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Verdict in Hussein's trial may add to Iraq tension, violence

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published November 4, 2006

AMMAN, Jordan - The trial of Saddam Hussein was intended to heal a fractured Iraq: exposing the crimes of his regime in a court of law, so Iraqis could come to terms with their past and move forward - united as a people.

Instead, the nine-month trial, roiled by a civil war and Hussein's political outbursts, has brought little healing for Iraqis who remain deeply divided over his legacy.

The verdict, expected Sunday, could make those tensions worse.

Indeed, many of Hussein's fellow Sunni Arabs - but some Shiites and Kurds, too - are predicting a firestorm if the Iraqi High Tribunal, as widely expected, convicts and then sentences the ex-president to death.

"Violence and killings will increase and Saddam will turn into a national hero among Sunnis," said Ibrahim Khalid, 52, a Sunni from Baghdad's Azamiyah district, where many people still support the ousted 69-year-old president.

Many Shiites, on the other hand, will be enraged if he escapes the gallows. Last month, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, said he expects "this criminal tyrant will be executed" and that his followers who are "gambling on returning to power" will lose heart and abandon the insurgency.

"Hanging is too good for him," said Saad Mindil al-Garaawi, 39, a Shiite lawyer in Diwaniyah whose father and brother were executed for opposition to Hussein in 1988. "We demand they hang him as soon as possible."

Hussein and seven co-defendants - including a half brother - have been on trial since Oct. 19, 2005, over their alleged roles in the deaths of about 150 Shiites in the town of Dujail after an assassination attempt against Hussein in 1982.

A second trial against Hussein - over alleged genocide against the Kurds - began in August, and more trials are expected to follow. It is unclear whether those cases would move forward if Hussein is condemned to hang.

Five judges will render the verdict based on a simple majority decision. There is no jury. If convicted, Hussein's case would be reviewed by a nine-judge panel.

The review has no time limit but a death sentence, if upheld, must be carried out within 30 days.

Many Iraqis appear weary of the proceedings. Even though Iraqi and American authorities had promised long before his capture in December 2003 to put him on trial, public opinion tends to believe the proceedings are intended to distract attention.

"In the beginning we were all enthusiastic to watch the trial," said Mohammed Jassim, a Shiite. "Now it has become really unbearable to watch. ... They are airing it to hide all the murder, plunder and sectarian strife going on in the country."

[Last modified November 4, 2006, 01:19:56]