And Justice For All

The native court which is trying Saddam Hussein for crimes committed during his time as a favoured Western ally has been asked to impose the death penalty. The chief prosecutor said that Hussein and two of his colleagues "were spreading corruption on earth ... and even the trees were not safe from their oppression"; presumably an allusion to the evil dictator's evil attempt to kill George W Bush's daddy, although perhaps a little over-charitable as to the latter's stature. "While many Kurdish and Shia Iraqis are keen to see the former dictator put to death for his regime's oppression of their communities," it appears, "a number of Sunnis see the court as carrying out the wishes of Iraq's US-led occupiers." Those Sunnis are a cynical lot, and no mistake. In any case, it will be interesting to see what happens when the verdict is formalised, I mean reached, and sentence is finally passed. If Hussein and company are to be executed, will it be a sign that the natives have not yet scaled those heights of humanitarianism which enabled the Coalition of the Entrepreneurial to invade; or will it be a sign that the personal influence of that great Christian, Texas' willing executioner, is making itself felt at last? And if Hussein and company do not receive the death penalty, will the Vicar of Downing Street and his angel of mercy, John Reid, descend upon the court to ensure that excessive leniency does not prevail? One would hate to think of other mass murderers, perhaps in government even as we contemplate our noble intentions in all their tragic awesomeness, getting away with horrible crimes against humanity just because of some fashionable concern over so-called human rights.