Little Testimony Ties Saddam to Crackdown

[tocqueville]

By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Writer
37 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq - After four months and 26 witnesses, prosecutors in the Saddam Hussein trial have offered little credible testimony directly linking the former leader to the killings and torture for which he's charged.

But legal experts familiar with the case say the best may be yet to come — documents allegedly tying Saddam to the crackdown that followed an assassination attempt against him 23 years ago in Dujail, a mainly Shiite town north of Baghdad.

Without compelling evidence, a guilty verdict against Saddam may not provide closure for victims of Saddam's atrocities. But the experts caution that the documents — which include hand written notes, interrogation orders and death sentences handed down by the Revolutionary Court — may not alone be enough to win a conviction.

What is needed, they said, is to establish a clear chain of command that would show Saddam would have known what happened to the more than 140 Shiites killed and the others tortured after the 1982 attempt on the former ruler's life in Dujail, north of Baghdad

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060204/ap_on_re_mi_ea/saddam_trial

[Warren Stupidity]

1. Why are they even bothering?

That trial is a joke. Just get it over with. Oh, and Saddam was a bloody tyrant, not coming up with anyone who can actually place him directly involved in any butchery is an indication of just how screwed up things are in Iraq.

[tocqueville]

3. are we going towards an "OJ Simpson trial" ?

what happens if they have to set him free ? maybe it's t he deal with the Sunnis so things can go back to "normal" and Iran be invaded ...

[Warren Stupidity]

7. the chance of his being anything but executed are near zero. nt.

[MasonJar]

2. Typical of anything that Bush has a hand in; no evidence has

not stopped him yet. Bush should be sitting in the docket with Saddaam, as should Cheney and Rumsfield.

[Wilms]

4. kick

[Disturbed]

5. Shrub statement about Saddam.

United States President George W Bush has said that Saddam Hussein deserves 'the ultimate penalty'. But he added the punishment for the former Iraqi ruler will be decided by 'the citizens of Iraq'.

"I think he ought to receive the ultimate penalty... for what he has done to his people..." Bush said yesterday in an interview with ABC television.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/dec/17iraq.htm

What happened to the American standard of Innocent until proven guilty when the Prez. of the USA declares that a person is guilty before a trial is held?

[Wilms]

6. Actually, that was rather restrained of the idiot.

He very well could have just ordered the court carpet-bombed.