Saddam Hussein’s Execution: Gross Miscarriage of Justice

Saddam Hussein has finally been sentenced to death. Quite surely that was the way it was meant to be right from the inception of his trial. He had everything that made him a convincing villain. He was dictator, who was looked upon as someone who shed the blood of his own countrymen with impunity. And there was no one to stop him. Then, what happened? Well, the US found an excuse to bomb Iraq, to put it as simply as it actually is. Ask the US, why it went on with its onslaught against this little nation? Not so long ago, the reply would come right away -- Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). The Americans were fooled into believing that Iraq actually housed such deadly weapons and was connected -- howsoever remotely -- to the WTC bombing. As it turned out to be, Iraq had nothing to do with the WTC attack, neither were any WMDs found in the country. So, what was the war about? Was it about the US on WTC-vendetta?

And then came the trial of the dictator. Saddam Hussein was tried not by any independent court of law, but by a puppet body that played in the hands of the US. Judges were changed at will, defense lawyers were slain and the entire proceeding was seen as a mockery of law and justice. At the end of the day, Saddam was handed down a much expected death sentence.

Countries have reacted to the verdict with caution. However, none other than the close allies of the US has expressed satisfaction at the way the trial was conducted.

The trial lacked the faith of the people. Ends of justice were surely not served. The whole exercise was illegal right from the beginning because the US had no right to conduct such a trial. Only and impartial international law court, like International Criminal Court (ICC), could have legally tried Saddam on the charges pressed against him. So, the trial was invalid and if Saddam is executed, it would be gross miscarriage of justice because every accused has an inviolable right to a fair trial. And since the trial was illegal, the execution would be plain murder.

The US must wake up before it is too late.

Sealing Drive and Shameless Government

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been assuring time and again -- the latest being on November 16, 2006 -- that all possible measure will be taken to bring 'relief' to the traders. The assurance was given to a delegation led by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit herself. It is no hidden secret that Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has been up in arms with the traders on the issue of ongoing sealing of illegal commercial premises.

Interestingly, the government is with the traders who are all out to defend the structures that are indefensibly illegal. First the government let the traders violate the law and now it is swearing allegiance with the violators. Those entrusted with law enforcement are defending the violation of the law even in face of the highest court of the land having pronounced the structures illegal.

These people do not perform their jobs and when the judiciary goes out to correct their mistakes, they try their best to throw the spanner in the works. Can there be anything more shameful than that?