Ex-U.S. Attorney General Ready To Defend Saddam

IslamOnline.net ^ | Dec. 15 2003 | Mustafa Abdel-Halim

[Senator Pardek]

CAIRO, December 15 (IslamOnline.net) – Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsy Clarke expressed readiness Sunday, December 14, to act as defense lawyer for ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, with western analysts suspecting the captured leader would be given fair trial.

"Certainly, why not. I am ready to act in his defense," Clarke told IslamOnline.net shortly after the U.S. confirmed the detention of Saddam near Tikrit.

Clarke, currently in Cairo to attend a two-day international anti-occupation conference, stressed that Saddam – however brutal – should be give a "fair, objective and impartial trial".

"Saddam must be domestically prosecuted first and - if this fails - he should be referred to an international court," said the former American official, known for his staunch opposition to the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq.

He doubted, however, that the ousted Iraqi president would be given such a fair trial.

Clarke averred that neither the U.S.-installed Interim Governing Council (IGC) nor the occupation forces is eligible to try the overthrown president.

"The IGC does not represent Iraq. It is Bush's council," said the former U.S. attorney general.

He noted that the Iraqi body was quick to say that DNA test proved the captured man was Saddam.

"Do you think that they can take the test themselves. They are puppets," Clarke maintained.

For the occupation forces to take over the trial, he dismissed this as a would-be ridiculous proposal.

"Occupation of Iraq is in itself an international crime" and runs counter to common decency and moral integrity.

Asked if Saddam could be taken to the International Criminal Court, the former U.S. attorney general whimsically ruled out the suggestion, noting Washington does not even recognize the court.

[rintense]

Revoke his citizenship.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

ping

[hellinahandcart]

I am amazed at the idea that a vigorous defense of someone accused of a crime is now deemed treasonous. I suspect the founders would be rolling in their graves at the notion.

You've managed to miss the entire point. We don't consider Ramsey Clark a traitor for offering to represent Saddam. We've thought of old Ramsey as a lying treasonous America-hating communist bastard for years. This development doesn't even rate as the cherry on the sundae. If he had NOT offered to defend Saddam (which was utterly predictable), his sentiments on this occasion would still have provoked the same reaction on our part.

If a spirited defense is only acceptable for those deemed "worthy" of defense then we are making a mockery of justice.

Well, again, you're addressing the wrong group of people. Ramsey Clark knows all about "mockeries of justice", he's directly participated in many. If his offer is accepted, Saddam's trial will be Theatre of the Absurd.

[DooDahhhh]

Very Good Description of this vile man!

[firewalk]

Thanks for the ping

[tcuoohjohn]

It all depends on what you call treason. If you mean some subjective, ad hoc definition of treason that bears no resemblance to the legal definition of treason then...OKAY! But if you mean the actual legal definition of treason then you are going to run into difficulties. If dissent and opposition to policy, however sparky, annoying and vociferous were treason, then Democrats would have had us in prison long ago. While Ramsay Clarke is misguided, wrong, gullible, and cantankerous those elements do not constitute legal treason. I would caution that words have meaning. Clarke is Unamerican. However even being unamerican is not treason.

[mhking]

Why am I not surprised?

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[Bikers4Bush]

Traitor, lock him up.

[hellinahandcart]

I would caution that words have meaning

Sure they do, and usually more than one meaning. The legal definition is never the only one.

Treason

Ramsey Clark, doing his bit to bring comfort to our enemies and communism to America since 1969...

[billhilly]

Harry Truman appointed his daddy, Tom Clark, to the Supreme court, and I believe Truman once said it was his biggest mistake. If so, the next worse mistake was Lyndon Johnson's mistake of appointing Ramsey Clark Attorney General. Of course Johnson did that to get Tom Clark to resign from the supreme court so he could appoint Thurgood Marshall to that position.

[nina0113]

I knew it would be Ramsay Clark before I even clicked on the link.

[proud American in Canada]

"Certainly, why not," Clark said.

Why not? Well, how about the fact that the coalition apparently has a memo that conclusively establishes that Mohammed Atta trained in Baghdad just prior to 9/11--the memo apprises Saddam of Atta's progress.

http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/12/14/wterr14.xml

If the fact that Saddam had something to do with the most horrific terrorist attack in history isn't enough for you, Clark, then I guess nothing is.

But then we already knew that.

[fml]

Treason: violation of allegiance toward one's country or sovereign, especially the betrayal of one's country by waging war against it or by consciously and purposely acting to aid its enemies.

Nothing too complicated there. What would your definition of treason be?

[weegee]

The man is a dumbass.

"Saddam must be domestically prosecuted first and - if this fails - he should be referred to an international court," said the former American official, known for his staunch opposition to the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq.

He doubted, however, that the ousted Iraqi president would be given such a fair trial.

Let's see, Saddam won't get a "fair" trial in Iraq but if the prosecution in Iraq "fails", he should be referred to an international court (and tried again). So he should be convicted but it is a travesty of justice if he is convicted and this AntiAmericanGovernment traitor wants to be his defense attorney.

[Republican Wildcat]

Perhaps you could point out the part of your post that is relevant to Mr. Bell to support your charge that he is not a decent fellow.

[King Prout]

ditto

[Poohbah]

He noted that the Iraqi body was quick to say that DNA test proved the captured man was Saddam.

"Do you think that they can take the test themselves. They are puppets," Clarke maintained.

Is Ramsey Clarke arguing that all Iraqis are camel-fornicating illiterates? How charmingly multi-cultural of him.

[Republican Wildcat]

The Vatican being against the war is NOT THE SAME as being for Hussein. It's not true.

I'm afraid the Vatican is not doing much to substantiate your case:

Cardinal Says U.S. Treated Saddam 'Like a Cow'

Yahoo! News / Reuters ^ | 12-16-2003 | Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A top Vatican official said Tuesday he felt pity and compassion for Saddam Hussein and criticized the U.S. military for showing video footage of him being treated "like a cow."

Cardinal Renato Martino, head of the Vatican's Justice and Peace department and a former papal envoy to the United Nations, told a news conference it would be "illusory" to think the arrest of the former Iraqi president would heal all the damage caused by a war which the Holy See opposed.

"I felt pity to see this man destroyed, (the military) looking at his teeth as if he were a cow. They could have spared us these pictures," he said.

...

The news conference was called for Martino to present the World Day of Peace message, in which Pope John Paul took a swipe at the United States for invading Iraq without the backing of the United Nations.

[tcuoohjohn]

Article III, Section 3 of the US Constitution and 18 USC Chapter 115, section 2381 of the federal statutes.

You, on the otherhand, find a law based definition to be a bit intellectually onerous and ideologically restrictive. A dictionary definition to be more palatable. I believe the founders had you in mind when they were writing the treason limitations in the Constitution. They knew what you don't. Treason is not an idea..it is an overt action.

Will there be anything else?

No?

Thanks for playing.

[Chad Fairbanks]

I would caution that words have meaning. Clarke is Unamerican. However even being unamerican is not treason.

SO, how would YOU choose to describe a man who used Iraqi money to help organize anti-war protests while we were at war with Iraq?