Some Iraqis Want Saddam Freed, Back as President

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein stands accused of gassing Iraq's Kurds, crushing its Shi'ites and condemning thousands to death in his dreaded torture chambers, but some Iraqis still want him back as president.

"I don't know why they are trying Saddam. He is guilty of nothing," said Ahmed Abdallah, a student from Baghdad's Sunni Muslim Adhamiya district, once favored by Saddam.

Downcast but defiant, a thinner Saddam arrived at a courthouse in handcuffs and chains on Thursday to hear the charges against him.

The images, the first since U.S. forces found him hiding in a hole near his home town of Tikrit in December, stung the pride of some Iraqis who saw his public disgrace as a slap in the face for all Arabs.

"He was a president, an Arab leader. I feel all Arabs are humiliated when I see him as a prisoner like this, no matter what he did," said Faleh Jasem, a driver who was watching the first footage of Saddam facing an Iraqi judge.

"I would feel so hurt if they executed him, because he took a heroic position. He stood up to America and that makes him a real man in my eyes."

Many Iraqis want Saddam to be executed, some say they would rather he suffer a more protracted punishment for 35 years of Baathist brutality that saw Sunni Muslim Arabs favored at the expense of the Shi'ite majority and the minority Kurds.

Iraq's interim government is considering restoring the death penalty, suspended during the U.S.-led occupation, but those who benefited from his rule hailed him as a strongman who only crushed bad apples.

"Saddam was our president and we were happy with him so who are these infidels to take him away?" said Hana Majid, whose eldest son lost his job as a senior officer when the United States dissolved the army after last year's war.

"All those people in mass graves were just rabble who deserved everything they got."

In the first step toward a trial that may not start for months, Saddam was accused of suppressing Kurdish and Shi'ite revolts after the 1991 Gulf War, massacring Kurds, killing religious leaders and political figures over three decades.

"The Americans are punishing Saddam for standing up to them," said Mohammed al-Sammaraei, who runs a music shop in Adhamiya, where pictures of the former ruler still take pride of place in some living rooms.

"Under Saddam, I used to work in the government. Now I am sitting at home," said Abdallah, another Adhimiya resident who declined to give his full name.

"Saddam was a part of us for 35 years. He will always be in our hearts," he said touching his chest.

"All those people in mass graves were just rabble who deserved everything they got."

What do you expect to hear when you go around interviewing Sunnis? Killing and suppressing the majority ethnic blocs allowed the Sunnis to stay on top for decades. Having your enemies crushed and tortured daily must be more cathartic than having to debate and compete against them in the realm of ideas.

"Under Saddam, I used to work in the government. Now I am sitting at home," said Abdallah, another Adhimiya resident who declined to give his full name.

Yes, I'm sure you're just sitting at home watching TV, and minding your own business.

So many of the Iraqi insurgets are what we called 'FRE's, or Former Regime Elements, in retrospect I think it was a bad idea to not have policed all these guys up as soon as we took over. The FREs had the insurgency all planned out, and are always key players in the facilitating of attacks, support, and communications. The FFs - Foriegn Fighters - often come in and bulk up the manpower, but for actual organization, FREs have been running the show.

AND

These guys are on TV all the time, because they know our ROE, and they know that we're too soft to do anything to them. I'm sure they make a bee line to every media crew that comes by. I'm also sure Reuters checks for ID, Baath Party ID, before they put anyone on air.

Victims of the regime of ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein demonstrate in support of Iraq's caretaker government outside the so-called 'Green Zone,' the headquarters of the new Iraqi government and several foreign embassies.(AFP/Saeed Khan)

Iraqis unsure whether new government wants justice or revenge

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Saddam Hussein was hauled in front of an Iraqi court just three days after the end of the US-led occupation, but Iraqis were split over whether the aim was a fair trial or revenge.

The first major move of the interim government, which was handed power on Monday, was to launch judicial proceedings against the former dictator and 11 of his chief lieutenants.

"It was necessary not only because we had to turn the page on the old regime as soon as possible but also to cut the ground beneath the feet of supporters who are still active in the country," said political commentator Faik Ikabi.

Saddam appeared to justify this fear by rejecting the court's jurisdiction and refusing to sign a document acknowledging he had understood his rights.

"Bush is a villain, all of this is theatre. It is for his re-election," he said, referring to US President George W. Bush whose forces led the invasion of Iraq last year.

He also defended his 1990 invasion of Kuwait, one of seven preliminary charges which were read out on Thursday.

"Kuwait is an Iraqi territory. It was not an invasion," he thundered.

In a rapid turn of events, Saddam went from being a US captive to Iraqi legal custody on Wednesday, heard his arrest warrant the same day and found himself in front of the Iraqi Special Tribunal on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the new government announced it would re-instate the death penalty and made several statements that it was ready to use it.

But not all Iraqis agree with the interim government's priorities.

"Putting Saddam Hussein behind bars will not lead the people from the prison of occupation," said one Iraqi nostalgic for the old regime.

He said he would have liked to see the interim government concentrate on "the urgent problems of insecurity, unemployment and to demand the departure of foreign troops".

"We would have preferred a national reconciliation congress instead of measures that will divide us further," said another Iraqi who occupied positions of responsibility under the old regime.

The unease of many Iraqis is fed by the fact the country's new masters, sponsored by the occupying forces, were opponents of Saddam who fought the regime from the abroad.

But the start of the trial proceedings were not marked by any large-scale demonstrations either for or against the former dictator.

Even the Sunni Muslim areas which supported Saddam no longer dispute that human rights violations took place under his rule.

However, neither did the majority Shiite Muslims, who suffered the most repression under Saddam, hold any rallies despite making several earlier statements calling for the death penalty to be imposed against him.

Although Saddam and his 11 colleagues were quickly brought before the judge, the entire legal process will take months if not years.

Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has urged people to be patient.

"We will likely not see the trial of Saddam ... for some months. I urge the Iraqi people to be patient," he said.

Deputy Foreign Minister Hamid al-Bayati was hopeful the trial would help calm the insurgency which has killed hundreds of people this month.

"I think this trial will slow down the attacks and the insurgency because Saddam loyalists will lose hope. They were hoping until now that Saddam might come back," he said.

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