French lawyer 'to defend Saddam'

ITV ^ | March 27 2004

[SandRat]

So what could possibly be slimier than a "Mob King Pin" Defense Lawyer? Guess we just found out, a French "Mob King Pin" Defense Lawyer.

[Just mythoughts]

Richard Ben-Veniste will most likely assist this guy and demand we taxpayers pay his way. He has spent his adult life on the public dole defending the likes of "Saddam".


Richard Ben-Veniste is a partner in the Washington law firm of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw. He served as assistant U.S. attorney, Southern District New York, from 1968 to 1973, which included service as chief of the Special Prosecution Section from 1971 to 1973. Mr. Ben-Veniste was chief of the Watergate Task Force of the Watergate Special Prosecutor's Office from 1973 to 1975 and Special Outside Counsel Senate Committee on Government Operations from 1976 to 1977. From May 1995 to June 1996, Mr. Ben-Veniste was chief counsel (minority) of the Senate Whitewater Committee. Mr. Ben-Veniste received an A.B. from Muhlenberg College in 1964, an LL.B. from Columbia University Law School in 1967, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and an LL.M. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1968 under a Ford Foundation fellowship grant. He is a member of the bars of New York and the District of Columbia.

Mr. Ben-Veniste is the co-author of Stonewall: The Real Story of the Watergate Prosecution (Simon & Schuster), and has been a guest lecturer at numerous law schools, including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Georgetown and Fordham. He is a frequent commentator on current affairs involving the intersection of law and politics.

Mr. Ben-Veniste has been listed in Who's Who in America since 1975, The Best Lawyers in America since 1983, and Washingtonian Magazine's Top Lawyers in Washington, DC, since 1992, when the list first appeared.

Mr. Ben-Veniste is a Presidential appointee to the Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Interagency Working Group, which is mandated to review and declassify secret documents relating to World War II era war crimes.

[mewzilla]

I'd make sure someone else is present when that French lawyer sees his client. Or poor ol' Saddamn might not live to see his trial...

[FairOpinion]

They are just trying to earn the money Saddam gave them.

[headsonpikes]

No one needs a 'devil's advocate' more than Saddam, and this...this Frenchman is perfect for the job.

[ken5050]

interesting theory..from what I remember reading about the Jackal trial..there were some problems with illegal contact between Carlos and his lawyers...BTW..I think that saddam is gonna refuse counsel, refuse to cooperate in his defense...

[Free_at_last_-2001]

French lawyer 'to defend Saddam' - Quelle Surprise!

[mewzilla]

If Saddamn has a brain in his head, he'll refuse this particular legal help. He'd be better off with an American military lawyer. At least he'd live long enough to hang. And Saddamn, be a sport, take the French, Germans, Russians et al with you. They've got it coming, don'cha think?

[ken5050]

Be assured, the ONE thing you won't see at the trial is any American legal representation..

[Cobra64]

Now why would a Frenchman want to defend Saddam?

The answer is simple. France condones terrorism.

[lilylangtree]

A big law firm recently hired several cannibals. "You are all part of our team now," said the HR rep during the welcoming briefing. "You get all the usual benefits and you can go to the cafeteria for something to eat, but please don't eat any of the other employees". The cannibals promised they would not. Four weeks later their boss remarked, "you're all working very hard, and I'm quite satisfied with you. However, one of our secretaries has disappeared. Do any of you know what happened to her?" The cannibals all shook their heads no. After the boss had left, the leader of the cannibals said to the others, "which one of you idiots ate the secretary?" A hand raised hesitantly, to which the leader of the cannibals continued, "you fool!!! For four weeks we've been eating lawyers and no one noticed anything, but noooooo, you had to go and eat someone important!"

[Condor51]

Sure, 'they' call Carlos the Jackal names just because he wanted to kill de Gaulle, sheesh. And at least they could do would be to call him the right 'name' - Assassin!

[DeFault User]

Now why would a Frenchman want to defend Saddam?

Well, besides being "French", his last name is a synonym for 'penis' in French.