Al-Ahram,
Egypt
Saddam Death Sentence Bodes Ill for Wartorn Iraq
“The leader's companions have completed their preparations and have taken all necessary steps to blow up the land like volcanoes under the feet of the occupation forces and their insignificant agents.”
By Nermeen Al-Mufti
November 9 - 15 Issue
Al-Ahram - Egypt - Original
Article (English)
Chief Judge Rauf Rashid Abdel Rahmen: After expelling
former U.S. attorney general Ramsay Clark for questioning
the legitimacy of his court, he sentenced Saddam to hang.
—BBC NEWS VIDEO: Saddam Reacts to
Sentence of Death, Nov. 5, 00:04:00
[SLIDE SHOW: Saddam].
Former U.S. attorney general and Saddam legal counsel Ramsay Clark
objects to the fairness of the trial, just before being ejected from the room.
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Baghdad: With
a knock from the gavel of Judge Raouf Rashid Abdul-Rahman, the trial of Saddam
Hussein ended in death sentences for the former president and two of his top
aides. But the question of whether the sentences will bring peace or further
turmoil to the country remains in doubt.
On the
day before Saddam's sentencing, the Al-Basra Web site which believed to be a
mouthpiece for Saddam's disbanded Baath Party, issued a stern warning, warning,
"the leader's companions have completed their preparations and have taken
all necessary steps to blow up the land like volcanoes under the feet of the
occupation forces and their insignificant agents." The Web site called on
"companions of the leader to remain at the highest state of readiness to
implement the orders and carry out the people's sentence against the traitors,
the agents, and their occupation masters ... in the event a ruling was passed
against the leader and his heroic colleagues." Copies of the statement
were circulated via e-mail and some were handed out on the streets of Iraq. On
Sunday morning, the day on which the sentence was passed, most Iraqi cities
were under curfew.
Hours
before the sentence was passed, Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki told Iraqis to
"celebrate quietly, each in his own way." The
country's official television station, Al-Iraqiya, screened interviews and
songs, all in support of the death sentence. But the violence continued.
The Sunni district of Al-Azamiyah was shelled with mortars on Saturday night
and Sunday morning. The shelling targeted the area surrounding the Mosque of
Imam Abu Hanifa, a leading Sunni figure. The Iraqi Islamic Party issued a
statement denouncing the shelling, saying that dozens were killed and wounded
in the attacks.
Iraqis
were of two minds in regard to the sentence. Broadcasting from [Saddam's
hometown] of Tikrit, Salaheddin television received phone calls from
individuals lauding Saddam and calling him a national hero. Al-Zawraa
television, which is owned by former Parliamentarian Mishaan Al-Jabburi,
denounced the sentence. Al-Jabburi has lost his parliamentary immunity and is
due to stand trial on corruption charges, although interestingly, he was a
strong supporter of the U.S. invasion and a fierce critic of Saddam.
Al-Forat Television
of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq and Beladi Television
of Al-Dawa Party were jubilant over the sentence. Other televisions in the
country took a neutral stance. The government has accusing the two broadcasters
of fomenting sedition and has ordered them shut down.
The
public was divided. In some towns, including Al-Sadr, Al-Shoala, Karbala, and Al-Najaf, people took to the streets in
jubilation. In others, including Tikrit, Al-Dour, Baquba, and Al-Hella,
pro-Saddam demonstrations were held.
In the
court, Judge Abdul-Rahman seemed in a hurry to conclude the proceedings. He
expelled former U.S. attorney-general Ramsey Clark when Clark presented a
memorandum that Abdul-Rahman deemed "offensive to the Iraqi people."
[Editor's
Note: Clark's memo called into question the legitimacy of the trial.]
Saddam's
defense team tried to postpone the hearing so that President Bush wouldn't use
the sentence to bolster his standing in the U.S. midterm elections. But the
court was eager to proceed with sentencing. Saddam, who had insisted that he
was entitled to death by firing squad "being a military man," reacted
with defiance at the sentence of death by hanging. He shouted "long live
Iraq, long live the great nation, down with the invaders," and accused the
court of taking orders from the United States.
At a
press conference following the sentencing, Judge Raed Gouhi and Public Attorney
Jaafar Al-Musawi said that the defendants and their lawyers could appeal within
30 days.
A senior
member of the Iraqi Lawyers Association, who asked that his name be withheld,
told Al-Ahram Weekly that Prime Minister Al-Maliki violated the Constitution
when he changed judges in the middle of the trial. He added that the court was
illegal, because it was formed under orders by Paul Bremer, the civilian
administrator of Iraq. It was a political charade, he remarked.
Former
army officer Abu Hassan Ali said that the International Criminal Court should
try President Bush for invading Iraq on false pretences and for causing the
deaths of 600,000 Iraqis. "These are all crimes against humanity and
crimes of war." Ali said Saddam deserves to be tried for the destruction
he inflicted on Iraq, not over the Dujail incident, where he was reacting to an
assassination attempt.
Badriya
Kazem, whose three sons were executed in the 1980s, said the ruling was just
and her children could now rest in piece.
U.S.
Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad voiced his satisfaction, describing the day of the
ruling as "a historic day for Iraq."
But some
in Iraq still don't believe that Saddam will be executed. Political analyst
Aziz Al-Hudeithi said the ruling may not be carried out, but would rather be
used as a way to pressure Baathist supporters into laying down their arms.
Other analysts said the ruling made it more likely that the violence will get
worse.
VIDEO FROM DUBAI: SADDAM'S DAUGHTER
SAYS THAT HER FATHER'S TRIAL IS UNJUST
Abu Dhabi TV, U.A.E.: Excerpts from an interview with Saddam Hussein's daughter Raghad, Apr. 9, 00:02:26, Via MEMRI
"The trial is not a just trial, I'm not the only one saying this trial is not just."
Saddam Hussein's Daughter Raghad