Today's announcement by Human Rights Watch that the trial of Saddam Hussein was "so flawed that its verdict is unsound" loses much of its potency in the context of the magnitude of the crime that is the ongoing occupation of Iraq, and its resultant human catastrophe for the Iraqi people.
The show trial which ended in a sentence of death for Saddam and two other defendants, for crimes against humanity, was an exercise in victors' justice, carried out at the behest of those who by all measure should have been in the dock alongside the former Iraqi dictator, whose regime enjoyed the support and funding of Western governments during the era in which the worst of its atrocities took place.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch group said in their report:
"The trials were among the most important since the Nazi trials in Nuremberg after World War II, representing the first opportunity to create a historical record concerning some of the worst cases of human rights violations, and to begin the process of a methodical accounting of the policies and decisions that gave rise to these events."
Solidarity demands such an accounting with regard to the illegality of the war in Iraq, responsible thus far for the slaughter of 655,000 men, women and children. We also demand that charges are brought against those responsible for the sanctions which cost the lives of an additional 2 million Iraqis, 500,000 of whom were children.
Sheridan Calls on MSPs to Pay Back Their Housing Profits
Monday, 20 November 2006
Solidarity MSP Tommy Sheridan today called for a parliamentary motion on housing allowances to be retrospective and cover those MSPs who are currently benefiting from the scheme.
This weekend’s press revealed that the allowance scheme goes right to the top of the tree, with Deputy First Minister Nicol Stephen having purchased a property in Edinburgh in both his and his wife’s name, at the taxpayers expense.
The Greens have tabled a motion in Parliament calling for a review of the allowance after the elections in May, Sheridan says this doesn’t go far enough:
“Any changes to the scheme should not allow those who are currently MSPs to get off the hook. Any decision taken should apply retrospectively to the last term in parliament.
“I have been campaigning against this scheme for six years and now the Greens have decided to get on board and join me in calling for an end to the scheme. However, it is hypocritical of them to call for a change unless it applies now and applies to the Green MSPs who are currently benefiting from the scheme. There should no profit made on expenses from the taxpayer and anyone who has made a profit, or is about to, should do the decent thing, and give it back.”
Dundee Anti-Terror Unit Accused of Racism
Monday, 20 November 2006
Concerns over the activities of Tayside’s controversial Special Branch Community Contact Unit (SBCCU) were discussed at the civil liberties sesion of a conference organised by Dundee Social Forum on Saturday.
Sarah Scott from Dundee University Student Socialist Society told the meeting of efforts by students to raise the issue with the Student Advisory Service.
Richard Haley, from the civil liberties campaign Scotland Against Criminalising Communities, said that the campaign had written to Tayside Chief Constable John Vine in June, raising a number of concerns and complaining of racist and Islamophobic attitudes displayed by SBCCU officers. SACC is still waiting for a response from Tayside Police.
Byrne Challenges Executive on Palm Scans for Primary Children
Monday, 20 November 2006
Solidarity MSP Rosemary Byrne has questioned a new scheme in a paisley primary school that uses biometric palm scans to identify pupils. Under the scheme, at the PFI school Todholm Primary, the hand scam will tell whether the children’s parents earnings entitles them to free school meals.
Other information can be gleaned from the scan and Amey, one of the firms who have made huge profits from PFI schemes, want to roll it out across the country.Rosemary Byrne accused the Executive of abdicating their responsibility’s on Child Protection:
"It is a scandal that we have a major new technology which can record every detail of a child's life being held by private companies who could sell it to anyone. They plan to unroll it across Scotland, yet the executive say they have no information, no policy, and it's all up to local authorities.
"I call this an abdication of responsibility. I have tabled a motion condemning the executive for their failure to protect children's rights and possibly breaching the European Convention on Human Rights."
MSP's Running Scared of Public Opinion on Independence
Thursday, 16 November 2006
Solidarity MSP Tommy Sheridan accused the Scottish Parliament of running scared of the public after the Holyrood Petitions Committee rejected a petition from the Independence First campaign that called for a referendum of the Scottish people. Speaking from Holyrood today, the Glasgow MSP said:
"What is it that MSPs are scared of? If they think, as they say, that most people don't believe in independence for Scotland, then why not have a referendum and put that to the test?"
The committee claimed that people did have the opportunity to vote on independence at the Parliament elections next year. This was disputed by Joe Middleton of Independence First:
"The idea that the results of the last election gave a clear indication of the public's thoughts on constitutional change is entirely false - as we made clear in our written submission to the committee.
"People vote for political parties for a variety of different reasons. Independence is supported by individuals on the left and right of politics and some of those people support Labour, Tories and Lib Dems. The only way to get a clear idea of the Scottish public's desires on independence is to ask them directly. This executive isn't asking because it doesn't think it will like the answer.”
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