19 December 2003
Coalition Official: Saddam Hussein's Trial To Be Fair, Transparent
Senor says trial will adhere to highest legal standards
By Jacquelyn S. Porth
Washington File Security Affairs Writer
The Coalition Provisional Authority's senior advisor in Baghdad says the trial of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein will be fair, transparent and consistent with "the highest legal standards" in the international community.
Both the CPA and the Iraqi Governing Council are committed to those standards Daniel Senor told reporters December 18, adding, that the legal process "will be led and managed by the Iraqi people." When asked if any Iraqi jurists or prosecutors had been given access to Saddam Hussein, Senor said the only meeting he knows has taken place thus far is a brief visit by four members of the Iraqi Governing Council.
When the issue of a possible change in Saddam Hussein's status from war prisoner to war criminal was raised, Senor said the lawyers are "currently considering that issue." After they make a recommendation, he added, "We'll ... move forward."
Senor's briefing occurred on the same day that some 100 Iraqi judges, lawyers, prosecutors and legal professors completed a two-week advanced legal training course in Baghdad sponsored by the CPA's Office of Transitional Justice and Human Rights. All participants were chosen by the Iraqi Governing Council.
The participants addressed issues such as the application of international legal standards when investigating and prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Senor said legal experts from Australia, Spain, Iraq, the United Kingdom and the United States led the discussions that included "international standards for the protection of the defendant; establishing proof of war crimes; crimes against humanity and genocide; and witness, victim and court protection." He also said they had examined and considered a new Iraqi statute "creating the Iraqi special tribunal to try key Iraqis accused of committing atrocities in Iraq between 1968 and 2003."
On other legal matters, Army Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, who briefed with Senor, reported that the Judicial Review Committee in Baghdad had dismissed the chief judge and five judges in Karbala after an investigation found them "to be corrupt or ... have significant connections to the Ba'ath Party."
Addressing the security situation in Iraq, Kimmitt said coalition forces are ready for any increase in violence in the weeks ahead. He said that there has been an increase in the number of assassination attempts and roadside bombings targeting civilians and that they are mostly directed at those working with the coalition. "It is still too early to tell ... if we're going to see it more stable or more turbulent," he added.
Senor also made the point that since Saddam Hussein's capture was announced December 14, there had been a record spike in the number of Iraqis volunteering to serve in the Civil Defense Corps. He said the increase was recorded mostly in the Tikrit area where family and tribal support for Saddam Hussein had been high.
The official described this as "a good signal" that reinforces the trend of a "steady increase in the number of Iraqis who want to participate in protecting their country."
Senor also talked about the continued existence of Iraqi "bitter-enders." He said former regime elements can see that the future political direction of Iraq is "heading towards the transfer of political independent sovereignty to the Iraqi people this summer." There are those who want to derail the political train by increasing the number and frequency of attacks, but they won't succeed, he added.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=December&x=20031219144321htrop0.7091333&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html
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