Hope this hasn't been posted yet.
Here we go:
In today's WaPo, there's an article about a US official saying that Saddam Hussein's trial was not likely to begin this year
Here's an excerpt:
The trials of former president Saddam Hussein and his top lieutenants likely will not begin this year, a U.S. official here said Friday, contradicting a recent pronouncement from Iraq's interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, that Hussein's trial could commence as soon as next month.
Allawi has sought to speed up the trials by exhorting judges and investigators to accelerate their work and by replacing the administrator of the special tribunal that will conduct the trials. The prime minister has said he wants the proceedings to begin before national elections, scheduled for January.
Note that not only Allawi needs a speedy trial with a clear outcome (i.e. indiction of Saddam) before the Iraq elections in January, but also Bush in his reelection battle. Now, Allawi may have the chance to get this done before January, but it also isn't likely:
Iraqis involved in the tribunal have said it could take more than a year to prepare for trials. First, they said, investigators must gather the necessary evidence, investigating judges must conduct preliminary proceedings and defense attorneys must have an opportunity to meet with the accused. Thus far, none of the defendants has had a chance to consult with an attorney.
I remember having read a diary on dKos which dealt with Hussein's trial and raised it as a possibility for an October surprise.
Well, now, if the official's information is correct, the danger of having a showcase trial against Saddam in the news right before the election is minimal:
The official added that the "likelihood of trials in the near future is remote."
For the Nov. 2 election, I think this is a positive development. It doesn't matter when this sack of shit is indicted and probably executed. I can wait a year or so. But the chimperator and his tool Allawi (or reverse?) don't have time. They need a quick trial, but that is rather unrealistic, especially taking into consideration the following quote:
The U.S. official said he had seen no evidence of political pressure on the tribunal, noting that investigative judges, who are making most of the significant decisions at the moment, are coming to their decisions independently of the tribunal's administrator. "No one from any quarter has pressured us to do anything," the official said.
If these judges are really able to do their work without being pressured to move quicker, the trial won't begin any time soon. Good.