Ramsey Clark on Hussein Defense

Ramsey Clark explains "Why I'm Willing to Defend Hussein" in an LATimes op/ed today. He should thank God every day when he wakes that he lives in a country that doesn't shoot idiots on sight.

Two key paragraphs:

International law requires that every criminal court be competent, independent and impartial. The Iraqi Special Tribunal lacks all of these essential qualities. It was illegitimate in its conception — the creation of an illegal occupying power that demonized Saddam Hussein and destroyed the government it now intends to condemn by law.

And

Finally, any court that considers criminal charges against Saddam Hussein must have the power and the mandate to consider charges against leaders and military personnel of the U.S., Britain and the other nations that participated in the aggression against Iraq, if equal justice under law is to have meaning.

Saying that we demonized Hussein is like saying we demonized Satan. His record is clear for all to see: expansionist wars that devastated countries, killing hundreds of thousands of his own, letting people starve while he plundered oil-for-food monies, and on and on. Yet to Clark and the mindset he represents so perfectly, it is we who are the demonizers.

In his mind, the "occupation" is somehow illegal, even though the UN sanctioned the use of force, and even though the interim government of Iraq welcomes it. What, Ramsey, made Hussein''s government legitimate? Democratic elections? I don't think so. His government existed on illigitimacy, and when free elections take place in Iraq next Saturday, Clark's arguments will be even more hollow than they are today.

The real point of Clark's representation of Hussein has nothing to do with the noble rules of law he mentions -- which I for one have no problem with; give him a good defense, for what it's worth -- but has everything to do with vilifying his country. He asks for criminal charges against liberators, protectors and Democracy-spreaders for what? For liberating, protecting and spreading Democracy; a big crime in Ramsey Clark's sick mind.