While the recent capture of Saddam Hussein is good news, he was a horrible dictator, I cannot help but be disappointed by the lack of note by the media that the U.S. (particularly the Reagan administration) funded Mr. Hussein in the past. Furthermore, the war in Iraq is still going poorly and international support is still lacking. With allegations of profiteering (Halliburton and its subsidiaries) and shoddy work (Halliburton and its subsidiaries and Bechtel) by contracters appointed in closed, no-bid selection processes, there is little good news to be had. However, despite all the problems, George W. Bush is claiming victory again. If there was a best time to solicit international, and, in particular, United Nations, help that time is now. In order to have the war crimes trials seen as more than show trials in courts operating under almost non-existent Iraqi law, it would be best to bring the U.N. in because they have experience in setting up politically delicate war crimes tribunals that are seen as legitimate in the eyes of (almost) all of the world. However, Mr. Bush, in his continuing plans to marginalize the U.N., has opted to let the Iraqis try Saddam Hussein in trials that will be as fair as a Stalinist show trial of the mid-1900s.

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©2003 Richard B. Goud, Jr.
Updated on 15 December 2003 at 22:16 PST