Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Saddam says: Good morning, I have some questions ("Chemical Ali" Scared, Shaking)
Reuters ^ | 6/30/04 | Michael Georgy

Posted on 06/30/2004 4:46:00 AM PDT by kattracks

BAGHDAD, June 30 (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein, who brutalised Iraqis for decades, said good morning and sought to ask some questions when the United States handed him over to Iraqi justice on Wednesday, a witness said.

Saddam, who was captured hiding near his hometown of Tikrit in December, looked in good health as he appeared before an Iraqi judge in the first legal step towards a trial for the cruelties he inflicted during his 35 years of power.

"Saddam said good morning and asked if he could ask some questions," Salem Chalabi, a lawyer leading the work of a tribunal that will try the former dictator, told Reuters.

"He was told he should wait until tomorrow," said Chalabi, who was in the courtroom where Saddam and 11 of his former lieutenants were turned over to Iraqi legal custody.

But many of the other former Iraqi officials were nervous and agitated, said Chalabi, who has received numerous death threats since taking on the task of helping amass evidence against Saddam and preparing a special tribunal to try him.

Saddam, 67, is accused by Iraqis of torturing and killing hundreds of thousands of people with the help of officials in his Baath party. Saddam became president in 1979, but had already been Iraq's strongman since a Baathist coup in 1968.

His former lieutenants appeared nervous and some were hostile as they were told they would be charged on Thursday.

Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as "Chemical Ali" for his role in poison gas attacks, including one that killed about 5,000 Iraqi Kurds in Halabja in 1988, appeared especially rattled.

"He looked very scared. He was shaking," said Chalabi.

Saddam will remain in the physical custody of U.S. forces. He and the 11 others are to be charged on Thursday.

Saddam fled when U.S. forces entered Baghdad on April 9 last year after making a final defiant public appearance near a mosque in the capital. He was then filmed, looking disoriented, unkempt and with a bushy beard, as U.S. military doctors examined him after his capture on December 13.

Among others to be handed over were former Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz; Barzan Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti, Saddam's half-brother and adviser; Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti, his secretary; Sabawi Ibrahim, Saddam's maternal half-brother; Watban Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti, Saddam's half-brother and adviser; and Aziz Salih Numan, Baath Party regional commander and head of the party militia.

These men and others among the 55 most wanted Iraqis on a U.S. list are seen as witnesses who could help prove a chain of command linking Saddam to crimes against humanity.

Saddam will be charged with ordering the 1988 massacres of Kurds, the 1990 invasion of Kuwait and the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, according to Chalabi.



TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: abidaltikriti; almajid; altikriti; aziz; azizsalihnuman; azizsnuman; baathists; baathparty; barzanaltikriti; chalabi; chemicalali; hamidaltikriti; handover; hasanaltikriti; hussein; ibrahim; ibrahimaltikriti; iraq; iraqijustice; mahmudaltikriti; numan; prisonersaddam; sabawiibrahim; saddamhussein; salihnuman; tareqaziz; tariqaziz; trial; trials; watbanaltikriti
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 101-120121-140141-160 ... 201-220 next last
To: Conspiracy Guy

Probably hanging.

A firing squad would be good if photographed and sent around the Arab streets with these comments, "Who is Next?"


121 posted on 06/30/2004 6:30:43 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (Let Freedom Reign! Posted by Spackidagoosh on 28 June 2004 for the Free Iraqis!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 117 | View Replies]

To: expatguy
Yes.. obviously he won't get a fair trial in Iraq. They should move him to some place like Oregon.

You mean they should move him to Democrat National Party headquarters, or maybe Hollywood, where most of his current supporters live.

122 posted on 06/30/2004 6:33:11 AM PDT by Edit35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Grampa Dave

Public hanging on video would be very effective. Make the drop short as that makes the process take longer with kicking and twitching and such.


123 posted on 06/30/2004 6:33:40 AM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Drove my Jaguar to the Quagmire. But the Quagmire was dry.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 121 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
Among others to be handed over were former Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz; Barzan Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti, Saddam's half-brother and adviser; Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti, his secretary; Sabawi Ibrahim, Saddam's maternal half-brother; Watban Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti, Saddam's half-brother and adviser; and Aziz Salih Numan, Baath Party regional commander and head of the party militia.

