Hussein Charges Dropped

[MC Habber]

Being that he’s been executed, the Iraqi High Tribunal has dropped all the remaining charges against Saddam Hussein. This, in my opinion, is of vast importance with regards to the human rights abuses committed by his regime. Had Hussein been tried for crimes against humanity at the ICC, as he should have been, then all of the abuses of his regime would have been scrutinized – exposing not only their brutality, but the fact that the West looked the other way while they were occurring. In fact, the United States sold Hussein’s regime the components used to produce the chemical weapons that he used against the Iranians and later the Kurds, as detailed in a recent piece by Robert Fisk.

The United States, of course, opted out of the ICC for fear of Americans being ‘unjustly prosecuted’ for war crimes with regards to the war on terror and the war in Iraq, which only strengthened their insistence that Hussein be tried in an Iraqi court and for a specific crime that could not be at all traced to the involvement of external powers.

Ironically, when it came to the prosecution of, for example, Serbian war criminals, the United States did not object to their referral to the World Court.


-- Matthew Good

[Cranky]

EVERY country in the world allows sales of material for questionable uses.

Who is MAtthew Good and why is his blog that important?

[MC Habber]

habsaddict said:

EVERY country in the world allows sales of material for questionable uses.

I think you're missing the point.....

Who is MAtthew Good

Matthew Frederick Robert Good (born June 29, 1971, Burnaby, British Columbia) is a Canadian rock musician. He was the lead singer for the Matthew Good Band, one of Canada's most successful alternative rock bands in the 1990s, before dissolving the band in 2002.... In the years since the Matthew Good Band's disbanding, Good has pursued a solo career and established himself as a political activist and blogger. - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Good

and why is his blog that important?

Who said it was important?

[CentreHice]

They used to say the winner (powerful, elite) gets to write the history....and later they used the mass media to convey whatever message they wished. They still try as hard as they can.

However, with today's alternative sources of news--some actually reporting the truth--available at our fingertips, many things that were meant to be kept hidden from us "sheep" are right before our eyes, if only we knew how to sift them out.

[Skilly]

Related article by Gwynn Dyer (a fellow Newfoundlander):

Hanging Hussein for the wrong crime kept America's dirty laundry hidden

By GWYNNE DYER

LONDON -- It was not the Iraqi government but its American masters that chose to execute Saddam Hussein in a great rush as soon as the first sentence was confirmed, thus canceling all the other trials on far graver charges that awaited him. The current Iraqi government had nothing to hide if those trials went ahead; the U.S. government did.

Cast your mind back to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Washington's pretext for war then was Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction, with barely a word about bringing democracy to the downtrodden Iraqi people. But to persuade us that Hussein's WMD were a threat to the whole world, we were told a lot about how wicked he was, how he had even "gassed his own people."

Well, there weren't any weapons of mass destruction, so the script was changed to say the war was about bringing democracy to Iraq. That required Hussein to be a monstrous villain (which he certainly was), and it needed dramatic supporting stories: So let's try him for the slaughter of the Kurds in 1988.

Fair enough, and the trial for gassing the Kurds actually got started a couple of months ago. Other trials, for his savage repression of the Kurdish revolt in 1988 and the Shiite revolt in 1991, were already scheduled to happen in the new year.

But none of that came to pass. All the other trials were canceled, and they actually hanged Hussein for the judicial murder of 144 villagers in the town of Dujail who were allegedly involved in a plot to kill him in 1982.

Dujail? Here is a man who began his career in power in the late 1960s by exterminating the entire (mostly Shiite) leadership of the Communist Party in Iraq, went on to launch an invasion of Iran in 1980 that cost up to half a million lives, massacred his own Kurdish population in 1987-88 when some of their leaders sided with the Iranians, invaded Kuwait in 1990, and massacred Iraqi Shiites in 1991 when they rebelled against his rule at the end of that war.

And they hanged him for Dujail?

