Posted on 07/01/2004 7:33:18 AM PDT by johnny7
BAGHDAD - Downcast but defiant, Iraq's deposed dictator Saddam Hussein appeared before an Iraqi tribunal on Thursday, refusing to recognize its authority and saying the "real criminal" was President Bush.
Saddam, who arrived at the courthouse in handcuffs and chains, was read seven charges under a preliminary arrest warrant and told his rights, pool reporters granted access to the heavily guarded proceedings said. "I am Saddam Hussein, president of Iraq," he repeated. Video footage of the 67-year-old Saddam, looking thinner, haggard and with a mostly gray beard, was broadcast around the world soon after his 30-minute court appearance. He had heavy bags under his eyes and was wearing a dark gray jacket and a white shirt, with no tie. It was the first footage shown of Saddam since he appeared unkempt with a bushy beard in photographs and videotape shot after his capture in December.
Saddam refused to recognize that he was guilty of a crime in invading and occupying Kuwait in 1990, telling the judge: "I did that for the Iraqi people. How can you defend these dogs?" The judge reprimanded Saddam for his language and reminded him he was in a court of law. He looked around with half-smile, saying: "This is all a theater, the real criminal is Bush."
He arrived in a U.S. helicopter at a military base and was then driven in an armored bus to the makeshift courtroom in one of his former palaces near Baghdad international airport. Two burly Iraqi guards escorted him into the courthouse where his chains were removed. His handcuffs were taken off inside the courtroom itself, where he sat down facing cameras.
TRIAL MONTHS AWAY
The arraignment was the first step toward a trial which could help Iraq come to terms with 35 years of Baath party brutality, though it may not start for many months.
With all due respect to your opinion, I think Alan Colmes - while his ideology often drives me nuts - doesn't come close to the insulting behavior of your others listed. Just my two cents.
KUWAIT CITY (AP) - Kuwait's information minister slammed Saddam Hussein for defending Iraq's 1990 invasion of the neighboring Gulf country during his Thursday court appearance in Baghdad and said the former Iraqi leader should be executed.
"The criminal still believes he is the president of Iraq," Mohammed Abul-Hassan told The Associated Press in Kuwait after watching the televised images of Saddam appearing in an Iraqi court. "Just imagine if he was still ruling Iraq."
Saddam is facing seven broad charges, including the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, which was occupied by Iraqi forces for seven months until being liberated by a U.S.-led coalition in the 1991 Gulf War. About 400 people, mostly Kuwaitis, were killed during the occupation and 600 people remain missing.
In his first public appearance since he was captured by U.S. forces in December, Saddam defended the invasion of Kuwait as being "for the Iraqi people."
Saddam also referred to the Kuwaitis as "dogs," a comment that led to an admonishment from the judge for using that language in a court of law. Dogs are considered unclean by many Muslims.
Abul-Hassan, the Kuwaiti official, reacted angrily to Saddam's comments about Kuwait, adding that his punishment should "certainly be execution."
On Saddam's remarks about invading Kuwait, the minister said: "He wants to prove to Iraqis that he is still defending an important issue. He showed the deep hatred he still has, but the judge was firm and he stopped him."
The minister said bad language was "expected" of Saddam. "This is how he was raised."
At the official Kuwait News Agency, editors gathered to watch the images of Saddam in court.
"This is important for us as Kuwaitis, and it is especially important for his supporters in the Arab world because they will get to know the crimes he committed," editor Tarek Bou Haimad said.
He added, however, that nothing would ease the pain caused by Saddam's invasion of Kuwait except by "seeing him hanging from the gallows, preferably after a fair trial."
Abdul-Wahab al-Omar, a 26-year-old civil servant, was shopping while news broke of Saddam's court appearance and was not interested in watching the former Iraqi leader learn of the charges against him.
"To us, what happened has happened and the (Kuwaiti) war prisoners are dead," he said. "A trial will not avenge them even if he is executed."
Al-Omar gave his own view on what kind of justice Saddam should face for the crimes he is charged with.
"He should be dangled alive in Safat Square (Kuwait City) and Kuwaitis should be able to go spit in his face," he said.
It's interesting to note that Saddam did not deny his actions against Kuwait.
Even more interesting, the UN demands, via proxy, the honor of presiding over the trial of their accomplice. They say Saddam's victims couldn't give him a fair trial. His accomplices will?? Um. Right.
Which is a very good thing!
No wonder you're taking this war on terror so personally, Dog! LOL
They're protecting those involved in security as the trial from Saddam's piece loving friends.
I knew it. Saddam was a DNC plant since coming to power in Iraq.
He was defiant only until they read the crimes he was accused of. As the judge was reading about the people killed without trial you could see him sinking. The deviance is an act. He already knows his fate.
Yep, James Carvile, the Clintoons, Michael Moore and the NY Slimes are writing his statements for him.
No, all this trial will do is help the Iraqi's tag their enemies for watch. The people supporting him are those that helped him suppress the people as well as terrorists that have invaded their nation.
Oh, and our lovable Democrats. This must be the foreign leader Kerry mentioned had endorsed him. Facing execution and still takes time out to campaign for him. It's touching.
Did the DNC receive their talking points from Saddam?
We all know they did before Saddam & Baghdad Bob went into hiding - via the Food-for-Oil/ "No War"-for-Oil scam.....
Re: Haggard Saddam Defies Iraqi Tribunal ["This is all a theater, the real criminal is Bush."]
From Thanos | 07/01/2004 12:49:56 PM EDT newYeah, Saddam and Democrats go *way* back. Remember how the Democrats supported his regime in the 80's by providing satellite intelligece for him to use when dropping poison gas on Iranian soldiers? That was a Democrat who did that, right? Right?
http://www.thekillingzone.net/saddam.jpg
You're not the only one. Our new friend is gonna take a little break.
We all know they did before Saddam & Baghdad Bob went into hiding - via the Food-for-Oil/ "No War"-for-Oil scam.....
.
.
.
Even if the DNC did not directly receive their talking points from Saddam,
- we know the Euro socialists did.
And we all know how Kerry's DNC worships them.
Ignore the email. Geopolitics and national interest is complicated. It is unimaginable that we were aligned with Joe Stalin in WWII. But we had to so that we could defeat Hitler. For a time, Iran was a bigger threat in the region than was Hussein. Someday, we may look back and wonder why France was once an ally. (maybe that day is today)
Rush had a great take on this. He was laughing hysterically, and saying "Look at Saddam today. We killed his sons, crushed his government, took his country, and found him in a spider hole...yet he's calmer than Howard Dean was after losing Iowa." I almost drove off the road.
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