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Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released

The Iraq tribunal that will be trying Saddam Hussein has released a video of him being interrogated.

The incident Mr. Hussein was questioned about involved the 1982 killings of up to 160 men took place in Dujail, a predominantly Shiite village north of Baghdad, where Mr. Hussein had survived an assassination attempt that year.

These killings form the basis of one of the charges against him. You can watch the video here.

The killings form a small part of the charges faced by the former dictator, who is scheduled to be tried for alleged crimes against humanity. Prosecutors are believed to have chosen the killings as something of a test case in the overall prosecution of the former dictator. Other crimes Mr. Hussein will go on trial for include the Halabja massacre of 1988, in which Mr. Hussein's military used chemical weapons to kill thousands of Kurds in the northern town of Halabja.

And if you had any doubt that Saddam's trial will not be a fair one, consider this:

Last week, lawyers for Mr. Hussein complained that he had been allowed only two meetings with them since he was arrested in Iraq in December 2003.

Just another reason Saddam should be tried before an International court and not this makeshift Iraqi tribunal.

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    JM, The "Home" link (topics pages, top right, above the "About TalkLeft" link) doesn't seem to work today, is it just me? Laudable that you want a "fair" trial for Saddam, btw.

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:59 PM EST
    why not have the members of the UN Commission on Human Rights make the decision. With the ICC, we can have a trial for the next decade ala Milosevic. Why not let the country which suffered and was plundered make its own decisions /I doubt Romania is any worse off for the summary execution of its prior monster. what would have been just for Hitler?

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#3)
    by jarober on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:59 PM EST
    yeah, gosh forbid he be tried by Iraqis for crimes committed against Iraqis. Can't have that. All those folks he paid off at the UN though - yeah, they'd be perfectly fair

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#4)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:59 PM EST
    Why not put saddam in gitmo? and yes, "Ed" he needs the ICC Boys to help him, my little saddam how sad, ask saddam where Old Bin is? hiding out? "but i think Bush, boy" knows where Bin Laden Is and has known for years now. By the way any good lawyer can get saddam "off" by using Waco and our ideals of justice and world terrorism, but after all we just kill little kids! like at waco! got what i mean? the land of freedom will free you all soon to talk to god face to face, how much more can you ask for?

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:59 PM EST
    yes-we should make things easier for Saddam and his lawyers. let them have cushy accomodations at the Hague/let the maimed pay their own fare to trial(Ramsey Clark won't be filing any petitions for them). will you make the trial of SH about his crimes or those alleged of the US. Is that like the rape victim deserved it defense(like apologists for 911 hijackers/we deserved it). what is the defense that would deserve more than a 10 minute trial and execution?

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:59 PM EST
    Been askin' that question since they "dragged him out of his hole..." He must be thanking God he did, 'cause we all know that the American government treats evil dictators way better than the people those dictators kill... Case in Point: Iraq -Saddam is in a cushy cell eating three squares has a f$&king lawyer to boot, and Innocent Iraqis were and still are tortured in Abu Graib by Americans... Yup, something stinks to high heaven... And it ain't Saddam's Hairy A$$...

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#7)
    by ras on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:59 PM EST
    Curious that an avowedly Leftie site is so concerned with getting a fair trial for a Socialist dictator, even against the right of his own people to try him themselves. Perhaps Iraqis aren't as enlightened as American Socialists, yet.

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:59 PM EST
    Blagh doesn't see any "concern" for Saddam here, Ras, would you point it out? All Blagh sees is what everyone else see...America's feeding Saddam steak and his former subjects hot lead cereal...

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:59 PM EST
    the thread is premised upon concern for fairness of SH trial but you don't see it? Instead of a trial for SH, people again want to castigate Bush. a good reason not to let the UNHRC get involved.

    Bush could never put Saddam on trial, anyways...are you kiddin'? You wanna see his pappy in the docket with Rummy beside them? All Blagh knows is he remembers the picture of Rummy shaking Tariq Aziz's hand shortly before American-provided gas technology allowed Saddam to do the exact thing he's going to be tried for...gassing people... They should all three of them be in the hoosegow, but George kind of likes the other two...

    Geez, Jeri, do you mean to imply that allowing Saddam only 2 meetings with his lawyers so far is not fair? Not the American way? When I was in law school I worked on reversing a death penalty conviction in which the defendant met with his lawyer 1 time for exactly 30 minutes, before he was found guilty and sentenced to death in a trial of less than 2 days. And that was back here in the good ol' U.S. of A.

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#12)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:00 PM EST
    I think this points out a basic difference between 'libs' and 'conservs'. EVERYONE deserves a fair trial. Dahmer, Padilla, Hussein, Bush ... everyone.

