9.4 |
June 2005 to May 2006
On 19
October, the Iraqi Special Tribunal (IST) began the first trial of
Saddam Hussein.
He and a
number of his senior aides were charged with killing 148 Shia men
from Dujail in
1982,
following an attempt there on Saddam Hussein’s
life.162
All eight
defendants pleaded
not guilty.
The trial was adjourned until 28 November.
Although
Human Rights Watch raised concerns about prospects for a fair
trial, a
spokesman
for the Iraqi Government said:
“Iraqis
have not forgotten yet that the reason why the country is in such a
mess, it’s
because one
man stole the will of 27 million people for 35 years and pushed
them
into wars
and misery.”
Two defence
counsel were killed, and a third wounded, in two separate
incidents
on
20 October and 8 November.163
As a result
the trial was adjourned once again to
5 December
to allow time for replacement counsel to be found.164
Lord
Goldsmith, the Attorney General, told Cabinet on 27 October that
there were huge
challenges
in providing security for the court and protection for those
participating.165
The trial
was not, as some alleged, being orchestrated by the US and the UK –
“we had
simply
provided support for the Iraqis”.
A second
set of proceedings against Saddam Hussein commenced on 21 August
2006.
These
concerned the accusation of genocide against the Kurds in the Anfal
campaign in
the late
1980s, for which Saddam Hussein and six other defendants stood
accused.
While the
proceedings in relation to the Anfal charges were continuing (and
before what
was
expected to be a series of other proceedings against Saddam Hussein
had been
commenced),
the IST reached its verdict on the first (Dujail) trial. On 5
November 2006,
Saddam
Hussein was sentenced to death for the Dujail killings. He was
executed on
30 December
2006.
372.
On 19 October,
Secretary Rice told the US Senate Foreign Relations
Committee
that she believed the US could “assure victory” in
Iraq, by majoring on the
“clear‑hold‑build”
concept.166
She
explained:
“We are
moving from a stage of transition toward the strategy to prepare
a
permanent
Iraqi government for a decisive victory … With our Iraqi allies, we
are
working
to:
•
Clear the
toughest places – no sanctuaries to the enemy – and
disrupt
foreign
support for the insurgents.
162
BBC
News, 19
October 2005, Defiant
Saddam pleads not guilty.
163
BBC
News, 21
October 2005, Saddam
trial lawyer is found dead;
BBC
News, 8
November 2005,
Saddam
trial lawyer is shot dead.
164
BBC
News, 28
November 2005, Saddam team
looks for new lawyers.
165
Cabinet
Conclusions, 27 October 2005.
166
‘Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice Iraq and US Policy to US Senate Committee
on Foreign
Relations’,
19 October 2005.
551