A sham Trial and an expected result
The verdict from the Baghdad court did not come as a surprise. Just a few days back the Prime Minisster of Iraq who is of course backed by the occupation forces had publically called for the execution of Saddam Hussein. This raises the question of the fairness of the entire judicial proceedings instituted by the Iraqi Government. It is a moot point that the massace carried out in 1982 for which President Saddam Hussein has now been sentenced to death was the direct outcome of a botched assasination attempt by al Dawaa, a gang headed by the present Prime Minister. We can certainly say that al Maliki was not a disinterested spectator but one who was linked to the sordid affair right from the very beginning.
The trial of Saddam Hussein was carried out and held under conditions of foreign occupation when an illegal invasion overthrew his regime. Three of Saddam Hussein's defence lawyers were assasinated. Two judges who were appointed to try the case were abruptly dropped and a Kurd brought in as the American backed regime felt that the judges would not co operate with the political forces currently dominating the Green Zone.
Saddam Hussein like any accused is entitled to a good defence teamm of lawyers. Andrew Clarke the attorney of Hussein was ejected from the court and Hussein conducted most of his dfefence himself. Technically speaking a death sentence cannot be handed down due to the fact that the 182 put to death after the assasination attempt were put on trial and the ececutions carried out. Saddam's trial is a mirror image of the earlier kangaroo court for which the head of the Court,al Bander has now been sentenced to death.
By sentencingn Saddam Hussein to death the political waters of Iraq will be muddied and bloodied even further. The occupation forces have stirred by a heady mix of Shiaa vengence and sectarian fanaticism. Of course the Shias are jubliant but that is only because of the suffering caused during the 1980=89 war with Iran in which the regime of Saddam Hussein had the unstinted and total suppot of the Reagan Administration.
The verdict willake the situation in Iraq even more terrible and the Sunnis wil;l renew their attempt to push the country to an all out civil war. I am not calling for clemency of Saddam Hussein. I think he is entitled to a fair and free trial and theat has been denied to him, The Shia population is today in an exulting mood, but sooner or later it will have second thoughts about this unfortunate event and then the damage would have been done.