Fed: Saddam should be tried in international court - Williams

AAP General News (Australia)
12-15-2003
Fed: Saddam should be tried in international court - Williams

CANBERRA, Dec 15 AAP - Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein should be tried in an international
court because a trial in Iraq would be viewed as a kangaroo court process, terrorism expert
Clive Williams said today.

But he said it was unlikely the United States would agree to an international court
hearing because it had a better chance of ensuring Hussein would be executed if the case
was heard in Iraq.

"I think that (an international court) would be the better situation really because
it would be seen as a kangaroo court process if he was tried in Iraq because the US could
certainly slow up the process towards an outcome that they wanted in terms of perhaps
his execution in due course," Mr Williams told the Nine Network.

"I think an international court would be a better way to go but of course the Americans
have not shown any interest in international court processes in the past."

Mr Williams, the director of terrorism at the Australian National University's strategic
and defence studies centre, predicted there would be more instability in Iraq now Hussein
had been captured.

"Because there's no potential strong leader to come back, that could cause more factionalism
and more faction fighting in Iraq itself," he said.

"That in turn creates a situation which is much more conducive for outside groups to
lodge themselves in the country and use it as a stepping stone to build up operations
elsewhere.

"Now it creates a situation which is really being conducive to groups like al-Qaeda."

AAP sm/drp

KEYWORD: IRAQ SADDAM WILLIAMS

2003 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.