Saddam = Dictator?

"The chief judge in Saddam Hussein's genocide trial said on Thursday that he did not believe the former Iraqi leader was a dictator."

Lets see... He looked like a dictator. He sounded like a dictator. And he ruled like a dictator.
So... Yea he was pretty much a dictator. Sure his party were the ones "in control", but he was the one calling the shots.

"Judge Abdullah al-Amiri made his remark in a friendly chat with Saddam during court proceedings, a day after the prosecution said the judge should step down because he is biased toward the defence."

Good call prosecution! I'd have to say that "friendly chat" = "biased" too.

"A Shiite Muslim with 25 years experience, al-Amiri was a member of Saddam's Baath party and served as a judge in a criminal court under the former leader's regime. He heads the five-judge panel that will decide the fate of Saddam, a Sunni Muslim."

I want to know who had the bright idea to elect this guy to head the judge panel. I mean he served under saddam for christsake. I think they should have Iraqi citizens serve on a jury instead of judges, of course I don't know the red tape on this, so that might not be possible. Maybe a few Kurds should be on the jury. That would only be fair, right?
I believe in the right to a fair trial, but they really do need to make this as fair as possible. I don't see one of saddam's old pals as head judge as being fair. What about all those Kurds that he killed? They didn't get a fair trial, they were executed. So in reality is it really fair for Saddam to get a trial at all? I'm not saying that he should be executed, but I think life in solitary confinement sounds like a good punishment for him.

I just hope that Saddam's trial is fair and square.

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