Iraqi Judges Get Trained for War Crimes

[pinto]

By SCHEHEREZADE FARAMARZI
Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Judge Qasem Ayash, one of 100 Iraqi jurists fresh out of a crash course in international law, says it was a waste of time.

"I have been a judge for 32 years and they are teaching me the ABCs of law? I ought to be teaching them," the head of the Appellate Court says with contempt after attending the two-week course organized by the U.S. Defense Strategy for International Studies. <snip>

Would he sit on a tribunal trying Saddam Hussein and others? No again. Ayash notes that several judges thought to be working with the Americans have been murdered. The fear among jurists is that Saddam's supporters would kill them just for sitting in judgment on the ousted dictator.

This is exactly what worries human rights groups and international jurists. They fear that the Iraqi judiciary, after four decades under the thumb of the Baath regime, has neither the experience nor the expertise to conduct a complex trial for crimes against humanity. They say only a U.N.-led tribunal has international legitimacy and can guarantee fair trials.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-testing-the-judges,0,7043940.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

interesting article. Notice another Chalabi here

[alcuno]

1. The writer's first name is "Scheherezade"

Cool.

[Just Me]

2. Although I would be verily shocked if Saddam actually lived,...

,...to be tried, this crash course set up by the Bush cronies is ridiculous. Where is the legitimacy in that? Moreover, if any ground is going to be made with respect to the development of a legal system which integrates human rights, why on earth would the administration seemingly perpetuate the old system? This makes no sense, except "nation-building" on the cheap maximizing cronies' financial investment and control,...or something.

The UN and ICC should be in charge of this. But, the freakin' neo-cons must "control" everything,...and screw up more and more each and every day in so doing. It's disgusting.

[TolstoyAndy]

4. Yeah, me too

I'm expecting to hear any day that he's been "killed trying to escape"

[pinto]

5. should he come to trial, it'll be a juggle for B*shco, imho,

if the charge is crimes against humanity, seems a world court is appropriate venue, yet they have already lined up for Iraqi court to "empower" Iraqi's with their own affairs.

And there's the issue of death penalty lurking out there...

Didn't Kofi Anan weigh in recently for world court?

There'll probably be some arm twisting on this one...

Or B*shco, when US interrogators are done with him, may very well turn him over to Iraqis to "decide" and avoid any responsibility in the outcome....

[Just Me]

7. I believe the position is an int'l court IN Iraq,...

,...which seems ideal to me. The issue of the death penalty will be a difficult one,...however, there has already been a stand against it (my memory being cloudy on what body in Iraq took that stand).

With the US cronies still controlling and directing everything, no one can sense an Iraq empowered by Iraqis, I'm afraid.

[TolstoyAndy]

3. Ridiculous

the very idea of the US teaching anyone about international law is so laughable that ... oh wait, it's actually sad.

So f*ing arrogant, we are.

[Just Me]

9. Whoops,...

[Zhade]

6. WOW. Talk about a disconnect between headline and content!

The headline does nothing to call attention to the "waste of time" Ayash (and I'm guessing others?) felt the training was.

Once again, the media whistles past the graveyard.

[Just Me]

8. It is way off from reflecting the content,...

,...I completely agree.