It's as if they had taken Adolf Hitler alive in 1945, but ignored his responsibility for starting World War II and his murder of 6 million Jews and just put him on trial for executing people suspected of involvement in the July 1944 bomb plot.

With all of Hussein's other crimes to choose from, why on earth would you hang him for executing the people suspected of involvement in the Dujail plot?

Because the United States was not involved in that one. It was involved in the massacre of the Iraqi Communists (the CIA gave Hussein its membership lists). It was implicated up to its ears in Hussein's war against Iran -- to the point of arranging for Iraq to be supplied with the chemicals to make poison gas, providing Baghdad with satellite and AWACS intelligence data on Iranian targets, and seconding U.S. Air Force photo interpreters to Baghdad to draw Hussein the detailed maps of Iranian trenches that let him drench them in poison gas.

The Reagan administration stopped Congress from condemning Hussein's use of poison gas, and the U.S. State Department tried to protect Hussein when he gassed his own Kurdish citizens in Halabja in 1988, spreading stories (which it knew to be false) that Iranian planes had dropped the gas.

It was the U.S. that finally saved Hussein's regime by providing naval escorts for tankers carrying oil from Arab Gulf states while Iraqi planes were left free to attack tankers coming from Iranian ports. Even when one of Hussein's planes mistakenly attacked an American destroyer in 1987, killing 37 crew members, Washington forgave him.

And it was George W. Bush's father who urged Iraq's Shiites and Kurds to rebel after Hussein was driven out of Kuwait in 1991, and then failed to use U.S. air power to protect the Shiites from massacre when they answered his call.

The U.S. was deeply involved in all of Hussein's major crimes, one way or another, so no trial that delved into the details of those crimes could be allowed.

Instead, the spin doctors in the current Bush administration put the Dujail trial first and scheduled the trials for Hussein's bigger crimes for later, knowing that they would all be canceled once the death penalty for the Dujail incident was confirmed.

The dirty laundry will never have to be displayed in public. But it does mean that the man who was hanged on the morning of Dec. 30 not only had a farce of a trial before a kangaroo court; he was executed for the wrong crime.

Gwynne Dyer is a London-based independent journalist and historian.

[franko]

As Johnny Cash once asked, "What is truth?"

[Skilly]

franko said:

As Johnny Cash once asked, "What is truth?"

If you are on the West Coast ... The Ring of Fire.

[franko]

Cast your mind back to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Washington's pretext for war then was Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction, with barely a word about bringing democracy to the downtrodden Iraqi people. But to persuade us that Hussein's WMD were a threat to the whole world, we were told a lot about how wicked he was, how he had even "gassed his own people."

Well, there weren't any weapons of mass destruction, so the script was changed to say the war was about bringing democracy to Iraq. That required Hussein to be a monstrous villain (which he certainly was), and it needed dramatic supporting stories: So let's try him for the slaughter of the Kurds in 1988.

There are still those who claim that the WMD Saddam bought from the Russians . . . went to Syria and Lebanon [google: Russia Syria Iraq WMD ]

I'm no conspiracy theorist, and think that the US [read: GWB] was itching for a fight and found one somehow, but to suggest that Saddam was innocent and had no weapons might be stretching it. Of course, as Johnny Cash once asked, "What is truth?"

[franko]

I know I know . . .



. . . and a little child shall lead them.

[franko]

habsaddict said:

Who is MAtthew Good and why is his blog that important?

Always wondered why Greenpeacenik Bruce Cockburn had such a voice in the 80s.

Peace, love, and If I had a rocket launcher...I'd make somebody pay . . . I would retaliate . . . I would not hesitate . . . Some son of a bi*ch would die

[MC Habber]

franko said:

Cast your mind back to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Washington's pretext for war then was Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction, with barely a word about bringing democracy to the downtrodden Iraqi people. But to persuade us that Hussein's WMD were a threat to the whole world, we were told a lot about how wicked he was, how he had even "gassed his own people."

