SADDAM’S FATE

ADVERTISERS

POPULAR TAGS

ADVERTISERS

SADDAM’S FATE

James Joyner | Sunday, December 14, 2003

Surely, this isn’t the case:

U.S. Says No Decision So Far on Trial U.S. officials said they still haven’t decided what to do with Saddam Hussein now that he’s been captured, but one option is putting him before a special tribunal established just days ago. Iraq’s Governing Council said Saddam would face public trial in Iraq.

Iraq’s interim government established a special tribunal Wednesday to try top members of Saddam’s government for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. At the time, they said Saddam could be tried in absentia.

Lt. Gen. Richardo Sanchez said at a news conference Sunday that the U.S.-led coalition was still deciding what to do with Saddam.

“At this point, that has not been determined, we continue to process Saddam at this point in time and those issues will be resolved in the near future,” Sanchez said.

Iraqi officials were more certain. Adnan Pachachi, a member of Iraq’s Governing Council, said Saddam would face open, public trial inside Iraq. That was echoed by other members of the council as well.

“There’s no question that the process will be an Iraqi process,” Pachachi said.

We’ve known for at least a year–and surely since March–that capturing Saddam was a possibility. I can’t imagine they haven’t figured out what to do with him well in advance of now.

About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia.

Follow James on FriendFeed | Twitter | Digg

ADVERTISERS

OTB MEDIA

ATLANTIC COUNCIL

Visitors Since Feb. 4, 2003