Fed: Downer says Saddam likely to face Iraqi war crimes tribunal

AAP General News (Australia)
12-15-2003
Fed: Downer says Saddam likely to face Iraqi war crimes tribunal

CANBERRA, Dec 15 AAP - Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was likely to be tried
in Iraq's war crimes tribunal, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said today.

But unlike Prime Minister John Howard, Mr Downer said he was not in favour of the death
penalty for Saddam.

He said he was absolutely delighted to learn of Saddam's capture, describing it as
an enormous victory for the people of Iraq and for human rights.

Mr Downer said Saddam had to be brought to justice and it should be done by the people of Iraq.

"As you know, they've set up their own human rights tribunal and it's likely, but not
certain, that he'll be taken before the war crimes tribunal as they call it in Iraq,"

he told ABC radio.

Mr Downer said he would prefer to see Saddam face an Iraqi trial rather than a United
States tribunal.

"My own instinct here is that it would be best that it be done by the Iraqi people," he said.

"It's the Iraqi people who have suffered.

"The man, after all, used chemical weapons against his own people, he declared war
against two of his neighbours, already 300,000 bodies have been found in mass graves in
Iraq as a result of Sadam Hussein's activities.

"He's tortured people, he's been responsible for any range of crimes.

"I would have thought in the end nobody has suffered more from Saddam Hussein than
the people of Iraq and that it would ultimately be preferable for him to be tried and
brought to justice by the people of Iraq."

Mr Downer predicted many people would be in favour of Saddam receiving the death penalty
but he was not one of them.

"The death penalty has been a very popular form of punishment under Saddam Hussein's
regime to say the least," he said.

"But there'll be a lot of people who think that he should be put to death for what he's done.

"I'm not in favour of the death penalty myself."

Mr Howard said he would support the death penalty if it was the wish of the Iraqi people.

AAP sm/drp/jlw

KEYWORD: IRAQ DOWNER LEAD

2003 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.