Saddam's Judge Quits Over Iraqi Gov't Pressure To Speed Up Trial

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Saddam's Judge Quits Over Iraqi Gov't Pressure To Speed Up Trial

Posted: 1/14/2006 9:20:45 AM EDT

What a clusterfuck.

Saddam judge threatens to quit over govt pressure

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The chief judge in the trial of Saddam Hussein has tendered his resignation in protest at pressure from the Iraqi government on himself and the court, a source close to the judge told Reuters on Saturday.

The revelation will fuel argument over the U.S.-backed government's ability to give the former president a fair trial in the middle of the bitter sectarian and ethnic conflict that has raged since Saddam's overthrow three years ago.

High Tribunal officials were trying to talk Kurdish judge Rizgar Amin out of his decision, the source said, adding that Amin was reluctant to stay because Shi'ite leaders had criticized him for being too lenient on Saddam in court.

"He tendered his resignation to the court a few days ago but the court rejected it. Now talks are under way to convince him to go back on his decision," the source said. "He's under a lot of pressure; the whole court is under political pressure."

"He had complaints from the government that he was being too soft in dealing with Saddam Hussein and his co-defendants. They (government leaders) want things to go faster."

The killing of two defense lawyers had already highlighted problems with the process amid a virtual civil war that pits Saddam's fellow minority Sunni Arabs against a U.S.-sponsored government run by Shi'ite Muslims and ethnic Kurds intent on hanging a man they say massacred their peoples.

International human rights lawyers have long urged U.S. officials and the new Iraqi government to turn Saddam and his aides over to an international court abroad.
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This circus should have been long over by now and Saddam should have been hanged in the public square already.

Posted: 1/14/2006 9:24:36 AM EDT

[#1]

It is good to hear that the Iraqi gov't is pressuring him to get it done, and get him killed sooner, rather than later.

Posted: 1/14/2006 9:25:44 AM EDT

[#2]

They should just kill him now and be done with it. Seriously.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Saddam's Judge Quits Over Iraqi Gov't Pressure To Speed Up Trial

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