Saddam Hussein appears in court today
07-01-2004, 08:03 AM
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Saddam Hussein appears in court today
SADDAM IN COURT
Saddam Hussein appeared in Iraqi court on the morning of July 1, 2004
• Seven preliminary charges were read against the former Iraqi leader.
• Saddam was dressed in civilian clothes for his court appearance. Handcuffs and chains were removed once he was in the courtroom.
• Saddam referred to the court proceeding as "theater" and said "the real criminal is Bush."
• The court charged Saddam with invading Kuwait, suppressing the Shiite uprising after the 1991 Gulf War and killing members of political parties and religious leaders.
• Saddam refused to sign court documents that said he understood what took place in court, noting that he wanted his attorney present.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Saddam Hussein stepped into an Iraqi court on Thursday and entered a new chapter in the country's history, facing accusations that included the invasion of Kuwait and the gassing of Kurds.
Appearing before a judge in a 30-minute hearing, Saddam looked thin and downcast.
When he was ushered into the court, the judge asked him his name and twice he said, "I am Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq."
The judge asked whether he understood his rights and could afford counsel. Saddam pointed his finger at the judge, asking whose jurisdiction the court was under.
He was read seven preliminary charges outlined in his arrest warrant, which involve the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, suppression of the Kurdish and Shiite uprising in 1991, political killings, religious killings and the gassing of the Kurds.
These are not the formal charges against Saddam, which will be worked out in an indictment over the next few months.
Saddam challenged the court on his invasion of Kuwait.
He kept saying, "How could you say that? I did that for the Iraqi people ... how could you defend these dogs," he said, referring to the Kuwaitis.
The judge reprimanded him for his language.
"This is all a theater, the real criminal is Bush," Saddam said, during one outburst, referring to the U.S. president.
He also referred to the accusation of gassing Kurds at Halabja.
"I heard about that on the television reports, saying it happened during the rule of President Saddam Hussein," he told the judge.
He refused to sign court documents that said he understood what took place in court, noting that he wanted his attorney present.
Saddam arrived about 2:20 p.m. in an armored bus, as part of a convoy that included four Humvees and a military ambulance.
He was led into the building by two Iraqi correctional service officers. Six other correctional officers stood at the entrance to the court facility, which is near the Baghdad International Airport.
He had a neatly trimmed beard but he was a bit thinner than he appeared in December, when he was seized in a hideout near Tikrit and looked unkempt. In court, his voice was hoarse.
He wore a gray suit jacket, a starched white shirt, a belt, brown trousers, highly polished black shoes and brown socks.
He was helped into a chair by the guards and leaned his arm against the chair and started an interaction with the judge.
Each time Saddam wanted to speak, however, he was respectful of the judge, saying "please" and making a hand gesture as well to indicate that.
News video showed Saddam's appearance, but the footage was released without sound. The U.S. military would not allow any microphones in the courtoom and would not allow faces of courtroom employees to be shown.
After the proceeding, Saddam was being escorted to a new place of detention, still under U.S. military guard.
The same procedure will take place with the 11 high-profile members of his regime, who also face charges. They include former deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz, who often defended the regime internationally, and Ali Hassan al-Majid, dubbed "Chemical Ali" for his alleged role in the use of chemical weapons on Iraqi civilians.
Two of Saddam's half-brothers are also in the group, along with his vice president, defense minister and presidential secretary.
None of the detainees will have legal counsel in Thursday's proceedings.
Saddam and the others were transferred to Iraqi legal custody on Wednesday, but they remain in U.S. military hands.
'Dark era ... gone forever'
Iraq's interim president, Sheikh Ghazi al-Yawar, told CNN's Jane Arraf the trial will be fair and not influenced by politics.
"All Iraqis can listen and hear and understand that he will be tried according to the law," al-Yawar said. "There will be no political aspect to his trial.
He said the trial "means that a very dark era has been gone forever."
National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie said Iraq has "a long, long, long list of crimes against Saddam Hussein," citing the chemical attacks in Halabja, the execution of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, people killed in mass graves, and the launching of three wars.
"These are crimes against humanity, homicide and genocides," he concluded.
Months from now, the suspects will be formally indicted. After that, Saddam and his aides will face trial -- all part of a process that that his Jordanian attorney asserts will be illegal and unfair.
The historic transfer of Saddam from United States to Iraqi custody began on Tuesday night, the end of the first full day of power for the interim government.
