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Feb 29, 2004 If you are unfamiliar with the names Amir Taheri, that’s okay. Amir is listed in “Townhall.com” as an Iranian author with 10 books on Islam and the Middle East to his credit. I have not read any of his books, but I have read several of Mr. Taheri’s columns. The man is a deep thinker and writes like any conservative pundit when putting an article together. I like the way the man orders his thoughts. There is no vitriol in any of his writings I am familiar with. One of Amir’s columns taught me well of Saddam Hussein’s penchant for indiscriminate murder. It is documented that Saddam killed many among the Shiites, the Kurds, the Marsh Arabs, the Yazidis and the Sunni Arabs. These groups were at some odds with the minority Ba’athists. Saddam didn’t just murder among opposing Arab tribes. He killed many of his own immediate allies within the army. Any officer that came under the scorn of Hussein was quickly demoted to death. His own Ba’ath leadership took an amazing hit. Mr. Taheri records the deaths by murder of 15 of 16 top Ba’athist leaders between 1968 and 2003 at the hand of Saddam. Amir also tells us of Hussein’s dislike for members of his own family. He killed two grandchildren, both of his sons-in-law, a so- called “favorite” uncle and several cousins that, I suppose, weren’t the “kissing” kind. This is all documented. Why does Saddam rate a trial? There are entities (Friends of Saddam) who would love to see Hussein brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC). The United States does not recognize that body and is therefore not involved with it. The Friends of Saddam know also that a Hussein trial there would only involve his crimes committed since 2002 when the ICC was first put together. Saddam could very well end up exonerated in such a situation. The United States could be held liable and Saddam would get his country back. (Do I hear French footsteps?) Saddam has to face a court of execution to explain thirteen thousand missing persons at the hands of the secret police. He must answer for the execution of two civil wars, four foreign wars and several internal conflicts that resulted in over one and one half million deaths in Iraq, Iran and Kuwait. He must answer for the dispossession of almost 5 million Iraqis from their traditional homelands into refugee status in other countries. He has to answer for mass graves filled with more than 400,000 corpses. Again, this is all documented. Why does Saddam rate a trial? In 35 years it is recorded that Iraq received almost $300 billion from oil exports and another $50 billion in “gifts from Arab oil states”. When Hussein fell and the bankbooks were opened, Iraq was found to be in debt to the tune of $120 billion. Did Saddam spend $350 billion building his 25 palaces? A search of various worldwide banking facilities has been finding “Hussein Bucks” all over the place. We just have to convince the holders of these coffers to start coughing up the cash. We don’t need a trial for that either. We might offer Mr. Hussein a plea bargain though. Mr. Hussein; we promise to give you a quick and painless exit from reality if you 1) tell us where the WMD’s are. And, if they do not really exist, why you were so stupid to force a showdown you knew you would lose? 2) tell us whom you bribed, borrowed from, or begged to gain and retain power in Iraq 3) tell us about the terrorist organizations you allowed to train in Iraq and their associates. If you give us this information we will not turn you over to that angry mob outside this prison. Is that a deal? Saddam Hussein is a pathetic coward who could have saved the world a lot of trouble if he had had guts enough to point his pistol at someone, even himself. He does not rate a trial. A prolonged trial would only benefit Hussein sympathizers, keeping their voices to the forefront of a debate we should not even be having. Oh, I understand it would be a great coup to have the newly elected Iraqi government put this thing to rest as their first official act of a democratically free society. It would not bother me though if such a trial had to be completed posthumously for Mr. Hussein. ------------ About the Author: Independent, Conservative, Christian. Married 29 years with 5 children raised and one grandson being raised. 30 year Army Veteran and published poet with www.poetry.com since Y2K. Email Michael John McCrae: michael.mccrae@us.army.mil Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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