JEDDAH, 6 November 2006 — There were mixed reactions across Saudi Arabia to the news that an Iraqi court had sentenced Saddam Hussein to death.
“The sentencing marked the closing of a long and painful chapter in the history of Iraq,” said Huda Abdul Fattah, an Egyptian doctor working at a Jeddah hospital. “The Iraqi people should now work for the future and rebuild what has been destroyed. They should work on bringing peace and security to their troubled homeland,” she added.
Khaled Hasnawi, a public relations officer in Jeddah, felt that Saddam had now finally met justice. “The sentencing matched the type of crimes he committed against his people for more than thirty years since coming to power,” he said.
However, Hasnawi felt that the sentencing was merely part of American propaganda in the run-up to the US midterm elections. “I have to mention here that the sentencing was timed before the US elections to make it look like as if the Bush administration had achieved something and so that the Republican Party looks good,” he said.
“The timing of the sentencing and this rhetoric and heightened security is another American propaganda. Whether there are increased attacks or not it is all for the benefit of Republicans to boost their ratings,” said a former Egyptian ambassador who did not wish to be named.
“The violence in Iraq has nothing to do with Saddam being imprisoned and prosecuted. It has to do with sectarian conflicts, with countries interfering in Iraq’s internal affairs for their own interests, with militias using Iraq as their playground,” said the ambassador.
Sultan Al-Amri, a Saudi college student, said he agreed with the sentence handed to Saddam, “but what about Rumsfeld?”
“Why has he not been put on trail for the killing and murder of innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan? This whole trial was a joke that I just cannot accept it,” Al-Amri said.
Sudanese engineer Alaa Adam felt that the trial looked non-serious right from the beginning. “During Saddam’s era, the people of Iraq did not face the problems that they are facing now,” he said.
Executing Saddam would make him into a hero, said Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, a private sector worker. “Saddam will die a hero to many Arab people if he is executed, although he is the worst criminal in the history of Iraq. Since they put Saddam on trial and claimed that this is for the sake of democracy, then I think America should put Israeli leaders on trial for massacring Palestinians.”
He added, “America gave aid to Saddam in the past and was a trusted ally. Now that he is of no use to them, they will execute him. If America wants to establish democracy in the region, it should put Israeli leaders on trial for killing thousands of innocent women and children.”
Some Saudis feared an escalation in violence. “God help the innocent Iraqis already suffering from violence. Now things will be even worse and out of control. Iraq is going to burn,” said a Saudi businesswoman.
Khaled Abu Rashed, a Saudi lawyer, described Saddam Hussein’s trial as being completely legal.
“Many people think that the trial was a fake and a setup but to make any trail look legal, the defendant must appear in court and be granted the right to defend himself and clarify the charges against him,” said Abu Rashed.
“The trial took place on Iraqi soil, with Iraqi defendants in the dock, Iraqi lawyers defending and prosecuting and an Iraqi judge overseeing the trial. The Iraqi elected government is the one that set up the Iraqi court. So the trial looks fine,” he said.
