« More CNN Lies on Alito's Wife | Main | Religion Controversy: SBC & Tongues »
January 13, 2006
Saddam Judge to Quit
The chief judge in the trial of Saddam Hussein plans to step down, a source close to the judge told Reuters on Friday, in a development that could throw an already turbulent process into further disarray.
"He wants to withdraw," the source said of Rizgar Amin, who is to preside over the next hearing on January 24. "He will oversee the next sitting and then announce his reasons for withdrawing."
Asked why the Kurdish judge, based in the northern city of Sulaimaniya, wanted to pull out of a trial that has made his face familiar around the world during long days of television coverage, he would say only: "It is too difficult."
Pardon me, but the judge was weak and I am glad he is gone. Charles Krauthammer would no doubt agree:
There hasn't been such judicial incompetence since Judge Ito and the O.J. trial. We can excuse the Iraqis, who are new to all this and justifiably terrified of retribution. But there is no excusing the Bush administration, which had Hussein in custody for two years and had even longer to think about putting on a trial that would not become a star turn for a defeated enemy.
Why have we given him control of the stage? We all remember the picture of him pulled out of his spider hole. That should be the Saddam Hussein we put on trial. Instead, with every appearance, he dresses more regally, emerging from cowering captive to ordinary prisoner to dictator on temporary leave. Now he carries on as legitimate and imperious head of state. He plays the benign father of his country, calling the judge "son," then threatens the judge's life. Hussein shouts, defies, brandishes a Koran. The judge keeps telling him he's out of order. He disobeys with impunity, the guards not daring to intervene.
What kind of message does that send to Iraqis who have been endlessly told that Hussein and his regime were finished? "The performance has heartened his followers," writes The Post's Doug Struck from Baghdad. "In Tikrit . . . a large crowd of demonstrators chanted their loyalty on Tuesday. Several marchers said they were emboldened by his courtroom bravado."
I recommend Judge Judy.
Saddam claims he is malnourished: "You're full of baloney!" and "I eat morons like you for breakfast."
Saddam pulls a Biden: "Put a period on it and move on!"
Saddam says he is the president of Iraq and want's to negotiate: "You're not the boss, Applesauce!"
Saddam claims Bush is the real war criminal: "Don't say stupid things to me. If you say stupid things to me, it presupposes that I am stupid, and I don't want people to think I'm stupid. Old, maybe; stupid, never."
Saddam says he was tortured: "Do you see stupid written on my forehead?"
Saddam says he was a good leader: "I don't believe you!"
Saddam starts shouting about anything: "Do you see my mouth moving? When my mouth moves, yours stops."
Saddam starts figiting: "Are you nervous? Good."
Saddam says he needs to pee: "That's your problem."
Posted by Aaron at January 13, 2006 06:52 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.lifelikepundits.com/cgi-bin/mt3/mt-tb.cgi/2059
Comments
Judge Judy does not represent a real court or how a real court works. Daytime reality television court shows are fake courts involving minor, even petty matters. Ads for some shows tout them as offering the viewers real judges, real disputes and real justice. What the promotions for these shows do not clearly disclose is that what we are seeing is a distorted form of arbitration portrayed as a real trial. In truth, television syndicators hire the "judges" most, but not all, of whom are former real-life judges. They then seek out and pay litigants to present their case before television cameras in courtroom settings constructed by producers. These court shows create a false realty so powerful that it overshadows conventional public perceptions about the actual civil court system in America.
Reading Krauthammer's piece provides a lot of insight into what is really going on in Iraq. Krauthammer doesn't even attempt to wear the Republican mask and pretend that Saddam's trial is being staged by the Iraqi governent. He talks about how "we" decided to give Saddam a trial and how the Bush Administration bungled things and continue to bungle things.
There are lots of reasons that this trial is "too difficult" for the Iraqi Judge, not the least of which is because the Iraqi's are not really the ones in control of this staged show.
Since it really is just a show, Aaron is right. Bring on the show Judge Judy. She has lots of experience at being a show judge.
Posted by: KeithS at January 13, 2006 08:21 PM
Er, I think Aaron was trying to interject humor when he suggested Judge Judy.
What would you suggest instead?
Posted by: Pam at January 13, 2006 10:11 PM
Though someone missed the humor in your piece, I didn't. Excellent!! And I think Judge Judy would be perfect for this case.
Posted by: THIRDWAVEDAVE at January 14, 2006 01:19 AM
Pulls a "Biden?" Don't you mean a Dewine or a Coburn?
Posted by: Dr. Sid at January 15, 2006 09:59 PM