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Doll Commander
Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Posts: 339 Location: The Beltway
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 6:05 pm Post subject: Govt seeks to stop Saddam judge quitting |
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Talk about a whimp. And talk about a waste of invested American money training this whimp!
Govt seeks to stop Saddam judge quitting
Quote: | By Ahmed Rasheed
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi officials were trying to persuade the chief judge in the trial of Saddam Hussein not to resign on Sunday after he announced he would quit in protest at government interference with the court.
"The court has dispatched a senior judge today to visit him and try to dissuade him from resigning," one of the trial prosecutors, Mumkidh Taklif al-Fatlawi, said. "They are afraid of the damage this will do to the credibility of the tribunal."
Presiding Judge Rizgar Mohammed Amin is seen in this November 28, 2005 file photo during the trial of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad.
Quoting an official statement to prosecutors from the court administration, he told Reuters: "Judge Rizgar Amin has tendered his resignation and according to the tribunal statutes it was referred to the cabinet. The matter is still undecided."
The killings of two defence lawyers have already prompted questions over the U.S.-backed decision to hold the trial in the midst of bitter sectarian and ethnic conflict.
A source close to Amin told Reuters officials were visiting him in his Kurdish home city of Sulaimaniya and trying to talk him out of quitting but he was reluctant to stay because Shi'ite leaders had criticised him for being "soft" on Saddam in court.
"He tendered his resignation to the court a few days ago ... I am not sure if he will go back on his decision," said the source. "He had complaints from the government that he was being too soft in dealing with Saddam. They want things to go faster."
The judge planned to explain his reasons for resigning after chairing the next hearing on Jan. 24, the source said.
Though Amin has made his feelings clear he has not commented publicly and it remains unclear whether he truly wants to quit or is using this as a threat to fend off government pressure.
Government and tribunal spokesmen were not available.
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Schadow Vice Admiral
Joined: 30 Sep 2004 Posts: 936 Location: Huntsville, Alabama
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 6:37 pm Post subject: Re: Govt seeks to stop Saddam judge quitting |
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Doll wrote: | Talk about a whimp. And talk about a waste of invested American money training this whimp! |
Amin's lack of control of the proceedings seems to be entirely due to Saddam's outbursts and challenges of authority plus intimidation from Al Qaeda. (Both no doubt orchestrated by Ramsey Clark.)
As I remarked in a previous thread, this could be largely controlled by removing Saddam and the other current cast of defendants from the courtroom and let them be permitted to watch accusers via TV and respond to charges in writing via their lawyers. US courts do this routinely with disruptive defendants.
Any civilian judge whom they appoint to replace Amin would have the same problem. Unless firm measures are employed, a replay of the preposterous Milosovic "trial" in The Hague, now four years running will be repeated in Bahgdad.
If nothing else works, perhaps the trial auspices should be transferred to a military tribunal of current Iraqi senior officers.
Schadow _________________ Capt, 8th U.S. Army, Korea '53 - '54 |
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Doll Commander
Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Posts: 339 Location: The Beltway
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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Schadow wrote: | If nothing else works, perhaps the trial auspices should be transferred to a military tribunal of current Iraqi senior officers | .
Actually that is an excellent idea. Perhaps the military will not be intimidated by that wind bag. _________________
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