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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Defiant Saddam Rejects War Crimes Charges |
| 2004-07-01 |
| A defiant Saddam Hussein rejected charges of war crimes and genocide against him in a court appearance Thursday, telling a judge "this is all theater, the real criminal is Bush," according to a reporter in an official media pool. Saddam’s hands were cuffed when he was brought to the court but the shackles were removed for the 30-minute arraignment at Camp Victory, a former Saddam palace on the outskirts of Baghdad. "I am Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq," Saddam twice said, according to the CNN reporter, who described him as alternately downcast and defiant. Other times, he appeared confused. In his first public appearance since he was captured seven months ago, Saddam refused to sign a list of charges against him unless a lawyer was present, and he questioned the court’s jurisdiction, according to the reporter. Saddam defended the invasion of Kuwait, saying it was "for the Iraqi people." The seven broad charges against Saddam are the killing of religious figures in 1974; gassing of Kurds in Halabja in 1988; killing the Kurdish Barzani clan in 1983; killing members of political parties in the last 30 years; the 1986-88 "Anfal" campaign of displacing Kurds; the suppression of the 1991 uprisings by Kurds and Shiites; and the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Specific charges will be filed later, Iraqi officials said. Those charges were expected to include war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. A formal indictment with specific charges is expected later, said Salem Chalabi, director of the Iraqi Special Tribunal. The trial is not expected until 2005. Judge: Let the court reporter please note the defendant’s responses to the charges are: 3 "Screw you"’s 2 "Up yours" 1 "Bite me" and one "Go hump a camal". My response to the last is "I would but yo momma’s dead." |
| Posted by:Chuck Simmins |
| #14 He's just been hired in NYC! |
| Posted by: Dragon Fly 2004-07-01 8:07:47 PM |
| #13 Al Gore's on trial in Iraq? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-07-01 7:26:11 PM |
| #11 Let him rant and rave. It only weakens the LLL case about Saddam being a stable and lovable tyrant. The part about Kuwait turning Iraqi women into whores, Priceless! A couple more ousbursts and a tantrum or two and EVERYONE will agree that deposing this guy was the right thing to do. Kind of like voting for Dean after 'the scream' you still like the guy but maybe he is not quite mentally there. Maybe they can have Baghdad Bob come in and give some expert testimony? That would truely complete the picture! |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) 2004-07-01 3:27:39 PM |
| #10 I think this'll be far from a mockery of the law, but I rather suspect the verdict's a foregone conclusion. They'll go through the motions, but I don't think it's possible to find him anything other than guilty. I'm looking forward to the day he's sentenced. |
| Posted by: The Doctor 2004-07-01 3:09:38 PM |
| #9 Calculated to inspire more sympathy in the West, because he looks more like us? Well, he certainly looks older, and as such, not quite a good candidate for capital punishment. Now if he looked like the original well-shaved Saddam, it would probably be pretty easy to electrocute the guy without batting an eye.... |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-07-01 2:48:30 PM |
| #8 for the Oil, Em! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-07-01 2:32:06 PM |
| #7 I think it's perfectly obvious that Saddam was only hours away from allowing full inspections but that stupid chimp cowboy Bush went ahead and unilaterally invaded without permission from the NYT editorial board... |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2004-07-01 2:29:12 PM |
| #6 This guy looks like a couple of my college professors, one of which was a Basilian priest. Who got the high honor of grooming him for his court appearance, do you suppose? I guess I don't object to the grooming. Except... this style clearly shows him more Westernized than the way he normally looked when he was head thug. Calculated to inspire more sympathy in the West, because he looks more like us? Do we really have an obligation to spiff up a truly evil man for his court hearing? |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2004-07-01 2:18:39 PM |
| #5 If the genocide don't fit, you must acquit. |
| Posted by: Chris W. 2004-07-01 12:21:41 PM |
| #4 He grew up dirt poor in Tikrit and his father beat him. It's Bushitlers fault along with the increase in homeless and the lack of subsidized cruises for the pali people. |
| Posted by: Juneifer 2004-07-01 11:18:02 AM |
| #3 I hear he's getting a prime-time speaking slot for the Dem convention... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-07-01 10:29:10 AM |
| #2 A defiant Saddam Hussein rejected charges of war crimes and genocide against him in a court appearance Thursday, telling a judge "this is all theater, the real criminal is Bush," according to a reporter in an official media pool. If he keeps this up, he may just lock up Kerry's VP spot. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-07-01 10:14:11 AM |
| #1 Milosevic: The Sequel. Coming this summer to a court near you. |
| Posted by: BH 2004-07-01 9:53:16 AM |