Saddam trial is falling into chaos, claims barrister after defence lawyer

[cal04]

Saddam trial is falling into chaos, claims barrister after defence lawyer found dead

Defence lawyers in Saddam Hussein's trial are demanding American bodyguards after one of them was kidnapped by gunmen at his office in Baghdad and later found dead. General Hussein Ali Kamal, a deputy interior minister, said yesterday that measures had been taken to ensure the lawyers' security after the abduction and murder of Saadoun al-Janabi, a Sunni Arab lawyer whose body was found in Baghdad on Friday. Two members of the defence team said that the 12 remaining lawyers had rejected ministry guards. "We refused because of our lack of trust in the Iraqi security agencies," said one lawyer, Khamees Hamid al-Ubaidi. "Everyone knows there are elements in the Interior Ministry that assassinate Iraqis." The ministry is partly controlled by the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the Shia party that has most seats in the National Assembly. Its paramilitary arm, the Badr Brigade, is accused of operating death squads.

Mr Ubaidi said the defence lawyers were seeking American protection, and wanted US officials to carry out the investigation into the murder. Mr Janabi was representing Awad Hamad al-Bandar, a former judge on Saddam's Revolutionary Court, and was the only defence lawyer seen in TV coverage of the opening day of the trial, which was adjourned untilnext month. The only other members of the court to appear on camera were the presiding judge and the chief prosecutor, whose identities were disclosed for the first time.


Abdul-Haq al-Ani, a British-trained Iraqi barrister who says he has been asked by Saddam's daughter Raghad to help co-ordinate the ex-dictator's defence from London, told The Independent on Sunday that the trial had already "fallen into chaos". Mr Ani has approached a leading defence lawyer, Anthony Scrivener QC, and a prominent Northern Ireland solicitor, Des Docherty, to represent Saddam, but said: "After this murder, what foreign lawyer would go to Iraq now? There is absolutely no guarantee of any protection."

The defence team in Baghdad will also seek a longer adjournment. "They didn't know what the charge was until it was read in court," said Mr Ani. They are also demanding that the trial be moved away from Baghdad, even outside Iraq, although General Kamal ruled that out yesterday. The interim government has rejected a trial abroad, insisting that Saddam and his regime must be tried by Iraqis in Iraq - in part because an international trial might prevent imposition of the death penalty. "President Saddam has not been given proper legal advice," said Mr Ani. "Not once has his main lawyer on the spot been able to meet with him in private, and any documents they pass to each other are seized by American soldiers and given to the investigating magistrate to look at."

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article321612.ece

[wtmusic]

1. A real possibility that Saddam could walk

or be "sprung" by loyal Sunnis.

Then what will the reason for invading Iraq be? :shrug:

[bullimiami]

2. what do you call it...

when the judges, prosecution and defense all are puppets of the invading junta.

a joke?
any legitimate prosecution would have been held at the hague but saddam may have dragged his former gang bosses into evidence.

[banana republican]

5. a kangaroo court..... n/t

[Peace Patriot]

3. Lord, we have death squads running amok. There was also that...

...minister in Syria who was just offed--with Bush now saying we have to "hold Syria accountable." Was that one of the deeply rooted "aspens" that Libby was apprising Miller are still at work to widen the ME war, and have not been uprooted by Treasongate (re: the stories that she should "come back to work--and life" to cover)?

Add them up. 29 journalists. David Kelly. Probably Nick Berg. Probably those four contractors in Fallujah. Numerous prisoners of war, and who knows how many other victims of staged incidents? Now Saddam's defense lawyer--and, lo and behold, a top Syrian minister, so Bush can beat the drums of war against Syria and justify the fait accompli of our already engaging and killing Syria troops over the border (which started during Katrina, with no Congressional mandate that I know of--you heard of any? --dragged into war with Syria with not even a peep out of our Diebolded Congress.)

I don't believe it was a "Sadr death squad." I think it was one of OUR death squads, working at the behest of the neocon/Likud cabal that instigated this war, who are terrorizing the Sunnis and seeking to prevent any common cause or unity among Iraqis, and who ultimately are serving the war profiteers, who thrive on chaos.

Sadr would have no interest in disrupting Saddam's trial--although it would be in the interests of the war cabal to lead Saddam defense attorneys to think so. And they are naive to think that a murder investigation by Bushites will yield justice or truth. That will be a cold day in hell.

[lovuian]

4. It is a farce!!! When the defense is killed!!!

Why have a pretense of a trial!!! Saddam can't be tried in IRAQ!!!

[struggle4progress]

6. kick