now i am not talking about ancient athenian history or other classes you take in college. i am talking about real live history in the making; the sort of thing you witness up close and personal.
i am always telling my friends to make history but i rarely tell them to just sit there and be part of history. yesterday that is exactly what i did. along with a few colleagues from the public affairs sections i arrived to the baghdad convention center bright and early to be transported to the saddam trial, a trial that i would watch live and in person all day.
of course this is not the first saddam trial. the first one ended months ago and resulted in his death sentence, but until that is carried out (after appeal) saddam has to face the court with other defendants (chemical ali being one) for other charges. this case involves the anfal massacre where kurds were slaughtered under the guise of the iranian war.
saddam looks like you would imagine from the television. he is very sullen and cold. you almost feel sorry for the defendants until you are reminded of the hate that brews inside of them and the record they have accrued.
the trial yesterday though centered on submitting documents proving military orders into the record. unlike the american court system here defendants have an opportunity to speak on there own behalf and they did just that until 6:30pm.
i would like to say that my arabic is so good that i had no need of a translator but thankfully the court had headsets available and the chairs where quite comfortable. i assure you that everyone in my group took at least one nap during the day!
so that was history. saddam spoke once and for only a brief moment. but there he was, the deposed dictator in a cage 30 feet from me. it is history and it was boring.
