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Report: Ramsey Clark to Join Saddam's Defense Team

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Wed Dec 29, 2004 at 07:32:59 PM EST
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Al Jazeerah is reporting that former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark has joined Saddam Hussein's defense team.

Clark arrived in Jordan yesterday.

Clark said in the Jordanian capital Amman that his principle concern was protecting the former president's rights, who only saw a lawyer for the first time this month - a year after his capture.

"In international law, anyone accused of crime has the right to be tried by a confident, independent and impartial court, and there can be no fair trial without those qualities," he said.

"The special court in Iraq was created by the Iraqi governing council, which is nothing more than a creation of the US military occupation and has no authority in law as a criminal court," he said.

Who's going to foot the bill for Saddam's trial, estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars? Probably us, if Iraq seeks the death penalty. Wouldn't you rather see the money go to the Tsunami relief effort? Think about it. The U.S. might donate $35 million to benefit thousands of lives and hundreds of millions to kill one man.

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    Report: Ramsey Clark to Join Saddam's Defense Team | 5 comments (5 topical)
    Re: Report: Ramsey Clark to Join Saddam's Defense (none / 0) (#1)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Jan 01, 2005 at 08:15:51 AM EST
    Jim, Actually, our inclination was to defeat both Germany and the Soviet Union, by letting them do as much damage as possible to eachother, similar to our 1980s strategy with Iraq and Iran. So then what gives us a legitimate reason to invade Iraq? To seize the WMD that we authorized them to use 20 years earlier? And please don't link 9/11 to Iraq again, since Ronald Reagan is more complicit in 9/11 than Saddam Hussein. Please read this article if you need a refresher course as to why the strategy of aiding the "enemy of my enemy" has some potentially bad side effects. Pay close attention to this part: Indeed, to this day, those involved in the decision to give the Afghan rebels access to a fortune in covert funding and top-level combat weaponry continue to defend that move in the context of the Cold War. Sen. Orrin Hatch, a senior Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee making those decisions, told my colleague Robert Windrem that he would make the same call again today even knowing what bin Laden would do subsequently. “It was worth it,” he said. Now, mind you this article was written in 1998, right after the African embassy bombings. Can you imagine Orrin Hatch saying "It was worth it" right after 9/11? Of course not, he was one of those screaming the loudest for war. Paul, What Kerry did in effect was give himself "enough rope" with his vote for the resolution. Would you have voted for this resolution yourself? Would you have accepted your senators doing so?

    Re: Report: Ramsey Clark to Join Saddam's Defense (none / 0) (#2)
    by Don on Sun Jan 02, 2005 at 03:27:02 AM EST
    the war and 911 was planned years ago and served up by the neocons to satisfy the money and power thristy international bankers who has own this governme nt since the days of andrew jackson. vote for who you want it's not your agenda anyway.

    Re: Report: Ramsey Clark to Join Saddam's Defense (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jan 03, 2005 at 03:59:18 AM EST
    This site is pretty darned entertaining. This is why the left just lost more ground in a national election than any party had since Roosevelt. You all talk about the kooks on the right, but listen to yourselves -- more conspiracy theories than Ross Perot, and having more affection for mass murderers than an American president. And no, I won't buy the idea of Bush as mass murderer unless we attach the same title to Lyndon Johnson, Harry Truman, Franklin Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson too. If we're going to blame Reagan for Iraq, who will stand up and blame Carter for Iran? The left has a fundamental problem in that it sends the signal that every evil in the world (including natural disasters) are ultimately America's fault, and that the world would be a better place if America were more like the rest. I for one feel that America is the source of most of the good in the world, and it would be great if others emulated us. I remind you that over the last 20 years the world has been shifting increasingly to democracy inspired ultimately by American freedoms. The vast majority of Americans believe in their country, and increasing numbers are loath to elect leaders who don't.

    Re: Report: Ramsey Clark to Join Saddam's Defense (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jan 18, 2005 at 12:45:43 AM EST
    it appears to you that way expatriate because you're on the inside looking out.But to many of the countries that you claim we're doing good,there is an ulterior motive to the help that is being offered.They understand that all too well.That's why Indonesia won't allow the U.S to use their airspace while offering humanitary assistance.That's why we can't stop the insurgencies in iraq. So don't go getting yourself all puffed up with pride about your government being the do-gooders around the globe when there are other motivating factors that drives that help.

    Re: Report: Ramsey Clark to Join Saddam's Defense (none / 0) (#5)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Tue Jan 18, 2005 at 01:23:51 AM EST
    If we're going to blame Reagan for Iraq, who will stand up and blame Carter for Iran? Carter did not seek to put the Shah back in power (like Eisenhower did in 1953). But the Iranians thought that that was about to happen since the Shah had just arrived in the U.S. for cancer treatment in the fall of 1979. This precipitated the hostage taking. Now what has Iran done to us recently? We have a long track record of dirty dealing around the world under both Republic and and Democratic presidents. After all both parties serve basically the same masters. The Republicans have been historically slightly worse in this regard, especially lately. The fact that you want to plug your ears and yell "naaaa-naaaa-naaa" rather than admit to anything the U.S. does wrong is a very big part of the problem. This is OK though, as it will ultimately help the empire fall that much quicker.

    Report: Ramsey Clark to Join Saddam's Defense Team | 5 comments (5 topical)