    Methinks Jeralyn is being true to herself in insisting on a fair, international trial for Mr. Hussein. While you may disagree, let's not be mentally deficient in criticizing someone for sticking to their guns in the face of such a repugnant defendant. Blaghdaddy disagrees with TL on this point, only because his nature demands blood, lots and lots of blood from Abu-Devil... Any of you knocking TL right now should f*%king hope you have someone like that in your corner shoud you ever fall afoul of the law...

    "Methinks Jeralyn is being true to herself..." Who thinks? Davis or Blaghdaddy? ;-) I've never seen you slip before...

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#15)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:00 PM EST
    JR, All those folks he paid off at the UN though - yeah, they'd be perfectly fair The UN doesn't hold criminal trials. that's done by the International Criminal Court, Mr. Wizard. You are out of your league here.

    Ah, that's the crux, sarcastic... I am now deep in the thoes of a maniacal mental meltdown where Blaghdaddy and Davis have fused into one Unholy Son of a Davis' Mother... He is me...I am him... You've all been warned...

    I think this points out a basic difference between 'libs' and 'conservs'. EVERYONE deserves a fair trial. Dahmer, Padilla, Hussein, Bush ... everyone.
    As a "conserv" I do not doubt that Saddam deserves a fair trial - only wonder why "libs" - against the "paternalism" of the US taking him out of power - are for the "paternalism" of moving his trial away from the emerging justice system in Iraq. The Iraqi's need to sort their way through the issues of fairness vs revenge in this case in order to build their system. And if they choose revenge against this butcher - isn't that their national right?

    Here is an interesting blog who just got out of jail in Baghdad, and still supports the government. Maybe the Iraqi justice system is coming along.

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#19)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:00 PM EST
    The 'iraqi's' aren't trying him, just the vichy gov't the US installed. I have an idea, why not take a poll of iraqi citizens and see whether they want to try bush or saddam first? If they say bush, would you be willing to turn him over for an iraqi trial?

    Posted by James Robertson: "yeah, gosh forbid he be tried by Iraqis for crimes committed against Iraqis." 'Gosh forbid'? How quaintly childish. Posted by ras: "Curious that an avowedly Leftie site is so concerned with getting a fair trial" Gee, ras, you don't seem to understand TL's commitment to fair trials for ANYONE. How could that be? Haven't you read the site description? "for a Socialist dictator," How was Hussein a 'Socialist'? Because he shared oil profits with the people of Iraq? When did he do that? I remember him starving a million children rather than do that. "even against the right of his own people to try him themselves." Since Hussein is being tried for crimes against humanity, that supercedes a national right to try him. And the reason why it does is that we have a Genocide treaty (signed by Ronald Reagan) that specifies that these actions are against the human race, and not merely against the person's harmed. Posted by Ed: "Instead of a trial for SH, people again want to castigate Bush." No, we don't want to 'castigate' him -- we want to PROSECUTE him for his crimes. I'm sure you can see the difference. Repeated castigation is a common behavior in the effort to bring charges against CRIMINALS like Bush and his cronies.

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#21)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:00 PM EST
    In my Utopian dream world, Saddam, Bush, Bin Ladin and Blair would have to fight it out to the death in Thunderdome.

    the Vichy who were elected v. the Baathists/Jihadists-amazing whose side liberal opinion takes. conflating Bush/Blair with BL/SH also a real eye opener. Bush Hatred should be in the DSM because its sufferers truly cannot put the world in perspective.

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#23)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:00 PM EST
    "Just another reason Saddam should be tried before an International court and not this makeshift Iraqi tribunal." Absolutely not. If the Iraqis want to drag Saddam in the streets after a show trial, such is justice. An international tribunal is bureaucratic nonsense; the process simply for the sake of the process. "why not have the members of the UN Commission on Human Rights make the decision." You overlooked the tasty irony of giving the worlds sitting dictators a vote on the fate of a colleague. "The 'iraqi's' aren't trying him, just the vichy gov't the US installed." How legitimate do you think Iraqis would view an international trial via the UN? The organization that imposed economically crippling sanctions of lethal consequence, followed by the theft of billions in Iraqi oil under the guise of 'humanitarian relief'; lets include Annan in your 'poll'. And speaking of the Iraqi lust for revenge, how many of the senators (I'm looking at you senator Kerry)that signed the use of force act would be let off the hook?

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#24)
    by desertswine on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:00 PM EST
    In my Utopian dream world, Saddam, Bush, Bin Ladin and Blair would have to fight it out to the death in Thunderdome
    I like it. MEAT!! I must have MEAT!!

