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Monday, January 30, 2006

Get a handle on Saddam's trial. Now!


In June 1526, Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire, led an army into Hungary to attack the forces of Hungary's king, fifteen year old Louis II. This military conquest was a pre-emptive strike against a reinforced Hungarian kingdom after its alliance with the formidable Hapsburg Empire. A decisive defeat for Louis II at the battle of Mohacs came on August 29, 1526 when Suleiman's Turkish soldiers crushed the Hungarian army. Fifteen year old Louis II was killed during a frenzied retreated from the battle field.
Hungary would reel from this defeat for centuries and with its newly secured base in eastern Europe, the Ottoman Empire's efficient light cavalry and cannon would continue to launch advances into central Europe for decades.

Rarely, if ever, is a nation's leader dealt with so harshly in modern times. Perhaps it is because modern military leaders never lead their troops into battle. And whether they be teenagers or not, most modern heads of state are not killed attempting to retreat amid the crushing defeat of their army. Sometimes they are simply trapped like rats by marauding armies.

We like to think of ourselves as more civilized when dealing with the modern day vanquished. The Nuremberg trials after world war 2 introduced the present model of justice when dispatching the losers in war. Even so, Nuremberg had its detractors. The validity of the court was questioned by many groups and individuals for a variety of reasons and motives:
* The defendants were not allowed to appeal.
*The defendants couldn't affect the selection of judges.
*The judges were appointed by the victors.
*The Tribunal was not impartial and could not be regarded as a court in the true sense.
*Etc.
These are many of the same complaints heard from the detractors in the trial of Saddam Hussien. But one thing that wasn't tolerated at Nuremberg were complaints by the defendants in the form of outburst and disruptions. Saddam has too long turned these court proceeding into his personal kangaroo spectacle. The latest outburst on Sunday by Saddam and his half-brother, once again plunged the proceedings into chaos. Those outbursts finally resulted in the defendants being forcibly removed from the courtroom and the defendants lawyers walking out in protest. The trial has been adjourned until Feb. 2nd.

My advice to the new head judge is get a handle on these outburst now!
Whether these defendants are sequestered in holding cells off premises and video fed the proceedings or held in glass isolation booths ala Adolph Eichmann, deal with this contempt swiftly and severely. And gag that putz Ramsey Clark too. Public confidence and patience is waning and justice will be denied if Saddam's over bearing 'kangaroo' personality is superimposed any longer upon these proceedings.

Justice would have been much better served if Saddam just had the stones to die on the battle field like any other teenage head of state.