The Next Stop the War Protest Should Demand a Real Trial, and a Withdrawal of Troops as the First Condition for Fulfilling that Demand. posted by Richard Seymour

The trial of Saddam Hussein ought to have been a simple enough matter. The troops should have handed the old bastard over to the Iraqis and withdrawn, leaving them to do with him as they would. It should have been open to the public, open to all cameras, with every bestial response to every bloody charge available to the world, and especially to Iraqis. Then they should have either hung him, or tossed him in the slammer for the rest of his days. Personally? I'd be tempted to have him stoned by his victims - on the other hand, I don't think that's the kind of society Iraq wants to become. But it doesn't matter because it's none of my business what Iraqis choose to do with their long-time tormentor.

However, since this trial is manifestly being staged by the coalition military, it is my business how this trial is run. First of all, why was the video evidence being censored (Robert Fisk, "In the Dock", The Independent, 02/07/04)? Why were only US journalists allowed in, and only one Arabic television crew (according to John Simpson, BBC News, 01/07/04)? Why, when video evidence was released to CNN did it appear with the logo "Cleared by the US Military", (Fisk, op cit)? Why is it that the only Iraqi journalists present were told to leave before the proceedings began? Were the Americans that worried that Hussein would say "And tell Rumsfeld I know he pinched the silver-ware"?

This trial is a sham before it starts. Even a summary execution on live television (perhaps a beheading) would have been superior to this farcical performance. Withdraw the troops, let the Iraqis elect their own government, and let the trial commence for real.