    JMO. Reconvene the Nuremberg Tribunals, and try him on charges of crimes against humanity. Worked well enough the first time, and it will give those on the Right a paralell with WW2 they won't have to invent, for once.

    I have an idea, why not take a poll of iraqi citizens and see whether they want to try bush or saddam first? If they say bush, would you be willing to turn him over for an iraqi trial?
    They can have him - but there is a snowballs's chance of that happening. Actually, you probably ought to pay a little more attention to Iraq. There is very little criticism inside Iraq for the process going on - other than by the jihadists (who largely are there, like the US, as a visiting army). The Sunni's are now asking to sit on the Constitutional commissions. What are you going to do if a constitution is drafted; and accepted by a majority of Iraqis? As to US control of this 'vichy' government - did you notice they are moving toward normalization of relations with Iran. The new Iraqi government even took credit, and apologized, for the Iran-Iraq War. You think that was President Bush's idea?

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#27)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:00 PM EST
    I pay quite a bit of attention to iraq, a lot more than the MSM. For instance, I know that we haven't turned a corner, there is no light at the end of the tunnel, that american's are still dying in near record numbers, and that the 'elected' iraqi gov't got that way with fewer than 30% turnout. Some polls never opened, there was a sunni boycott, other areas never got voting materials. free and fair my a$$. I also know it wasn't a cakewalk, it didn't pay for itself, we weren't greeted as liberators and SH didn't have WMDs. I also know that by far the majority of insurgents are iraqis trying to take their country back. At this point, bush has killed more iraqis than saddam. give them both a fair trial in the Hague.

    At this point, bush has killed more iraqis than saddam. give them both a fair trial in the Hague.
    Ya gotta link this. Oh, here is an example of the "non-democracy" of Iraq:
    The United States is pressing for the deadline to be met because any more delays in what is proving to be a violent and divisive transition period could strengthen the insurgency and set back hopes that the U.S. military can start drawing down its forces next year. . . American officials also are eager to see Sunnis included in the drafting process. Otherwise there is a strong likelihood that Sunnis will reject the document, which has to be approved by a referendum before the next election. . .According to the temporary constitution, or Transitional Administrative Law, if two-thirds of voters in any three provinces vote against the constitution, the document will be scrapped, fresh elections will be held for a new assembly and the process will start all over again. Sunni leaders have already warned that they will call on Sunnis in the four provinces where they are a majority to veto any constitution drawn up without Sunni participation.
    Sounds like a provision from a "vichy" type government - doesnt it?

    It's too bad that we don't have any archive of BBS chat boards circa 1986 so that we could revisit and link to Conservative apologists singing the praises of their handpicked ally Sadaam Hussein.

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#30)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:01 PM EST
    TS - You wouldn't find any praise. That was "real politics" or an "enemy of my enemy is my friend," pure and simple. You should try to understand that. Put another way, you may not like it, but it saved US military lives by pitting two enemies against each other. For another example see WWII, the Soviets, et al. jchfleetguy
    if two-thirds of voters in any three provinces vote against the constitution, the document will be scrapped, fresh elections will be held for a new assembly and the process will start all over again.
    Sounds like the EU process.

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#31)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:01 PM EST
    jch - You are correct, I should have qualified it by stating in the same amount of time, bush has killed more iraqi civilians than saddam. Note the above figures are intentional deaths. Now if you want to add the number of civilians, including children, who have died from disease or malnutrition since we invaded the figures skyrocket.

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#32)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:01 PM EST
    “… the number of civilians, including children, who have died from disease or malnutrition …” Recycled anti-sanction rhetoric; oh, the memories. I can hear it now … “I was against sanctions before I was for them”. I’m wondering, are you putting the thousands of Iraqi police recruits killed by, as you have phrased them, ‘iraqis trying to take their country back’ on the pres’s tab as well? What about the worshipers blown apart after Friday prayers by ‘iraqis trying to take their country back’, does the pres get credit for these as ‘intentional deaths’?

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#33)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:01 PM EST
    pw - no, I only included civilians killed by bushco. saddam didn't bomb his hospitals, target the infrastructure and splash uranium dust around. standard disclaimer: saddam was a bad man. back on topic, everyone deserves a fair trial, period.

