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| Iraq |
| Al-Zaydi refuses to empower Saddam's lawyer to defend him |
| 2008-12-17 |
| Aswat al-Iraq: The official spokesman for the higher judicial council said on Tuesday that Muntadher al-Zaydi refused to entrust Khalil al-Dulaimi, who chaired the commission to defend former president Saddam Hussein, or Arab lawyers to defend him. "The government dealt with defendant al-Zaydi according to 3rd article of the 223 clause of the Iraqi law according to which if found guilty he will spend 7-10 years behind bars," chief justice Abdelsattar al-Bayraqdar told Aswat al-Iraq. "The session was attended by his lawyer and the general prosecutor and al-Zaydi refused to let Saddam's lawyer or Arab lawyers to defend him," he said, noting that the journalist demanded an Iraqi lawyer to defend him. Muntadher al-Zaydi threw a pair of shoes at U.S. President George Bush during a joint press conference with the Iraqi premier. President Bush quickly ducked when a pair of shoes was hurled at him Sunday. Zaydi, a young man of no more than 30 years old, has worked for al-Boghdadiya since its establishment in the wake of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. He had been kidnapped two years ago by unidentified gunmen while stepping out of his home in al-Bab al-Sharqi area, central Baghdad. A week later he was found lying on the ground near auto selling stores in al-Nahda square, Baghdad, at a late night hour. Zaydi is considered one of the journalists outspokenly criticizing the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq. He had written several reports opposing the U.S. military presence in the country. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #6 Lynne Stewart, because she's Teh Hawt |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-12-17 20:11 |
| #5 "Who's he holding out for, Ramsey Clark?" I was hoping for Mark Geragos. |
| Posted by: William Marcy Tweed 2008-12-17 14:06 |
| #4 Although very easy to point and laugh from one side or the other, a very important issue has been brought to the forefront. This guy was not turned into an omelet. Did not disappear/have family brutilized, and the footage released for all the world to see. Why do I think that is important? First, it legitimizes the transparency of the media. Second, as was mentioned yesterday, it shows a disrespect to the host of an invited guest. And I have to bring up something which has been clunking around in my head that if was expecting to die during this tantrum then wouldn't he have been doing his death chant rather than some slogan? Competent legal counsil and trial only further legitimizes the gains of the Iraq government and gulf between Iraq and other regional peoples. Does 7-10 years seem harsh, well I don't know it is Iraq's call but I can imagine what would happen if I threw a snowball at a football coach post game and hit one of those state troopers in the background. That, and I saw better throwing during halftime of the Florida/Bama game. Epic failure. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2008-12-17 12:07 |
| #3 Dulaimi was, let us say, dirtier than the average revanchist Sunni (connections and activities-wise). Also, surprise surprise, an utterly ineffective doofus in terms of actually defending Saddam. Not that such a task was simple, including whatever mistakes were Saddam's personal wishes, which Dulaimi (or others) would not dare disregard. Two of the three Iraqi defense lawyers murdered during the Dujayl case were among the best and most legitimate Sunni lawyers to be had. They might have been quite useful in this situation - a competent defense only enhances the quality and legitimacy of the justice system. While the whole thing arouses long-standing violent raging ambivalence about Iraqis and the Arab world, I tend to think the best course would be for the Iraqi govt. to make it clear the guy's behavior was unacceptable, and a national disgrace, without much jail time. And our best course would be to stay quiet, and when pressed reluctantly mumble that while we found the incident strange and offensive, we prefer the greatest possible tilt towards press freedom, and thus are not asking for any particular punishment. |
| Posted by: Verlaine 2008-12-17 03:10 |
| #2 Who's he holding out for, Ramsey Clark? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-12-17 01:26 |
| #1 "I seen what happened to his last client!" |
| Posted by: Anguger Tojo4943 2008-12-17 00:40 |