Official papers were handed to the U.S. authorities, formally requesting legal custody of Saddam and the others.
Later, the transfer to legal authority took place. It means the 12 are no longer prisoners of war or protected under the Geneva Conventions. Instead, they are criminal suspects under Iraqi law.
During the transfer Saddam looked visibly shaken, according to Salem Chalabi, head of the Iraqi Special Tribunal.
Chalabi said Saddam was advised that he had the right to legal counsel, and he wanted to ask questions but he was told he would be able to ask them during his court appearance Thursday.
Trials in absentia?
Some former regime officials who remain at large -- such as Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri, the highest-ranking former official not in custody -- could face trial in absentia, according to Iraqi Justice Minister Malik Dohan al-Hassan.
In an interview with CNN, Feisal al-Istrabadi, the principal drafter of the transitional administrative law, was asked about the availability of war crime evidence if Saddam didn't sign documents approving the actions he is suspected of spearheading.
"The crimes of the regimes were not few and were not small in scale. You are talking about mass public executions. For instance in 1969 there were mass public executions on TV of 13 men.
"These were not hidden crimes, they were in open, under the principles of command responsibility, whether you have a document signed by Saddam or not, under the principles of command, the crimes were so ubiquitous, that I think it would be virtually impossible for Saddam to argue that he did not know."
i find it funny that when he's in our posession, he's cooperative. Now he's back home, defiant-ass mofo. What do you guys think of him? What do you think of the whole attitude? Do you feel he should've been released to Iraq or tried in front of the U.N.?
CNN
Saddam Hussein appeared in Iraqi court on the morning of July 1, 2004
• Seven preliminary charges were read against the former Iraqi leader.
• Saddam was dressed in civilian clothes for his court appearance. Handcuffs and chains were removed once he was in the courtroom.
• Saddam referred to the court proceeding as "theater" and said "the real criminal is Bush."
• The court charged Saddam with invading Kuwait, suppressing the Shiite uprising after the 1991 Gulf War and killing members of political parties and religious leaders.
• Saddam refused to sign court documents that said he understood what took place in court, noting that he wanted his attorney present.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Saddam Hussein stepped into an Iraqi court on Thursday and entered a new chapter in the country's history, facing accusations that included the invasion of Kuwait and the gassing of Kurds.
Appearing before a judge in a 30-minute hearing, Saddam looked thin and downcast.
When he was ushered into the court, the judge asked him his name and twice he said, "I am Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq."
The judge asked whether he understood his rights and could afford counsel. Saddam pointed his finger at the judge, asking whose jurisdiction the court was under.
He was read seven preliminary charges outlined in his arrest warrant, which involve the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, suppression of the Kurdish and Shiite uprising in 1991, political killings, religious killings and the gassing of the Kurds.
These are not the formal charges against Saddam, which will be worked out in an indictment over the next few months.
Saddam challenged the court on his invasion of Kuwait.
He kept saying, "How could you say that? I did that for the Iraqi people ... how could you defend these dogs," he said, referring to the Kuwaitis.
The judge reprimanded him for his language.
"This is all a theater, the real criminal is Bush," Saddam said, during one outburst, referring to the U.S. president.
He also referred to the accusation of gassing Kurds at Halabja.
"I heard about that on the television reports, saying it happened during the rule of President Saddam Hussein," he told the judge.
He refused to sign court documents that said he understood what took place in court, noting that he wanted his attorney present.
Saddam arrived about 2:20 p.m. in an armored bus, as part of a convoy that included four Humvees and a military ambulance.
He was led into the building by two Iraqi correctional service officers. Six other correctional officers stood at the entrance to the court facility, which is near the Baghdad International Airport.
He had a neatly trimmed beard but he was a bit thinner than he appeared in December, when he was seized in a hideout near Tikrit and looked unkempt. In court, his voice was hoarse.
He wore a gray suit jacket, a starched white shirt, a belt, brown trousers, highly polished black shoes and brown socks.
He was helped into a chair by the guards and leaned his arm against the chair and started an interaction with the judge.
Each time Saddam wanted to speak, however, he was respectful of the judge, saying "please" and making a hand gesture as well to indicate that.
News video showed Saddam's appearance, but the footage was released without sound. The U.S. military would not allow any microphones in the courtoom and would not allow faces of courtroom employees to be shown.
After the proceeding, Saddam was being escorted to a new place of detention, still under U.S. military guard.
