Anything important - I mean, like in a good way - happened in Iraq lately? It would seem not. Not if one is guided by Jonathan Steele of the Guardian. Saddam Hussein being put on trial?
Important though it is as a catharsis for the former dictator's hundreds of thousands of surviving victims, it has little political significance since only a small minority of Iraqis still support him.One of the greatest political criminals of the last few decades is finally brought to face public justice, and... yeah, some catharsis, but otherwise of little political significance. No...
Manipulating the trial's timing is the real story. Why suddenly this week? A fortnight ago, at Chatham House in London, Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani, said he did not know when the trial would take place. Within days a date was fixed, conveniently diverting reporters' attention from the referendum count.There you go, the trial as diversion. (It seems that, whenever things move on this particular front, the reason is diversion.) It's to divert attention from the fraudulence of the Iraqi referendum count. Well, if there has been any fraudulence involved that will be lamentable and I hope it gets exposed. But notice that in Steele's hands this possibility is itself a diversion of attention from any positive significance there might be in the fact that, for the second time in a year, millions of Iraqis came out to vote - to vote for a different future. About this he can only wax ironic:
Remember the referendum? Last weekend the world's airwaves were full of broadcasts about the success of the voting in which millions "defied the insurgents" by turning out to cast their ballots.Scare-quotes round 'defied the insurgents'. Contemptible stuff. If you want irony, it seems ironic that Jonathan Steele should write about an attempt to divert attention in order to divert the attention of his readers from two important and positive events that have just taken place in Iraq. Now, why on earth should he want to do that?
For a contrast, read this piece by Tony Parkinson (h/t Jim Nolan):
This week, for a second time this year, Iraqis braved violence and intimidation to go [to] the polls. Whichever way the vote goes on the draft constitution, never before have citizens of an Arab nation had the right to decide the laws under which they will be governed.You might think that, in itself, is a significant milestone. But no. Instead, we have heard how the constitution was flawed, the vote fraudulent and the result destined to trigger civil war. The nay-saying has been relentless.
.....
The effect has been to overshadow the significance of the referendum and to besmirch in advance what many observers have predicted will be a resounding reaffirmation by most Iraqis of their desire to be ruled under a republican, parliamentary, democratic and federal charter.