Iraqi authorities disappointed as Saddam declared POW

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, January 12, 2004

Iraqi authorities disappointed as Saddam declared POW

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Iraqi authorities expressed their astonishment and disappointment Saturday after the United States declared former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein a prisoner of war (POW) nearly one month after his falling into the hands of the US forces.

The Iraqi authorities said they fear this might give Saddam some legal rights and immunity according to the Geneva Convention, which might prevent him from being tried inside Iraq for the alleged crimes against the Iraqi people.

A spokesman for the Pentagon said Friday that the Defense Ministry had decided to consider Saddam Hussein a POW because of his former position as the general commander of the Iraqi army.

This announcement put an end to the ambiguity of the legal status of the ousted Iraqi president since his capture on Dec. 13.

"The Pentagon decision only serves the Americans' interests, who will take his confessions and information," Mahmood Uthman, a member of the Interim Iraqi Governing Council (IGC), told Al Arabia space channel.

"Iraqis want to know those who helped Saddam to commit his crimes and obtain weapons of mass destruction," added the IGC member.

Hashim Abdul Rahman, the Iraqi minister of justice, described the decision as "political not legal", saying "Iraqis are the ones who should decide Saddam's position when they receive the case."

"One of the conditions for the POW is that he is caught in the battle field, otherwise if he flees the battle field and is caught later, he is not considered a POW," said Malik Dohan AL Hassan, president of the Iraqi Association of Barristers.

"Iraqis want to try Saddam for crimes that took place long before the arrival of the American forces to Iraq, which is trying him for the period since he assumed power till the time he fled the army," said Dohan.

"Thus considering Saddam a POW means that he is a military man, and if he had fled the battle then it is a great treason and he should be punished according to the Iraqi military law, which is execution for treason and desertion," added Dohan.

In the streets, some Iraqis said the Americans denied Iraqis' right to try Saddam because they (Americans) do not want to reveal the secret connections between Washington and Baghdad in the period when they were on good terms.

"I think that Americans don't want to hand Saddam over to the Iraqis because they are afraid of uncovering the secret connections of Saddam with the US or their friends," said Mohammed Hassan, a 45-year-old shop owner in Baghdad.

"I feel that Americans want to save Saddam after all the services he gave to the west. He divided Arabs in confrontation with Israel, threatened the neighboring countries, brought the Americans to the region, and handed Iraq to them," he added.

"We demand that Saddam be tried in Iraq for his crimes against Shiite and Kurds. I wonder why the US considers him a POW in stead of handing him over to the Iraqis to try him for the years of his rule," said Haider Abdul Ameer, a young Iraqi citizen.

Abo Alaa, a 69-year-old retired schoolteacher, said Saddam should be tried outside Iraq because the proper conditions are not available.

"Some of the parties that appeared lately will not be fair in trying Saddam," he said.

"Trying Saddam in Iraq might lead to some disturbance among Iraqis who support him and those who oppose him," continues Abo Alaa, "considering Saddam a POW prevented the parties who want to terminate Saddam at any cost," he added.

Abdullah Ahmad, a 38-year-old resident of the restive city of Falluja, showed no interest in the subject.

"considering Saddam a POW will not change anything because Saddam is not the issue," he said.

"He is only an Iraqi leader and no matter how many mistakes he made he would still be Iraqi, and I think the invaders are not acceptable substitute," he said.

Source: Xinhua

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