    That's fine, but why shouldn't the Iraqis try there own butcher?

    pig: "What about the worshipers blown apart after Friday prayers by ‘iraqis trying to take their country back’" What makes you think those were Iraqis? The CIA and its operatives do this stuff with regularity: • The US is currently harboring a (former associate of the CIA) terrorist who, on tape, admitted that his group was going to destroy a Cuban civilian airliner -- which they then did. • The US-installed (CIA-associate) I. Allawi shot six detainees, untried, with his own pistol as he was taking office, in front of US soldiers. In 1995, he blew up movie theaters and schoolbuses in Bagdad. Another terrorist. • The (CIA-backed) Contras and other rightwing terror groups around the world associated with the CIA, performed thousands of political murders. • Osama Bin Laden, CIA-trained and armed, did something or other later. • Saddam Hussein, CIA-trained for taking over Iraq, didn't turn out so well, I hear. • CIA-backed corporate operatives in Colombia and Venezuela have carried out a number of assassinations and kidnappings, the latest being the unsuccessful coup d'tat in Venezuela. • CIA-backed Blackwater 'participated' in the coup d'tat in Haiti, removing by force the legally-elected president. They 'renditioned' him into custody in Central Africa, on one of those friggin' CIA-torture planes. So there is NO reason not to presume that a great number of these so-called 'suicide' bombing events in Iraq and Iran, are in fact CIA-ops. Indeed, the attacks at mosques, the burning down of the Koran-Torah Repository, and the attacks in affluent suburb discos, etc., are clearly NOT the acts of insurgents, but mostly likely USPNAC-CIA actions -- TERRORIST actions. 20,000 mercs in country (some are ordinary contractors)(totally illegal) in the invasion.

    (cont.) Press not allowed. What are they doing? Why were four hung over the side of a bridge in Fallujah? What had they done just previously? What? NO inquest? Just conviction of the entire population. A war crime so serious, that the DSM in all its evil conspiracy is a pale shadow of the criminality now in view before the whole world. What else have they done, that the world will REEL in horror, when it becomes known. Thanks, George.

    Indeed, the attacks at mosques, the burning down of the Koran-Torah Repository, and the attacks in affluent suburb discos, etc., are clearly NOT the acts of insurgents,
    Why is that clear?

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#38)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:01 PM EST
    JC, Maybe not as clear, but, knowing the true history of the CIA, just as plausable. It's a common tactic of that organization.

    There isn't a Muslim in the world that would burn down a repository of priceless, irreplaceable Korans. Similarly for attacks at mosques. Muslims do not attack their own churches. As for the discos, there is no reasonable value in such an attack to the insurgency. What would blowing those innocent civilians do to weaken the American invasion? Nothing. Given the unreasonableness (lack of motive), the people with the motive are the criminals. I left out a whole series of CIA TERRORIST actions; and GWB's support for Karamov tells you all you need to know about his concern for civilian lives, if Fallujah isn't evidence enough.

    the source for this bit of religious wisdom is? do muslims not kill other muslims as well?

    There isn't a Muslim in the world that would burn down a repository of priceless, irreplaceable Korans . . . Similarly for attacks at mosques. Muslims do not attack their own churches.
    First, Saddam Hussein's Baath Socialist Party was a secular government - the remaining Baaths have no reason to follow this logic. Second, the most religious of the Sunni's do not believe the Shia are Muslim - they are heretics. Again, no problem tearing up their mosques. Finally, the Shia are the backbone of the new government and most of the attacks of the insurgency and jihadists has been against Iraqis who are heretical for supporting US "infidels" I actually have no problem with the CIA doing stuff like this (at least historically) - but it is hardly clear that the insurgency would not attack government supporters wherever the live, work or worship for a variety of reasons.

    Oh, one of those reasons being to inflame religious anger and division.

    I should say that while I do not believe the CIA incapable of this - someone would have to show me why it helped US policy The US needs a political success in Iraq. Every conservative and liberal think tank has said the only solution to the insurgency is political - not military. The way the interim constitution is written any major group (Sunni, Shia, Kurd) can derail the constitution and start the process over. Blowing up mosques can only be designed to inflame Shia - Sunni tensions with the attempt to provoke an armed Shia retaliation on the Sunni. This would scuttle the political process and doom the constitution. Explain a logic of why this would benefit the US government.

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#44)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:02 PM EST
    jchfleetguy - Well said. PIL - Did you learn anything?

    Re: Video of Saddam Hussein Questioning Released (none / 0) (#45)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:03 PM EST
    “Similarly for attacks at mosques. Muslims do not attack their own churches.” Don’t be thick. Zarqawi himself has been documented as describing Shia as; "the lurking serpent, the cunning and vicious scorpion, the waylaying enemy, and the deadly poison … is more serious and can inflict more harm on [islam] the nation than the Americans." Sunni and Shia violence started over thousand years before the CIA was conceived. Common sense Paul; the kind of violence these two have perpetrated against each other’s members spans nearly two millennium and the borders and lifespan of dozens of countries.