Why don't we hand over McDermott and other treasonous democrats. Perhaps the Iraqis could try them better than we.

124 posted on 06/30/2004 6:35:34 AM PDT by sr4402
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Conspiracy Guy
Then if they don't twitch have a nice kitty kat to add a little post hanging action.

In Iraq, a nice doggie doing its thing on the hanging body would be a great final touch.

125 posted on 06/30/2004 6:40:03 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (Let Freedom Reign! Posted by Spackidagoosh on 28 June 2004 for the Free Iraqis!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 123 | View Replies]

To: kattracks

They ought to be scared. As long as they remained under US control, they were fairly certain that they would remain alive and well. Once they are turned over to the Iraqis, they know that their fate is sealed.


126 posted on 06/30/2004 6:44:11 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn't be, in its eyes, a slave.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Grampa Dave

; )


127 posted on 06/30/2004 6:44:34 AM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Drove my Jaguar to the Quagmire. But the Quagmire was dry.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 125 | View Replies]

To: smiley

Why not stoning with members of the victims' families casting the first stones?


128 posted on 06/30/2004 6:50:01 AM PDT by monocle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 99 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
According to AP it will be televised.

I wonder if the execution will be public and, therefore, taped for our internet viewing pleasure.

129 posted on 06/30/2004 6:51:36 AM PDT by plain talk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 81 | View Replies]

To: Grampa Dave

When is Ramsey Clark going to assume his duties as Saddam's attorney?


130 posted on 06/30/2004 7:00:13 AM PDT by reagan_fanatic (Liberalism is the end result of too many people peeing in the gene pool.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 125 | View Replies]

To: Conspiracy Guy

"...Well I hope Saddam doesn't commit suicide. I want him executed in some heinous manner..."

How about taking a page from Mason Verger's plan for Hannibal Lecter. Anyone who has read the book will know where I'm going with this. A possible fitting end to Sodamned Insane.


131 posted on 06/30/2004 7:04:03 AM PDT by NCC-1701 (ISLAM IS A CULT, PURE AND SIMPLE!!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: NCC-1701

Your poster name is the Starship Enterprise?


132 posted on 06/30/2004 7:07:33 AM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Drove my Jaguar to the Quagmire. But the Quagmire was dry.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 131 | View Replies]

To: Conspiracy Guy

I think Hussein will be acquitted and wind up teaching diplomacy at Columbia.


133 posted on 06/30/2004 7:08:53 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Hitler? Stalin? The left has a tough decision as to who they would rather emulate.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 132 | View Replies]

To: GGpaX4DumpedTea; Puppage

Rommel commited suicide after being implicated in the failed plot to assasinate Hitler with a briefcase bomb. It was that or his family...


134 posted on 06/30/2004 7:09:20 AM PDT by Axenolith
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 110 | View Replies]

To: monocle; All
I remember seeing an Iraqi women who had a male relative killed by the Saddam regime being interviewed after he had been captured. Her response when asked if he should be shot/hanged, she said no, he should have little pieces of his flesh pulled off of his body with pliers.
My kind a gal!
135 posted on 06/30/2004 7:10:03 AM PDT by olde north church
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 128 | View Replies]

To: Petronski

It was Hess who defected to Britain in an Me 110 early in the war. He died in Spandau about a decade or so ago of old age.


136 posted on 06/30/2004 7:10:37 AM PDT by Axenolith
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 80 | View Replies]

To: kattracks
others to be handed over were former Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz

This guy desrves death as well. He made a deal with the devil.

137 posted on 06/30/2004 7:12:39 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kattracks

LOL!
"Visibly rattled"
They know they had it good while in US custody.
Now they have a good chance of having their heads publicly cut off in a village square.


138 posted on 06/30/2004 7:17:43 AM PDT by Darksheare (I boil trolls in their skins and devour their souls because I'm COMPASSIONATE!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EQAndyBuzz

Or Berkley


139 posted on 06/30/2004 7:18:28 AM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Drove my Jaguar to the Quagmire. But the Quagmire was dry.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 133 | View Replies]

To: FreeBSD
I hope they charge everyone who helped him.

Welcome to FR. Did you have anyone specific in mind?

140 posted on 06/30/2004 7:20:04 AM PDT by j_tull ("I may make you feel, but I can't make you think.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 114 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 101-120121-140141-160 ... 201-220 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson