Saddam Hussein’s Voice Speaks in Court in Praise of Atrocities

The New York Times (excerpt) ^ | January 9, 2007 | John F. Burns

[HAL9000]

Excerpt -

BAGHDAD, Jan. 8 — The courtroom he dominated for 15 months seemed much smaller on Monday without him there to mock the judges and assert his menacing place in history.

But the thick, high-register voice of Saddam Hussein was unmistakable. In audio recordings made years ago and played 10 days after his hanging, Mr. Hussein was heard justifying the use of chemical weapons against the Iraqi Kurds in the late 1980s, predicting they would kill “thousands” and saying he alone among Iraq’s leaders had the authority to order chemical attacks.

In the history of prosecutions against some of the last century’s grimmest men, there can rarely have been a moment that so starkly caught a despot’s unpitying nature.

~ snip ~

[saganite]

In the history of prosecutions against some of the last century’s grimmest men, there can rarely have been a moment that so starkly caught a despot’s unpitying nature.



So the NYT admits he's a monster but they're still upset he got hung. Cognitive dissonance?

[snarks_when_bored]

As I understand it, John Burns has spent lots of time in Iraq and doesn't toe the Times party line on every question.

[saganite]

I figured it was a writer who didn't toe the editorial board's party line. Even the Times has to have an occasional dissenting writer to show they're "balanced".

[preacher]

Now that our election is over the NYT might print something like this now & then.

[Tunehead54]

Wonder when we first had these tapes? :-(

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Bump!

[snarks_when_bored]

That's about it...

[Pagey]

The recordings played at Monday’s trial session, seemingly eliminating any doubt about Mr. Hussein’s role in the attacks on the Kurds, may go a long way to answering criticism of the government for executing him before he was judged for the worst of his crimes. American justice department lawyers, who have done much of the behind-the-scenes work in sifting tons of documents and other evidence gathered after the invasion of 2003, had never hinted that they held the trump card, judicially and historically, that the audio recordings seem likely to be.

SEEMINGLY??? Here's a First for 2007: It appears our gov't WAS capable of actually keeping this a secret, and wonderfully long enough for every Leftist and American Socialist to reveal themselves for who they really are. Always believing in the worst of any Republican President and Administration, regardless of who has held office. Was this on American TV at all? I wouldn't know as I haven't watched the Alphabet channels in years and am a much better human for it. If they could ever learn to accentuate the positive I might but....., no, that isn't going to happen in this lifetime.