David Norris (Independent)

I am very happy to agree strongly with my colleague, Senator Mansergh, who called for a debate on Iraq, particularly in the light of the death sentence passed on Saddam Hussein. I have a long record over 20 years, as the Cathaoirleach knows, of opposing Saddam Hussein on human rights issues. However, it is not a coincidence that the announcement of the death sentence came just in the final moments of the American elections. President Bush has a habit, as he had even as Governor of Texas, of creating a few executions pour encourager les voters. I expect my honourable colleagues in Fianna Fáil will agree, although they have not said so, that it is a vitiation of the whole legal process. The court was established by an edict from Mr. Paul Bremner and the rules of evidence were interfered with. There was supposed to be an international conference to redress this, but it was scrapped. The government ministers prejudiced the trial by pronouncing him guilty and saying they were going to kill him before it started. One judge had to withdraw because of American pressure. Three of his attorneys were murdered. A trial judge was removed last week because they thought he was too sympathetic. It is a dreadful abandonment of all the principles of a fair trial, even for monsters. Senator Mansergh's suggestion of some type of internment camp for these monsters is very important. It is also significant, in my opinion, that the Americans again resisted any attempt to bring it under the auspices of the International Court of Justice. Of course they did because the final point I want to make——