NEWS: Saddam turned over to Iraqi government

Saddam Hussein and 11 of his top lieutenants appeared before an Iraqi judge on Wednesday as Iraq took legal custody of them from the U.S. military. There was no official confirmation from Iraqi authorities, however Prime Minister Iyad Allawi had said that the legal - but not custodial - transfer of the 12 defendants would take place Wednesday.




[edit on 2-7-2004 by John bull 1]

That's Salem Chalabi, the US-educated lawyer and nephew of Ahmad Chalabi. That family sure gets around!

Found this related story.....

Saddam wants his questions answered

BAGHDAD: Saddam Hussein, who brutalised Iraqis for decades, said good morning and sought to ask some questions when the United States handed him over to Iraqi justice.

Saddam, who was captured hiding near his hometown of Tikrit in December, looked in good health as he appeared before an Iraqi judge in the first legal step towards a trial for the cruelties he inflicted during his 35 years of power.

"Saddam said good morning and asked if he could ask some questions," Salem Chalabi, a lawyer leading the work of a tribunal that will try the former dictator, said.

"He was told he should wait until tomorrow," said Chalabi, who was in the courtroom where Saddam and 11 of his former lieutenants were turned over to Iraqi legal custody.

However, many of the other former Iraqi officials were nervous and agitated, said Chalabi, who has received numerous death threats since taking on the task of helping amass evidence against Saddam and preparing a special tribunal to try him.

Saddam, 67, is accused by Iraqis of torturing and killing hundreds of thousands of people with the help of officials in his Baath party. Saddam became president in 1979, but had already been Iraq's strongman since a Baathist coup in 1968.

His former lieutenants appeared nervous and some were hostile as they were told they would be charged later today.

Its nice to see them squirm as their day in court nears..
added img:ed

[edit on 30-6-2004 by JacKatMtn]

In a related story Kuwait will send a representative to the trial seeking the death penalty for the 1990 invasion and the subsequent mass murder of Kuwaiti's, "We hope he is terminated because what he did to Kuwait...was a criminal and inhuman act," Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah said to reporters.

Kuwait to be at Saddam trial, seeks death penalty

Justice Minister Ahmad Baqer said Kuwait University law professor Mohammad Bouzabar had been chosen to represent the country and would sit on committees belonging to a special Iraqi tribunal set up to try Saddam and top aides.

SP:edit

[edit on 30-6-2004 by JacKatMtn]

another related story ........tells the tale of a former Saddam victim who wants to see the former leader of Iraq pay the price for his evil deeds...

Saddam Dragged To His Past

Original News SourceThe prospective lawyers of Saddam Hussein in the Jordanian capital Amman said earlier this week that none of the evidence matters. Their legal firm says it has been given a power of attorney to act on behalf of Saddam's wife. "His excellency Saddam Hussein is still the legitimate President of Iraq," Mohammed Rashdan from the firm said in a statement.

His colleague Osama Ghazzawi said the defence would challenge the legality of the proceedings. "Clearly the invasion was illegal because it was not condoned by the Security Council, and an arrest and a trial that are the result of an illegal act cannot be legal themselves."

He doubted, though, that his client would get a fair trial in Iraq. "It will be a show trial, we are even afraid for our lives to go and defend him," he said.

does ANYONE think that the new iraqis government or the average iraqi is going to care whether this "invasion" was done legally? they now have the ability and power to punish him any way they see fit for all he's done for approximately 4 decades.

his lawyers can argue whatever they like, even i know this is going to be a farce of a trial. sure its going to have the image of a trial but everyone knows what the verdict is going to be and what his punishment will be.

i'll be genuinely surprised if he isnt found guilty. 4 decades worth of evidence agaisnt him and his lawyers are going to argue what exactly? that it wasnt him? if the glove doesnt fit they must acquit?

and if they're afraid maybe they should stay home since they believe its going to be (and probably will be) a "show trial"

maybe cochrane can come defend him???? f lee bailey perhaps?

if it werent for the hundreds of thousands of people that died as a result of him and his thugs i MIGHT consider feeling sorry for the guy. did anyone feel sorry for hitler when he died? mussolini?

Well concerning the feeling of pity for hitler, there is still doubt about weather that really was hitler and his mistress found at the bunker at berlin, even considering Hugh Trevor-Ropers thourough research.
And pity for Suddam? Of course not, the type of excecution he will be subjected to would be a lovers kiss compared to what he did to people of his own country everyday.

That being said the states and britian went into this war with the dissaproval of the UN
They began the evasion on Iraq under the pretense of finding weapons of mass destruction in order to stop further , more extreme terrorist attacks, to this day the weapons of mass destruction that Bush claimed were being built have not been found.
The US military has abused prisoners of war, going against the Geneva convention, this gives the defense the opportunity to use this against the witnesses upon the stand.
There are alot of things that could go very wrong during this trial.
I hope that it dosnt however and that Suddam is prosocuted and can never be considered as a threat to our world again.