[Jake_old]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'P')resident Jalal Talabani has announced that he will not sign a death warrant for Saddam. The Kurds are relectant to piss off the Sunnis.

[Jake_old]

Yes Free, gutted about the possible non dirt raking as well.

[PenultimateManStanding]

http://debka.com/ That's where I read it. The Kurds have a good thing going for them now. They don't want to upset the applecart is my guess.

[Omnitir]

If it was truly a legitimate trial, then shouldn’t other nations also be tried for their involvement in Saddam’s atrocities? Why should Saddam answer to the charges against him, when for example, the U.S. doesn’t have to answer for setting up Saddam with a chemical weapons industry in the 80’s, or just generally encouraging unrest in the region?

If it was really justice they were after, then those that created the monster should also be on trial.

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Omnitir', 'I')f it was really justice they were after, then those that created the monster should also be on trial.

[Jake_old]

Slobadon's case is international, but he still disputed the courts legitimacy.

One of Saddam's associates defence lawyers shot in the head, fair trial?

here

He's got 12 left now.

[DarkDawg]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'O')ne of Saddam's associates defence lawyers shot in the head

[Keith_McClary]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('RedJake', '
')This is the best bit.....

He was the head of state at the time and therefor he is immune from prosecution. WTF . If he gets away with that then it doesn't matter a bit what he did while in power.

[Jake_old]

da da dum dum dum

another one bites the dust

cnn

[Heineken]

. . . just two days before the US midterm elections is highly questionable, no??

[AgentR]

No more so than the release of the Foley material. Politicians often can't control the content of events, but they can have an impact on the timing of events. So they structure them to have the greatest impact.

Otherwise, we would have learned about Foley in June. Saddam would have been sitting in jail awaiting execution, and the people would have largely forgotten about both.

[Zardoz]

It's just a big god-damned game isn't it?

However, this could, like everything else in Iraq, backfire and blow right up in the Neocons' faces. Sure, it would seem that a death-penalty verdict for that asshole might be a feather in Bushcheneyrummy's soiled, tattered cap, but it may also result in an orgy of violence perpetrated by the Sunni/Baathist insurgents.

The media may be filled with headlines Monday about a major bloodbath. This will not help the Republican cause.

[AgentR]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', 'S')ure, it would seem that a death-penalty verdict for that asshole might be a feather in Bushcheneyrummy's soiled, tattered cap, but it may also result in an orgy of violence perpetrated by the Sunni/Baathist insurgents.

[green_achers]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AgentR', 'H')ave the Democrats suddently found a way to get 60 seats in the Senate? Without that, they will be a crippled paper-tiger; unable to wipe their own behinds.

The violence would largely be irrelevant. It'd annoy the people that are already highly annoyed. They aren't changing their votes because of the violence. Could help with motivating the right; though they typically don't need THAT much motivation to show up and vote.

[AgentR]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('green_achers', 'S')o the Dems and Repugs will both be paper tigers. Sounds like the best possible result to me.

[Heineken]

Well, it looks as though the maneuver of announcing a verdict on Saddam two days before the midterm elections is working. It's dominating the news and there's a strong shift back to the GOP, as noted in today's Washington Post. My guess now is that the Dems end up narrowly controlling the House but still don't win over the Senate. Not that it matters either way.

Shows you how "independent" Iraq's puppet government actually is.

[mekrob]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Heineken', '.') . . just two days before the US midterm elections is highly questionable, no??

[Dreamtwister]

Dance, monkies! DANCE!

[Zardoz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mekrob', '.')..Cough, cough. Diebold. Cough...

[AgentR]

Well, the most harmless and useful permutation for the Republicans would be a 10-15 seat margin for the Democrats in the House, and a 51/49 margin for the Republicans in the Senate. In such a configuration, the Dems could really, really hurt themselves if they weren't very careful and very disciplined.