I’m not the greatest fan of Amnesty International. They do, of course, do great work in campaigning for human rights but sometimes I’d want to question their campaigns.
Nevertheless, they are nothing if not principled. Having campaigned for decades against the worst atrocities of Iraq’s brutal regime under Saddam Hussein they are now sending observers to attend Saddam’s trial and that’s got to be a good thing.
1. Everyone deserves a fair trail, even a scumbag like Saddam.
2. It will demonstrate that the trial is not simply a toy in the hands of the USA, since AI has no great love for the States either.
When Saddam is convicted and sentenced, there won’t be a single person who can claim it’s unfair.
But, of course you know, there will be legions of people who will still cry “unfair!” It seems to be a constant in modern politics. I blame the lawyers.
-j
It’s actually very possible that Saddam will not be convicted… See this guy’s opinion. I’d hate to see him thrown out on a basis of “that’s not against the law in my country”… but it could happen.
they are nothing if not principled.
Exactly. Which is why it was laughable when, upon AI’s widely publicized criticism of the US detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (in which the word ‘Gulag’ was used), a bunch of American politicians complained that this was just another “liberal” or “left-wing” group, whining about nothing. AI may be liberal in many ways, but they are consistent and their statements are not poll-tested or spun to fit a particular political angle.