US insists Iraqi war crimes trial would deliver justice best

[leftward]

By Neil Lewis, in Washington

After US officials finished interrogating Saddam Hussein, he was expected to become the main defendant before a special Iraqi-led criminal tribunal formally established only last week, Iraqi and US officials said.

Since the conclusion of major combat in the Iraq war, US officials have consistently said they want Saddam and his senior aides tried before an Iraqi-led body for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide for his actions against Iraqi Kurds and Marsh Arabs.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/15/1071336894554.html

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Sure... an Iraqi tribunal would probably mean execution within weeks

Kill him fast before he gets a chance to blow the whistle on the PNAC/Chalabai conspiracy...

[JailBush]

2. Aw, a puppet tribunal!

Let me guess - testimony of witnesses who indict the U.S. won't be publicized, after which Saddam will be hastily executed. I want to hear Saddam sing before he moves on to the next frontier.

[aquart]

3. What war crimes?

Crimes against humanity, yes.

Genocide, yes, probably. Although I feel that term is used way too loosely. He didn't try to exterminate ALL the Kurds. He just used a few villages to test some poison gas, right? So I'd go with mass murder and stop peddling the genocide which should be reserved for fun events like the hutus and tutsis getting together, that German business in World War II, and what the Turks pulled on the Armenians. Stuff like that.

But war crimes? This war? Let's not be silly.