Saddam Attacked!

SADDAM'S LAWYERS CLAIM HIS RIGHTS ARE BEING VIOLATED!

I'M OUTRAGED!

HOW COULD SUCH A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE HAPPEN?
AMMAN (Reuters) -- Lawyers for Saddam Hussein said on Saturday their client was attacked by an unidentified man during a court appearance in Baghdad this week, but U.S. forces guarding him denied any such incident took place.

A statement issued by Saddam's international legal team, which has an office in Amman, Jordan, said the former president was attacked and exchanged blows with another person in a hearing attended by Saddam's main Iraqi lawyer Khalil Dulaimi, on Thursday.

"As the president (Saddam) stood to leave the courtroom one of those present attacked him and there was an exchange of blows between the man and the president," the statement said, adding that the head of the tribunal did nothing to stop the assault.

The statement quoted Dulaimi as saying the American guard who protected Saddam in the courtroom did not intervene and that he lodged a formal complaint against the tribunal.

The defense team did not say if Saddam was hurt.

However, a spokeswoman for detainee operations in Iraq, the U.S. military unit charged with overseeing the custody of prisoners including Saddam, said no such incident took place.

"Nothing like that happened with Saddam whatsoever," Lieutenant Kristy Miller said.

This is a bizarre story, isn't it?

If the U.S. really wanted to harm Saddam, there's been plenty of time for that to occur, starting with when he was found cowering in his little underground lair.

There is no indication, as Saddam's defense team is claiming, that the U.S. personnel responsible for guarding the tyrannt are being derelict in their duties. Quite the opposite. Saddam has been catered to while in U.S. custody, not roughed up.



The defense team said it would boycott the tribunal or any committee interrogating Saddam until he was given the right to proper legal representation by a team of international lawyers, including allowing former U.S. attorney general Ramsey Clark, leading Saddam's team of Western lawyers, to see him in prison.

"Repeated interrogations have taken place without a lawyer of choice present, no informed choice of legal counsel has been allowed, on evidence presented against Mr Saddam Hussein and his due process rights have been irreparably violated," Clark told Reuters in a statement.

Boycott the tribunal?

Is that possible?

If Michael Jackson didn't manage to boycott his legal proceedings, I don't see how Saddam can get away with boycotting the tribunal.

And then there's Ramsey Clark---what a guy!

He insists that Saddam's "due process rights have been irreparably violated."

Right.

What due process rights were in place to protect the thousands and thousands that Saddam's regime tortured and murdered?

Just wondering.