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Sadam's defence team has asked for a delay according to this article. Seems there has been a rush to get the verdict out before the election,
Movember 4, 2006
AMMAN, Jordan — Defence lawyers called Friday for the judges to postpone their verdict in Saddam Hussein's Dujail trial — which is expected Sunday — and allow them to present their final arguments in defence of the deposed president. The call came in a letter addressed to the presiding judge of the Baghdad court that has been trying Saddam and his seven co-defendants on charges of crimes against humanity for the past 13 months. A copy of the letter was given to The Associated Press in Amman. The 10-member defence team, including former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, wrote that it would be premature to deliver the verdict on Sunday "because the court did not receive the final defence statements yet." The letter asked the judge for permission to "read the defence final statements and for the court to set another date for the defence argument in not less than 60 days' time." It was not possible to confirm that the judges had received the letter on Friday, the weekend in Iraq. When the trial adjourned for the judges to consider their verdict on July 27, Saddam was represented by court-appointed lawyers as his own counsel had boycotted the trial since the June killing of their colleague Khamis al-Obeidi, the third defence attorney to be slain during the trial. Saddam and seven former members of his regime have pleaded innocent to the killing of 148 Muslim Shiites from the northern Iraqi town of Dujail in 1982. The inhabitants were shot after an attempt to assassinate Saddam as he passed through the town. He is widely expected to be convicted and condemned to death. Iraq has cancelled all leave for its soldiers on Sunday, apparently fearing that such a sentence could provoke an upsurge in attacks. Supporters of Saddam are believed to be a major player in Iraq's insurgency. On Thursday, the defence team issued a press statement saying that Saddam was innocent and his trial had been political. The verdict would be America's "last kick before dying" in Iraq, the statement said.
AMMAN, Jordan — Defence lawyers called Friday for the judges to postpone their verdict in Saddam Hussein's Dujail trial — which is expected Sunday — and allow them to present their final arguments in defence of the deposed president.
The call came in a letter addressed to the presiding judge of the Baghdad court that has been trying Saddam and his seven co-defendants on charges of crimes against humanity for the past 13 months. A copy of the letter was given to The Associated Press in Amman.
The 10-member defence team, including former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, wrote that it would be premature to deliver the verdict on Sunday "because the court did not receive the final defence statements yet."
The letter asked the judge for permission to "read the defence final statements and for the court to set another date for the defence argument in not less than 60 days' time."
It was not possible to confirm that the judges had received the letter on Friday, the weekend in Iraq.
When the trial adjourned for the judges to consider their verdict on July 27, Saddam was represented by court-appointed lawyers as his own counsel had boycotted the trial since the June killing of their colleague Khamis al-Obeidi, the third defence attorney to be slain during the trial.
Saddam and seven former members of his regime have pleaded innocent to the killing of 148 Muslim Shiites from the northern Iraqi town of Dujail in 1982. The inhabitants were shot after an attempt to assassinate Saddam as he passed through the town.
He is widely expected to be convicted and condemned to death. Iraq has cancelled all leave for its soldiers on Sunday, apparently fearing that such a sentence could provoke an upsurge in attacks. Supporters of Saddam are believed to be a major player in Iraq's insurgency.
On Thursday, the defence team issued a press statement saying that Saddam was innocent and his trial had been political. The verdict would be America's "last kick before dying" in Iraq, the statement said.
http://www.thestar.com/...
by Craftyjani on Sat Nov 04, 2006 at 05:33:11 PM PDT
Everybody knows there is no fineness or accuracy of suppression; if you hold down one thing, you hold down the adjoining. -- Saul Bellow
by genespleen on Sat Nov 04, 2006 at 05:42:20 PM PDT
[ Parent ]
by genespleen on Sat Nov 04, 2006 at 05:43:38 PM PDT
I thought--wow, that's a masterstroke of diplomatic genius: ask for a delay so that the US election (which is being blame for the current violence) won't add additional fuel to the situation.
Wes would look great and prescient.
by mem from somerville on Sat Nov 04, 2006 at 06:13:26 PM PDT
Even Saddam deserves a fair trial. If his lawyers say they need more time, they should get it.
Once again, politics over the rule of law.
This is similar to what they did by pressing for the London investigations to be released earlier than the police wanted.
Of course, criminals do not care about the law.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Schurz#Schurz_on_.22The_True_Americanism.22
by Ningen on Sat Nov 04, 2006 at 06:25:41 PM PDT
wide narrow
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