CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY – A PUBLIC TRIAL OF SADDAM HUSSEIN AND THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION MAY REVEAL THE FOLLY OF THE USA VISION OF AND DRIVE TO WORLD EMPIRE

CWe can now celebrate the “capture” of Saddam Hussein by the USA “Iraqi Freedom” “coalition” as a success confirming military prowess, albeit now perhaps opening the minds of politicos, scholars, historians, reporters, critics, diplomats, and independent minded men and women, curious as to visions of the military – industrial – neo-con cabal to consider the motives, myths, and “games in play”.

As one follows “realpolitik” at home and abroad we may note the hypocricy of USA elitist cry for freedom of expression, for democracy, opportunity, religious freedom, equality before the law, rights of both individuals and property – all “code words” for an orderly society, as each venue able to influence or bend the system to their perceived advantage, rather than some broader overall public good, have created a body of laws, and precedents, that represents a cozy collaboration, between the congress, military end executive, along with the financial, business community, and the press that finds dissent, critical analysis, of the “conventional wisdom”, anathema – heresy – seditious – or worse.

My vision for a healthy successful American society mandates an educated enlightened public, exposed to, participating in, and welcoming diverse views, hypothesis, analysis – of all issues that effect the public welfare – including our interaction with other peoples and nations, giving realistic weight to both different and mutual interests and possible “blowback”, so that both the public and the power elite may best know reality as a basis for policies and action – rather than myths, dissembling spin, and dreams of empire.

There are many critiques of USA success and failures in both domestic and international affairs – often the bias, motives, limited knowledge, or folly of the “author” should be evaluated as well as reputation, as we continue to learn from new experiences.

The “success” of the 9-11 acts of terrorism against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon shocked the American public – inspired a desire for revenge – with negligible inquiry or evident curiosity as to the different history, motives, or connections of such actions with world events – accepting the sloganeering simplifications of the USA government hype - “These acts came “out of the blue”, yet supported by “an axis of evil”, numerous States and constituencies dedicated to terrorism, and demonstrably critically threatening our Nation, based on jealousy (and or hatred) for our democratic values and way of life”.

We have chosen to forget or ignore the USA training and support of the network of local and imported Muslims as our allies to fight the Russian occupation of Afghanistan, and the well understood political target of Bin Laden (a USA trained Puppet), to free his chosen Saudi Arabia from the presence and influence of the foreign interloper – the USA.





Given the devastation the USA strategy of “shock and awe” delivered to the Afghanistan people, the war lords we legitimized, our limited interest in meaningful effort to rebuild the society we overturned, the inspiration for new recruits to elements of the al-Qaida

network, suggest a re-evaluation of the wisdom of our military action in Afghanistan.

Now briefly to comment on the USA pre-emptive War against Iraq – an Arab Nation with a dictatorial regime – similar in the main with many nations throughout the world – it’s leader Saddam Hussein considered for some time an ally (puppet by some) of the USA encouraged, and supported with weapons of mass destruction (WMD), intelligence and other incentives to pursue an aggressive and illegitimate war against Iran (deemed an enemy of the USA – principally for it’s audacity to have a popular rebellion to overthrow a dictator – the Shah Pahlavi of Iran – Puppet – installed by the USA – following the USA and UK collaboration to remove the democratically elected Mossadegh circa 1953.). Sensitive to USA power and influence, Saddam Hussein evidently sought and received advice that military action vs Kuwait to achieve modest border adjustments and control of access to the Gulf was of “no concern” to the USA, quickly occupied Kuwait, and albeit evidently ready to negotiate partial withdrawal, the USA initiated it’s first military action against Iraq, followed by a dozen years of UN authorized sanctions, and with the USA and UK on their initiative undertaking a dozen years of bombing in their “declared – no fly zone”.

The USA was evidently pleased to maintain Saddam Hussein in power as opponent to keep Iran “in check”, and allowed Iraqi (“encouraged” perhaps) severe transgressions vs the Shia - a large majorities in the south of Iraq (deemed potential allies of Iran).

For short we refer to the Washington Power Elite in control of policy as the Neo-con Cabal, their vision going beyond Hegemony, region by region, to world empire.

Iraq, circa 2003 devastated by the first Gulf War, infrastructure in shambles, after the USA – UK coalition bombings and import controls, WMD destroyed in 1991 as called for by the UN inspection teams, and having the extraordinary “prize” of the world’s second largest resource of oil after Saudi Arabia, evidently appeared an attractive target.

The neo-con’s, I believe, have been hypnotized by their sense of the invincibility of the high tech USA military power, assuming that the “shock and awe” of demonstrating, this power against the pitiable easy target of Iraq, would gain acquiescence and obeisance from a new regime of compliant puppets, with support of the Iraqi public who the USA expected would welcome the Americans liberating them from the tyrant Saddam Hussein.

