Saddam Charged With Genocide

Saddam Hussein and Chemical Ali have been formally charged with genocide against the Kurdish people. As the article points out, this is the first time that a Middle Eastern leader has been charged with genocide. More importantly perhaps, they are being tried by an Iraqi court. Genocide charges have traditionally come from international courts, whose legitimacy can be questioned by those sympathetic to the criminals on trial (see Milosevic). Furthermore, international trials do not force nations to come to terms with their past. By trying Saddam and his henchmen within the country, the attempt to exterminate the Kurdish people is on record within Iraq. This is important not only for the Kurds to get the justice that they have long been denied, but also to help the Iraqi people more fully come to terms with the horrors of the Baathist regime.