On Fair Trials

I keep hearing concerns about whether or not Saddam will receive a fair trial, and whether an international trial would be fairer than an Iraqi trial, etc. First, it strikes me in the abstract as to whether one can get a fair trial if the results of said trial are foregone. The answer to that question is yes, of course, although I wonder about some of the activists I have seen on TV, as some seem to act as if maybe he won’t be found guilty to the point of deserving death. That is to say it seems to me that some people seem to think that a fair trial means a trial in which the defendant has a chance of being acquitted.

Still, it seems to me that the definition of a fair trial in this context is a trial in which the case against Saddam is thoroughly and publicly made, and in which he is afforded to opportunity to put forth a defense.

Second, aside from the death penalty/no death penalty issue, I can see no huge difference in potential outcomes in a trial inside Iraq or outside of Iraq. Hence, much of the hand-wringing on this subject seems to be a waste of time.

I will say that the United Nations protestations are empty, given that had the Secretary General and the Security Council had had their way, Saddam would still be in power.