Will Bush pressure Iraqi court to deliver Saddam verdict before election?

[Towlie]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IBO946224.htm

Saddam verdict could be delayed for some days

A court trying Saddam Hussein for the killing of Shi'ites in the 1980s could delay delivering a verdict, due next Sunday, for a few days to give judges more time to review testimonies, the chief prosecutor said on Sunday.

...

Delaying the sentence, which was originally due for Nov. 5, could be a disappointment for U.S. President George W. Bush and his Republican Party.

Polls suggest Republicans could lose control of Congress in elections on Nov. 7 and a guilty verdict against Saddam could be used by Bush and his allies as a vindication of their policy to overthrow him.

Will Bush call this "unacceptable" and pressure the court to deliver the verdict on time?

[goclark]

1. October /Nov. surprise nt

[williesgirl]

2. Does a bear shit in the woods? Of course it'll happen when * wants

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[MethuenProgressive]

3. Crystal Ball time

That's why I posted about this yesterday. Of course the verdict will come in just in time to dominate the news cycles before the election. It won't matter that Saddam isn't being convicted of ANYTHING that we went to war over, the Bush Crime Family will trupet it as THIER victory and validation, timed with hundreds of millions of dollars woth of negative TV ads aimed at "Weak On Terror" dems. "If the Dems had their way, Saddam would still be free!"

The final days before the election will see the Repubs head for the Bunker as they arm for the Final Fight. It ain't gonna be pretty.

[tularetom]

4. I see no way this could be a plus for the repubs

If as everyone suspects the verdict is "guilty" and SH is sentenced to hang, there will be massive riots in the pro saddam sunni areas of Iraq. If he is deemed "not guilty" there will be massive riots all over the rest of Iraq. Either way - riots, which will serve to remind Amurkin voters how bad bush fucked up Iraq. BTW I doubt they will find him not guilty because what can they do then - let him go free? I doubt if he'd last a day in that environment but his demise would further destabilize the place again making the case that Iraq has been and still is a cluster fuck of the first magnitude.

[subterranean]

5. I don't think it'll have much effect either way

It might remind Americans that SH, who did not attack us, is behind bars, while OBL, who did attack us, is still on the loose.

Besides, will a "guilty" verdict be a surprise to anybody?

[Disturbed]

6. Saddam is on trial with seven others.

Trial #2 is in the middle and #3 is scheduled. If the verdict of #1 is Guilty and the sentence is Death, most likely by hanging will the other two trials proceed? Will all the Defendants receive the same sentence?