of hand, I'm sure we would never hear the end of it on NS General about what international laws we had broken.

Can't make you happy, can we? If we try to try him, you bitch and moan and say it's a failure, and I'm sure we would get more of the same if the soldiers that found him had just popped a few rounds through his skull.

We're the only ones that could catch and try an individual of this magnatude.
Anywhere else, he would have been murdered on the spot.

Personally, I cant imagine opening a spider hole and putting my head in there to look without dropping a grenade in first...


Who the fuck cares if we make anyone else happy? As long as the outcome suits us, I couldnt give a flying shit.

I can't believe some people have suggested that he should not have a trial. I mean, isn't that the whole reason he's on trial? Because he wasn't a fair and humane ruler?

In all fairness, the US isn't trying him. They refused to because they knew the trial would never be accepted by the world community if they had. On the other hand, the US didn't dare turn Hussein over to the World Court or the ICC because they'd have allowed all sorts of embarassing stuff to come out in open court (like the chem weapons sold to Hussein by the US, etc.).


I can also imagine all the sordid details in regard to secret arms deals with france-radar equipment, mirages, excocets,enrichment supplies Osirak "research reactor", etc...

I can also imagine all the sordid details in regard to secret arms deals with france-radar equipment, mirages, excocets,enrichment supplies Osirak "research reactor", etc...

Oh yeah. The US isn't the only country with stuff to hide in a Saddam trial, but we're the only ones who had the power to decide where he'd be tried and by whom.

Oh yeah. The US isn't the only country with stuff to hide in a Saddam trial, but we're the only ones who had the power to decide where he'd be tried and by whom.

So- he is getting the fairest trial humanly possible. During his reign how many thousands did he deny a fair trial ?

Its comical how he and his co-defendants insult the court, curse and yell out loud, berate the judge, etc...

If the average criminal in the US behaved that way in court, they would be in contempt, likely shackled, mouth taped shut or thrown out altogether.

He can have a little fun before his life sentence. I think the new Iraqi govt said they wont sentence him to death under any circumstances.

I might be wrong.