Bush: Baghdad Still Safe for Saddam Trial

[callady]

Bush: Baghdad Still Safe for Saddam Trial

Tuesday October 25, 2005 1:01 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush said Monday that Baghdad is still a safe enough place to hold Saddam Hussein's mass-murder trial, even though one of the lawyers involved was killed last week.

``There will be a fair trial,'' Bush told Al-Arabiya television in an interview. ``The question is whether or not there's the courage to go ahead with the trial. And I think the people of Iraq would like to see Saddam Hussein tried for the crimes he committed.''

Bush said he would not support an international trial for Saddam because it's important for Iraqis to conduct the trial and demonstrate that they can have a fair judicial system.

The president said it was ``just terrible'' that the lawyer for one of Saddam's co-defendants was killed. Saadoun Sughaiyer al-Janabi was kidnapped and shot last week, one of two lawyers for Baath Party official Awad Hamed al-Bandar.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5367535,00.html

This story seems to contradict Mr. Bush:
Bombers target journalists' hotel in Baghdad

Staff and agencies
Monday October 24, 2005

At least 15 people were killed this afternoon when three large bombs, one of them a cement-mixing truck packed with explosives, exploded beside Baghdad hotels used as a base by many foreign journalists, police said.

There was considerable damage to rooms of the Palestine and Sheraton hotels. Initial Iraqi police reports suggested at least 15 people had been killed and another 15 injured, Reuters reported. Associated Press quoted the Iraq's national security adviser, Mouwafak al-Rubaei, as saying that 20 people were killed.

The ground floor of the nearby Sheraton hotel suffered severe damage and several people were wounded, a hotel official told Reuters by telephone.

The Palestine Hotel's windows and rooms on the south side of the 19-storey building were substantially damaged. Dramatic TV pictures showed a flash of light and sparks on the north-west side of Firdous Square, next to the hotel, followed by a huge cloud of dust and smoke rising from the scene and debris falling from the building.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1599659,00.html

It just doesn't look that safe:
A huge explosion is seen near the Palestine hotel in Baghdad. Photograph: Khalid Mohammed/AP

[FloridaPat]

1. That would be the ONLY thing Baghdad is safe for, Now where is the

legitimate government of Iraq?

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. Why not send Bush and his minions over there if it's so safe?

[illflem]

3. Excellent place for Snotter and Rove's trial

wouldn't they look good in one of those baby cribs?

[susu369]

4. the blatant stupidity of bu$h* is breathtaking

You are spot on: so safe, okay when was the last time you were in Baghdad, bu$hie?

[HuffleClaw]

5. hmmm

let's see. WHO benefits the MOST from killing/scaring journalists?

[The_Casual_Observer]

6. And US still safe for bush trial.

[Theduckno2]

7. I wonder how safe it would be if Rumsfeld, Cheney or "41" were

called to testify at Saddam's trial? Can you say "videotaped deposition"? I thought so.

Where do you find "Chimp" in the dictionary? Right between "Callous" and "Clueless".

In this country a trial is held up because a judge may be a Democrat (DeLay), but in Iraq the killing of a defense lawyer is hardly more than business as usual.