BEFORE the United States and Iraq could recover from the flaws in Saddam Hussein’s trial, the swift execution erased any remaining credibility the occupation could hope to claim.
Critics preferred the World Court at the Hague for a fairer trial, as Saddam’s transgressions were also international. But it was argued that the former dictator had to be tried by Iraqis to ensure a new democratic Iraq, even when legal infrastructure and expertise were lacking. An international trial might also have exposed the key US and British roles in Saddam’s atrocities.