Well, there weren't any weapons of mass destruction, so the script was changed to say the war was about bringing democracy to Iraq. That required Hussein to be a monstrous villain (which he certainly was), and it needed dramatic supporting stories: So let's try him for the slaughter of the Kurds in 1988.

There are still those who claim that the WMD Saddam bought from the Russians . . . went to Syria and Lebanon [google: Russia Syria Iraq WMD ]

Interesting that Bush and company aren't among them.

[franko]

machabby said:

franko said:

There are still those who claim that the WMD Saddam bought from the Russians . . . went to Syria and Lebanon [google: Russia Syria Iraq WMD ]

Interesting that Bush and company aren't among them.

Not sure what you mean.

[MC Habber]

franko said:

machabby said:

Interesting that Bush and company aren't among them.

Not sure what you mean.

I mean I don't hear anybody from the Administration saying anything about WMD, and haven't for a long time.

[MC Habber]

franko said:

habsaddict said:

Who is MAtthew Good and why is his blog that important?

Always wondered why Greenpeacenik Bruce Cockburn had such a voice in the 80s.

Peace, love, and If I had a rocket launcher...I'd make somebody pay . . . I would retaliate . . . I would not hesitate . . . Some son of a bi*ch would die

Not sure I see the connection.

[franko]

machabby said:

franko said:

Always wondered why Greenpeacenik Bruce Cockburn had such a voice in the 80s.

Peace, love, and If I had a rocket launcher...I'd make somebody pay . . . I would retaliate . . . I would not hesitate . . . Some son of a bi*ch would die

Not sure I see the connection.

There really was none. I just don't like Bruce Cockburn (not a big fan of the Good Brothers either, but that too is irrelavent) ;D

[franko]

machabby said:

franko said:

Not sure what you mean.

I mean I don't hear anybody from the Administration saying anything about WMD, and haven't for a long time.

Ah . . . I think that maybe, just maybe, the soon-to-be-ex-administration has learned to keep their pie-holes shut. But something interesting should spew soon to keep life interesting.

[MC Habber]

franko said:

machabby said:

Not sure I see the connection.

There really was none. I just don't like Bruce Cockburn (not a big fan of the Good Brothers either, but that too is irrelavent) ;D

Ok, umm, I don't like... Britney Spears.

[franko]

machabby said:

franko said:

There really was none. I just don't like Bruce Cockburn (not a big fan of the Good Brothers either, but that too is irrelavent) ;D

Ok, umm, I don't like... Britney Spears.

Nice to know we agree on something.

Now about the US adminstration . . .

WMD: a convenient excuse that led to an idiotic move that compounded turmoil that did absolutely no good, oui?

[MC Habber]

franko said:

machabby said:

Ok, umm, I don't like... Britney Spears.

Nice to know we agree on something.

Now about the US adminstration . . .

WMD: a convenient excuse that led to an idiotic move that compounded turmoil that did absolutely no good, oui?

Yeah, but whether or not it was idiotic depends on your position. Some people stand to make immense profits. For instance: Iraq to give Western companies control of oil: report or see here for a much longer article.

[Disgruntled70sHab]

skilly said:

Related article by Gwynn Dyer (a fellow Newfoundlander):

Hanging Hussein for the wrong crime kept America's dirty laundry hidden

By GWYNNE DYER

Skilly, I just finished reading this on Mr. Dyer's web site and thought I'd post. You beat me to it and I'm glad you did. I can only dream of writing the way this guy does. And he's a Newf to boot, eh bye???

Thankfully, they didn't have to address the other issues because that would show involvement.

As someone else already posted, there was an article about how the USA kept Saddam in power and how they removed him.

Cheers.

[Skilly]

disgruntled70shab said:

Skilly, I just finished reading this on Mr. Dyer's web site and thought I'd post. You beat me to it and I'm glad you did. I can only dream of writing the way this guy does. And he's a Newf to boot, eh bye???

I read it in the weekend Newspaper here ..... it was very similar to one he wrote in September (?) talking about the US involvement in the trial.

