Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein puts on his head set during his trial on genocide charges at the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006. Some of Saddam's co-defendants are, second row, Farhan Mutlaq Saleh, back row, Tawfiq Taher al-Ani.
Photo: AP
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Saddam Hussein’s Judge Called to Step Down
It seems the second trial of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein could have a new dramatic turn in the near term. The chief prosecutor in Saddam Hussein's genocide charges demanded the presiding judge step down, accusing him Wednesday of too soft attitude toward the deposed leader and his mates. The sensational statement of the chief prosecutor was made once Saddam Hussein lambasted the witnesses and defense, threatening them with violence.
In Baghdad, the yesterday’s hearing of the genocide case vs. Saddam Hussein and his mates came as a surprise for everybody. It looked as if it had been the trial of chief judge Abdullah al-Amiri rather than of deposed president of Iraq accused of genocide against the Kurds.
As a result, Chief Prosecutor Al-Firaun lashed out at the presiding judge blaming on him too soft attitude towards Saddam Hussein and claiming the latter got the political arena for delivering speeches instead of being called to account.
The accused Abdullah al-Amiri rebuffed by saying his term in the judicial service reached 25 years and his task was ensuring the unbiased dealing with the case.
But the claims of the prosecutor appear well-justified. The second trial vs. Hussein started August 21. The actual purpose to attain is to hold the trial of history, bringing under coram the former president and his six mates for the Anfal punitive attack, which was staged in the northern Iraq in 1987 to 1988 and killed 182,000 Kurds.
But the trial looks more like a farce now, so Al-Firanun had to urgently step in to channel the procedures towards Iraqi Nuernberg.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 14, 2006
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