The same procedure will take place with the 11 high-profile members of his regime, who also face charges. They include former deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz, who often defended the regime internationally, and Ali Hassan al-Majid, dubbed "Chemical Ali" for his alleged role in the use of chemical weapons on Iraqi civilians.
Two of Saddam's half-brothers are also in the group, along with his vice president, defense minister and presidential secretary.
None of the detainees will have legal counsel in Thursday's proceedings.
Saddam and the others were transferred to Iraqi legal custody on Wednesday, but they remain in U.S. military hands.
'Dark era ... gone forever'
Iraq's interim president, Sheikh Ghazi al-Yawar, told CNN's Jane Arraf the trial will be fair and not influenced by politics.
"All Iraqis can listen and hear and understand that he will be tried according to the law," al-Yawar said. "There will be no political aspect to his trial.
He said the trial "means that a very dark era has been gone forever."
National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie said Iraq has "a long, long, long list of crimes against Saddam Hussein," citing the chemical attacks in Halabja, the execution of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, people killed in mass graves, and the launching of three wars.
"These are crimes against humanity, homicide and genocides," he concluded.
Months from now, the suspects will be formally indicted. After that, Saddam and his aides will face trial -- all part of a process that that his Jordanian attorney asserts will be illegal and unfair.
The historic transfer of Saddam from United States to Iraqi custody began on Tuesday night, the end of the first full day of power for the interim government.
Official papers were handed to the U.S. authorities, formally requesting legal custody of Saddam and the others.
Later, the transfer to legal authority took place. It means the 12 are no longer prisoners of war or protected under the Geneva Conventions. Instead, they are criminal suspects under Iraqi law.
During the transfer Saddam looked visibly shaken, according to Salem Chalabi, head of the Iraqi Special Tribunal.
Chalabi said Saddam was advised that he had the right to legal counsel, and he wanted to ask questions but he was told he would be able to ask them during his court appearance Thursday.
Trials in absentia?
Some former regime officials who remain at large -- such as Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri, the highest-ranking former official not in custody -- could face trial in absentia, according to Iraqi Justice Minister Malik Dohan al-Hassan.
In an interview with CNN, Feisal al-Istrabadi, the principal drafter of the transitional administrative law, was asked about the availability of war crime evidence if Saddam didn't sign documents approving the actions he is suspected of spearheading.
"The crimes of the regimes were not few and were not small in scale. You are talking about mass public executions. For instance in 1969 there were mass public executions on TV of 13 men.
"These were not hidden crimes, they were in open, under the principles of command responsibility, whether you have a document signed by Saddam or not, under the principles of command, the crimes were so ubiquitous, that I think it would be virtually impossible for Saddam to argue that he did not know."
i find it funny that when he's in our posession, he's cooperative. Now he's back home, defiant-ass mofo. What do you guys think of him? What do you think of the whole attitude? Do you feel he should've been released to Iraq or tried in front of the U.N.?
CNN
07-01-2004, 08:18 AM
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Originally Posted by benjamin
He should have a lawyer. This trial is a joke.
07-01-2004, 08:23 AM
#4
un-Touch'd krew
So ummm......he gets tried as a man commiting these atrocities and if convicted faces death most surely. Why is there not a seperate trial for his WMD charges?
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07-01-2004, 08:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Nightshade
So ummm......he gets tried as a man commiting these atrocities and if convicted faces death most surely. Why is there not a seperate trial for his WMD charges?
07-01-2004, 08:27 AM
#6
un-Touch'd krew
This kangaroo court is being held on US soil using US judges and jurors.....correct?
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07-01-2004, 08:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Nightshade
So ummm......he gets tried as a man commiting these atrocities and if convicted faces death most surely. Why is there not a seperate trial for his WMD charges?
07-01-2004, 08:32 AM
#8
un-Touch'd krew
Originally Posted by BonzoAPD
did you read the entire post? These are not his formal charges. These are just some of the charges he faces
Like I said it will be a kangaroo court
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07-01-2004, 08:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Nightshade
Yes I read the entire article and I understood that but I also have heard no mention of the WMD charges as well.
Like I said it will be a kangaroo court
Like I said it will be a kangaroo court
07-01-2004, 09:14 AM
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I think he has several lawyers. One of them is some guy who has made a career of defending heinous world leaders. I guess the question is if any of his lawyers will ever be able to defend him and if they do if they can be paid with the money he stole.