Comment is futile

Ann Clwyd is a principled leftwing Labour MP who has campaigned against the Ba’ath Party since Britain supported them in the 1980s. She writes for Comment is Free on the week of Tariq Aziz’s trial.

I am chair of Indict, an organisation that gathered evidence of the crimes against humanity committed by Saddam’s regime. We collected thousands of harrowing testimonies from Iraqis all over the world. Aziz has gone on trial in Iraq this week. Let’s use Indict’s testimonies to examine his record. Let’s look at his actions, and his inaction, while he was a senior member of Saddam’s government.

Perhaps those who suggest that Aziz should be free to live out his days in peace should speak to the survivor of the chemical attack on Halabja, who told us: “At the front door I saw my little son … he was dead. I went into the house and saw in the garden my mother who was also dead and then I saw my father together with my little daughter … they too were dead.”

Some 5,000 Kurds died in that attack. Aziz was part of the Revolutionary Command Council that ordered it.

In 1990, the Iraqi regime held more than 1,000 foreign nationals as hostages to guard against coalition attack. If he objected to this, Aziz could have resigned. He did not. In fact he met negotiators from several countries. Indict was told: “Tariq Aziz indicated that … he could ensure … the release of substantial numbers of hostages.” The hostages suffered appallingly: rape, threats of execution, little or no medical treatment, and the anguish of not knowing whether their families were alive or dead. Our investigators spoke to many former hostages: “At one point they dug a big hole in the garden. I asked what it was for. One of the guards … became very emotional and said it was a grave for us.”

Now, aside from the rights and wrongs of the Iraq invasion – and there is so much wrong with it – what is wrong with bringing a career war criminal to justice?

Plenty, as it turns out.

Let’s look at this again, using a special device I’ve patented called the De-BullShitifier.

“I am chair of Indict, an organisation FUNDED BY UNITED STATES CONGRESSIONAL GRANTS that gathered evidence of the crimes against humanity committed by Saddam’s regime IN ORDER TO PROPAGANDISE FOR WAR. We collected thousands of harrowing FABRICATED testimonies from Iraqis CIA STOOGES all over the world. Aziz has gone on trial in Iraq this week. Let’s use Indict’s testimonies UNCOROBORATED FANTASIES to examine his record. Let’s look at his actions, and his inaction, while he was a senior member of Saddam’s government. LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE HUMAN SHREDDERS TOO, OH, WE CAN’T, BECAUSE WE MADE THEM UP”

Tariq has blood on his hands does he Ann? What’s that on yours, strawberry jam?

(‘Mr Pike Bishop’)

”Some 5,000 Kurds died in that attack. Aziz was part of the Revolutionary Command Council that ordered it…’

Whilst the Pentagon and Whitehall gave them the maps and gas to use..

Ann Clueless it is you who will be going on trial one day once the game is up in Iraq.

(‘Mac100’)

The most bloodthirsty dictatorship in Iraq has been the Bush/Blair colonial regime.

With a million killed and four million displaced, these war criminals created the worst humanitarian disaster in the world. It’s not really fair to say that Bush and Blair have blood on their hands: they have spilled so much blood that they could swim in it.

When will Indict seek to “hold to account” *these* evildoers for their crimes as dictators over Iraq? Not while the organisation is funded from the US empire’s slush funds and while their chair is this cheerleader for imperialist war, herself a minor conspirator in the crime of aggression.

I don’t expect shame from someone like this, but you’d think that they would at least realise that their public has moved on, and that their lies are worn out, that their moral posing is discredited and that they are widely despised and hated. Ms Clwyd is still spouting the same crap as years ago with no trace of self-consciousness.

(‘AnthropoidApe’)

… and it just goes on like this.

Minimising war crimes, accusing victims of totalitarianism of being CIA stooges, fatuous equivalence between Labour MPs and psychotic dictators… five years ago this would be shocking, and Nick Cohen could write an angry piece about it.

Now, it’s just the status quo.