The one indisputably good result of the war in Iraq is that Saddam Hussein, a thug, sadist and mass-murderer who killed perhaps 500,000 of his fellow citizens, is no longer running the place. Today, he made his first appearance in an Iraqi court – and tried to establish himself as the man still in charge. Let's listen in:
"I am Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq."
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"Please allow me not to sign [charging papers] until the lawyers are present. ... Anyhow, when you take a procedure to bring me here again, present me with all these papers with the presence of lawyers. Why would you behave in a manner that we might call hasty later on?"
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"You know that this is all a theater by Bush, the criminal, to help him with his campaign."
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"The armed forces went to Kuwait [in reference to his 1990 invasion that led to the Gulf War]. Is it possible to raise accusations against an official figure and this figure be treated apart from the official guarantees stipulated by the constitution and the law? Where is this law upon which you are conducting investigations?"
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Asked if he could afford a lawyer: "The Americans say I have millions hidden in Switzerland. How can I not have the money to pay for one?"
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Here is one particularly vivid little detail in the story from which the quotes above were drawn:
"Saddam was heard before he was seen, his chains clanking as he walked down the corridor."
Sweet music indeed, especially for most Iraqis and Kurds.
Here's a link to a piece filed by John Burns of the New York Times, who was the print-media pool reporter at Saddam's court appearance (free site registration may be required). It's also worth visiting the video link on this page to get a feel for how Saddam looked and acted. He may be certifiable, but it was a bravura performance.
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