Yes, he is a native Newfoundlander. Born in Newfoundland in 1943.

[Disgruntled70sHab]

skilly said:

disgruntled70shab said:

Skilly, I just finished reading this on Mr. Dyer's web site and thought I'd post. You beat me to it and I'm glad you did. I can only dream of writing the way this guy does. And he's a Newf to boot, eh bye???

I read it in the weekend Newspaper here ..... it was very similar to one he wrote in September (?) talking about the US involvement in the trial.

Yes, he is a native Newfoundlander. Born in Newfoundland in 1943.

I've know of him since he produced an 8-part series called "War." It was probably one of the best documentaries I've seen on CBC.

I've followed him ever since. He actually lectured in nearby Napanee, which isn't too far from Kingston. Didn't even know he was there until it was too late.

One of the better reflective historians out there. Lives in London, England now I believe.

Cheers.

[CentreHice]

machabby said:

franko said:

Nice to know we agree on something.

Now about the US adminstration . . .

WMD: a convenient excuse that led to an idiotic move that compounded turmoil that did absolutely no good, oui?

Yeah, but whether or not it was idiotic depends on your position. Some people stand to make immense profits. For instance: Iraq to give Western companies control of oil: report or see here for a much longer article.

Now the Bush and Blair administrations can go around saying, "Mission Accomplished"....but instead of on an aircraft carrier, it'll be in the boardrooms of Shell, BP, Exxon Mobil, and Chevron...and all their service industries.

Was there ever any doubt that's what this invasion was about?

I'd like to know more about Canada's involvement with this grand scheme...petro business-wise.

[MC Habber]

centrehice said:

machabby said:

Yeah, but whether or not it was idiotic depends on your position. Some people stand to make immense profits. For instance: Iraq to give Western companies control of oil: report or see here for a much longer article.

Now the Bush and Blair administrations can go around saying, "Mission Accomplished"....but instead of on an aircraft carrier, it'll be in the boardrooms of Shell, BP, Exxon Mobil, and Chevron...and all their service industries.

Was there ever any doubt that's what this invasion was about?

I'd like to know more about Canada's involvement with this grand scheme...petro business-wise.

I'd also like to know if Canada has troops in Iraq. I've read that they do/did (JTF2 perhaps), despite claiming opposition to the war, but I don't know if it's true.

[Disgruntled70sHab]

machabby said:

centrehice said:

Now the Bush and Blair administrations can go around saying, "Mission Accomplished"....but instead of on an aircraft carrier, it'll be in the boardrooms of Shell, BP, Exxon Mobil, and Chevron...and all their service industries.

Was there ever any doubt that's what this invasion was about?

I'd like to know more about Canada's involvement with this grand scheme...petro business-wise.

I'd also like to know if Canada has troops in Iraq. I've read that they do/did (JTF2 perhaps), despite claiming opposition to the war, but I don't know if it's true.

Don't know about JTF2 being there or not, but when British soldiers rescued two peace activists in Iraq, they used intelligence from the RCMP.

Cheers.

[CentreHice]

Another article related to MC Habber's links re: Iraqi Oil

[Cranky]

centrehice said:

Another article related to MC Habber's links re: Iraqi Oil

This war was not about oil.

Filling my Hummer as we speak....

[MC Habber]

In Baghdad Saturday, police patrols discovered 37 bodies, all of the victims middle-aged men apparently killed by gunfire. Some of the bodies showed signs of torture. In southeast Baghdad, a woman was killed by a mortar round.

In the southern Iraqi town of Samawa, police said that gunmen killed three brothers, and that the charred body of an Egyptian employee of the municipal government was discovered in a trash bin.

Three mutilated corpses were discovered in the southern city of Kut, among them that of a beheaded Iraqi soldier. Kut morgue officials also reported that a police officer was killed while traveling home from work.

Gunmen in Samarra, north of Baghdad, killed a prominent Sunni Arab cleric and political party operative in front of his house, and in a separate incident a policeman was shot to death.