The White House's press secretary Tony Snow has denied that the U.S. had any role in the timing of the Saddam death-by-hanging verdict two days before US elections. "The idea is preposterous," he said, according to the AP, "that somehow we've been scheming and plotting with the Iraqis."
That's right up there with Ari Fleischer's "But think about the implications of what you're saying. You're saying that the leaders of other nations are buyable. And that is not an acceptable proposition. (Laughter from press corps.)"
it's a real laff riot
Snow's a funny, funny man. Here's the quote I was looking for, but couldn't find again when I did this post:
"Are you smoking dope?" Snow laughed when asked if US and Iraqi officials colluded to issue the verdict on Sunday to help supporters of
President George W. Bush running for office.
"Are you telling me that in Iraq, that they're sitting around ... that the Iraqi judicial system is coming up with (a last-minute electoral) surprise?
"The most important thing to note right now, even before, is that Iraq has an independent judiciary," Snow said.
"We're talking about an Iraq that can sustain, defend and govern itself, and you see -- we've seen progress when it comes on the military side, not only the Iraqi security forces ... but also an independent judiciary.
"These are things that are absolutely vital to building a democracy that will not only sustain itself, but have the faith and support of the populous."
Snow refused to speculate on a possible increase of violence in Iraq if Saddam is, as expected, found guilty and sentenced to death.
Saddam and several co-conspirators are set to be sentenced Sunday by the Iraqi High Tribunal in Baghdad over the killing of 148 Shiite villagers from the Iraqi village of Dujail in 1982.
Saddam and his co-defendants are currently facing charges in a second trial concerning the death of thousands of Kurds in the 1988 Anfal campaign.
The judgement wasn't released, just the verdict of guilty and sentence to asphyxiation. Strange. It's as if the court was pressured to give the final answer before the Tuesday following the first Monday in November, but didn't have time to show their work.
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The White House's press secretary Tony Snow has denied that the U.S. had any role in the timing of the Saddam death-by-hanging verdict two days before US elections. "The idea is preposterous," he said, according to the AP, "that somehow we've been scheming and plotting with the Iraqis."
That's right up there with Ari Fleischer's "But think about the implications of what you're saying. You're saying that the leaders of other nations are buyable. And that is not an acceptable proposition. (Laughter from press corps.)"
- tom moody 11-05-2006 6:55 pm
it's a real laff riot
- Thor Johnson (guest) 11-06-2006 8:48 pm
Snow's a funny, funny man. Here's the quote I was looking for, but couldn't find again when I did this post:
- tom moody 11-06-2006 9:23 pm
The judgement wasn't released, just the verdict of guilty and sentence to asphyxiation. Strange. It's as if the court was pressured to give the final answer before the Tuesday following the first Monday in November, but didn't have time to show their work.
- mark 11-07-2006 1:26 am