Former Iraqi officials to stand trial (for mass murder of Sunnis)

[Robbien]

Source: UPI

BAGHDAD, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Two Shiite former officials in Iraq accused of killing and kidnapping hundreds of rival Sunni Muslims have been cleared to stand trial.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki approved the trial earlier this week after an Iraqi judge found last month there was sufficient evidence to try the two former Health Ministry officials, The New York Times reported Friday.

Hakim al-Zamili, a former deputy health minister, and Brig. Gen. Hamid al-Shammari, who led the Health Ministry's security force, allegedly facilitated hundreds of kidnappings and slayings, including some at Baghdad hospitals.

Their trial would mark the first time high-ranking Shiites were tried for sectarian crimes. A three judge panel will hear the case.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/11/16/former_iraqi_officials_to_stand_trial/7537/

[rodeodance]

1. lots of revenge trials will occupy Iraq for a long time--then more hangings

[Robbien]

2. It surprised me that the violence was not only sanctioned by govt leaders

but actually directed by them.

My previous assumption was that most of it was directed by Sadr's group.

[Igel]

3. But Sadr's group is composed of people.

al-Zamili is a person. So the fact that he's apparently a "well-known" supporter of Sadr's group, and therefore undoubtedly "in" al-Sadr's party makes the distinction rather pointless.

Moreover, given the kinds of tribal dynamics that are often seen in Iraqi society--where "tribe" might mean "related by blood" or, among Islamists, "related by religious sect and choice of religious role model", this isn't unexpected. Tribe comes first, nation-state second, and much of the "corruption" is simply tribal politics, where the resources available to an individual are first to help the tribe and only later to help less closely related (or unrelated but afine groups).

Just as you can't keep religion out of democratic politics--since people are the bearers of religion, and people are in politics and vote, there's nothing preventing them from voting religion, so also you can't keep extremist partisan or tribal politics out of government when there's nothing preventing an extreme partisan from acting. The best you hope for is making the rules explicit up front, making sure people know there's sufficient punishment in store for those who violate the rules.