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THE most broken man-in once piece-Saddam Hussein, is
eventually in cage. The lock-in of an obstinate by a super
power-which, literally rules the world today-was till the
recent times of yore-identified as a giant who could smash any
fetters-has now, no way to exit n' egress.
Saddam's 24-year reign ended with a startling dawn when the
jubilant US-guided marines-crafted as a thorny bunch of
zestful men n' women, attired in archetypal desert outfits n'
costumes-stepped onto the soils of Iraq in April last-with a
'pledge to help' the people from what Washington phrases as
'get the Iraqis free from a tyrannical rule'.
The hedonism of the then 'Iron Man'-Saddam now stands indexed
in the history, which might espouse the realities-if such an
epoch takes place, yet by now, the scenario foretells nothing
except scaffold for the ex-President who has lost every asset
of life-with his two arms-the sons n' the rest of the kin-in
exile prima facie for an endless point.
Pragmatically, Saddam was naïve vis-à-vis the episodes,
palpably recited by the historians-which he blatantly
discounted for raison d'être-best known to him. Not only that
he neglected the jerks n' jolts-given to him by Bush Sr. he
continued with his vanity n' egotism. With this outlook,
Saddam did not spare even those, with whom he have had bonds
of Faith-the integral limbs of Ummah.
No matter the ex-ruler of a sanctified soil-Iraq-survives or
faces a perilous course, history would never exonerate him
from his zest of expansionism n' colossal loss of life to the
guiltless people-and above all the desolation, caused to
sacrosanct crypt n' mausoleums of the Holy spirits-laid to
rest on this realm.
While in cage-he is required to knock his cognizant-to
evaluate as to why did resort to an eight-year [1980-88] long
war with his own brethren in Iran-with final devastation on
both sides? And-subsequently-what was his motive to overrun
yet another sovereign Muslim state-Kuwait?
With such a mindset-didn't he set perils for the Muslim world?
And ultimately unlocked vistas for an alien power, the United
States-placed far away n' beyond oceanic (s) to 'behave in any
manner-it aspires'.
With all this-Saddam has lost his country, his nation, his
kin, his aficionados and-by n' large the empathy of most of
the Islamic countries. One wishes, he would not have resorted to such
acts-which have landed Ummah in a critical embarrassment-with
enormous embargos-plugging affluence for Muslims-all-over.
The US-led set-up in Iraq has set-up a Special Tribunal to try
Saddam. The tribunal was set up on Wednesday but is unlikely
to begin its task before a new government takes power in July.
Now-when the vital dream of the United States-has turned into
a reality, every realistic nation expects that Saddam will be
tried in a judicious way-not as a target of reprisal.
Washington is ought to ensure that Saddam Hussein visages a
trial by the Iraqi people-and in no case by any international
court of any stature. As is propagated via an all-out crusade
that the people of Iraq had suffered most from Saddam's rule,
so the apposite way is that the ex-ruler should face Iraqi
justice. It is just that his fate should rest with Iraqis.
One hopes that President Bush-would himself-oppose death
penalty to execute Saddam. As the solo master of the global
Atlas-he has multiple options to deal with-'the most wanted
man'.
By all norms of justice n' fair-play-Saddam, irrespective of
his maneuvers-needs a hearing in Iraq which would have to
be-both fair and be seen to be fair. A flaxen, open and
transparent trial-would-ultimately take the image of a
country, the US-which is termed as civilized-to the loftiest
zeniths n' grandiose reflections-around the world.
Even in Baghdad, Iraq's foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari has
emphasized that Saddam should be tried by the special
tribunal, set up by the Governing Council to deal with members
of his regime. In the interests of justice, the Council may
seek international expertise to see that this trial would be
fair and just.
Such an approach shall evaporate all apprehensions n'
speculations, being aired by some who feel that 'Saddam will
not get a fair hearing in his home country and should appear
before the newly-formed International Criminal Court'.
Of them, some are preparing dossier of crimes allegedly
committed against them by the ex-Iraqi ruler. With a few
circles, there is also diversity of views over when Saddam
will go on trial. One member of Iraq's Governing Council-has
nonetheless beamed-that 'it could happen within weeks',
although another said 'it could take four to six months'.
Apparently, wherever and whenever Saddam is tried, the list of
charges will-of-course-be hefty and will include genocide,
murder and torture. Yet-the fate of Saddam-by realism rests
with the United States alone. That-is-why all eyes are focused
on the empire, which has the Statue of Liberty-as its'
fabulous n' dazzling tarmac-prima facie-with fairness n'
equilibrium as its' fêted podium.
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