Overlooking, unaware, or ignorant of Iraqi history, diverse political, religious, cultural venues, and the memory of USA hype and failure to follow through after the first Gulf war, as well as Iraqi “appreciation” for ten years of USA bombing and sanctions – the naivety and incompetence of the neo-cons is extraordinary.



“9-11” al-Qaida connection? (the secular Iraqi Ba’athist Party strongly adverse to Bin Laden), intelligence claiming chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction and a current nuclear program creating a threat to both the USA and Iraqi’s neighbors? (not a concern they said), all a complete fabrication and spin, rejected by the world community, was swallowed hook line and sinker by the American public and congress. - inclined to believe their President and senior spokesman in matters of national security.

The neo-cons now choose to fall back on the notion that our pre-emptive war in Iraq was necessary and gratuitously motivated to bring democracy to Iraq and the balance of the Middle East through regime change, and the noble endeavor to remove an evil tyrant from Iraq and bring him to justice – not likely given USA collaboration with Saddam Hussein during his most ignominious transgressions, and pursuing world wide Hegemony America’s support for Juntas, Oligarchs, and anti-democratic regimes from Chile, Argentina, Indonesia, - to the Middle East – the list is long.

All of the above begs the question – what combination of vision, motives, beliefs, drives

the neo-cons, what likely “success” is attainable, for whose benefit and at what cost to constituencies at home and abroad. (USA Economic “game plan” comes first – then…?)

Speculation as to vision and motives, the work of fools or knaves, who are the statesman, leaders, followers – we may choose to question – but the neo-cons have at times been candid to reveal their beliefs as to vision and constituencies they serve, and their actions as well shows motive and intent! (The region – the world “must” be “with us” – or else!)

If one is inclined to accept the concept that there are existing and forming groups we call terrorist organizations intent on acts of violence, then it would be helpful, constructive and reasonable to try to define and understand the make up, history, motives, strategy, and scope of activities of such, what nations or constituencies support them, and what options may be effective to eliminate, control, or minimize violence we judge harmful.

Often the “system” quietly “puts away” the accused, exonerates them, or leaves them in limbo without exposing to the world their connections or complicity with the power elite. For example we note G’nl Waranto (Indonesia), Augusto Pinochet(Chile), Joseph Estrada (Philippines), Ken Lay (USA), Noriega (Panama), Peron (Argentina) …

Except for a small but growing venue of dissent, scholars and critics – the American “main stream” is inclined to dismiss, ignore or deny USA training, support, collaboration and promotion of foreign oligarchs, favoring military supported autocratic elite, treating indigenous movements supported by elements of a nation’s “under class” as terrorist and a threat to “stability” and USA (Hegemonic) interests.

The actions, reactions, “blowback”, success and failures of American foreign policies has been extensively reported, analyzed, and critiqued – and each of us with whatever skill, knowledge, or bias we choose - will assess this historical record.



I strongly recommend authors, as appended to these comments and recent current

critiques on the internet: (There are of course volumes by those at or near the center of power which you may judge for candor or bias – long with all critiques, speculation and fantasies)

The reality of the law, courts, and justice – has varied to an extreme – each nation state with it’s own customs and traditions, often influenced by politics, elite in power, and for the USA – we are inclined to ignore international treaties, jurisdiction, and decision of foreign courts, when deemed inconvenient! The principle “To the victors go the spoils” appears to rule the courts in international affairs, as dictated by the USA.

We should not expect in this wild world that “justice” can be expected for transgressions great or small for “crimes against humanity” except for a few “evil doers” selected by the power elite – often as examples to give the people a feeling to satisfy a need for revenge, or to suggest that “crime does not pay”, and to demonstrate the establishments “fairness”. For historians and scholars - if a comprehensive public trial of Saddam Hussein takes place - this should generate interest in the collaboration of the USA their Presidents

and agents, with the career, and now deemed “crimes against humanity” of Saddam.

For historians and scholars - if a comprehensive public trial of Saddam Hussein takes place - this should generate interest in the collaboration of the USA their Presidents

and agents, with the career, and now deemed “crimes against humanity” of Saddam.

See - Stephen Shalom – www.znet.org 12/15/03 “A Saddam Chronology”.

- also A.K. Gupta “The Looting of Iraq” – The Indypendent 11/19/03

Other critiques on this web site are most helpful for insight on the Iraq “games in play”.

The references noted below open the analysis of America’s policies of Hegemony and current dream of World Empire.

Phyllis Bennis “Before and After”, “Beyond the Storm”

Tariq Ali “The Clash of Fundamentalisms”, “Bush in Babylon”

Noam Chomsky “Deterring Democracy”, “Fateful Triangle”

Egbal Amad “Confronting Empire”

Goeffry Aronson “Israel, Palestinians, and the Intafada”

Robert Fisk “Pity the Nation”

Seymour Hersh “ The Price of Power”

William Blum “Rouge State”

Chalmers Johnson “Blowback”

Robert Scheer “With Enough Shovels”

Edward Said “Politics of Dispossession:”, “The end of the Peace Process