Posted on 01/23/2006 7:40:36 AM PST by SirLinksalot
New chief judge named in Saddam Hussein trial
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi officials named Raouf Rasheed Abdel-Rahman, a Kurd, as the new chief judge in the trial of Saddam Hussein, a top case investigator said Monday.
Abdel-Rahman would replace Rizgar Mohammed Amin, who submitted a letter of resignation on January 15 amid accusations that he was too lenient with trial defendants, said the investigator, Raid Juhi.
Abdel-Rahman will be an interim chief judge, Juhi said.
Amin handed in his resignation to the Iraq High Tribunal citing "personal reasons." He has been strongly criticized inside Iraq for allowing Hussein and his co-defendants to speak out of turn and levy accusations against both the court itself and the U.S. occupation.
Juhi, the chief investigator who prepared evidence for the case, said Iraqi authorities were unable to resolve differences with Amin, who also is Kurdish. (Special report: Saddam Hussein on trial)
The resignation was the latest complication in the trial, which began in October and has seen two defense lawyers assassinated and a another judge step down.
The trial is expected to resume Tuesday. There are five judges on the tribunal.
Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, a member of Hussein's defense team, has accused authorities of failing to provide acceptable protection for defense attorneys and their families. (Full story)
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
CAVEAT : That was the question by Liberal friends have been asking....
Now if they can only move the trial into Kurdistan.
Why don't they get "Judge Judy"? She wouldn't let Saddam get away with ANYTHING.
Yes, it would be great to see her call him "Cookie". I wonder how that'd get through the translation?
"First we're gonna give ya' a fair trial. Then we're gonna hang ya'." - Judge Roy Bean
The previous judge was also a Kurd.
I have to say that the judge who has now left the trial seemed to be incompetent. Basically he was letting Saddam run the trial.
Put Saddam in a soundproof box, if that's what it takes. I seem to recall something like that from the Eichman trial.
Let's hope he's the equivolent of Judge Roy Bean.
...and put it on ffffast forward!!!
A Kurd? No whey!!!
Fair is a relative term. Compared to U.S. standards, maybe not, but compared to historical Iraqi standards, yes.
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