The Trial of Saddam Hussein (2007) (TV)

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Director:

Esteban Uyarra

Release Date:

21 March 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary

Cast

Michael Lumsden

Runtime:

50 min

Country:

UK

Color:

Color

Company:

Team Productions

Accessible and engaging potted history of the Saddam Hussein trial

On the instance of the Americans, Saddam Hussein was not tried in an international but rather in an Iraqi one. The leaders of the US and the new Iraq both hope that the trials will serve as an act of closure for the Iraqi people and be a symbol that means much more than just a judgement of guilt on one man. October 2005 sees the trial begin as it would continue – with Saddam refusing to recognise the court and commanding attention from all in the televised proceedings. Of course he would eventually be sentenced to hang but this documentary follows the trial up to (and including) that point.

It was 12th April 2007 when I watched this film. On that same day we had seen the bodies of 4 freshly killed soldiers arriving back in the UK, the destruction by insurgents of a significant bridge crossing the River Tigris connecting two parts of Baghdad and a suicide bomb attack from inside the canteen area of the Iraqi Parliament. At lunchtime. And yes, that's the same Iraqi Parliament that is inside the heavily fortified "Green Zone" that the US are so proud of. It has been just over four years since Saddam was "toppled" and we had the absurd "mission accomplished" banner flown. In May it will be four years since Bush officially declared that the US had prevailed in Iraq and it has been over four months since Saddam died. So given that little appears to have changed and that we (UK/US) are just hanging in there until we can "cut and run" and leave the country to divide up quietly away from western media, I thought it a good time to watch this! The reason for this was because regime change is now apparently the reason we went to war in the first place. I seem to remember stuff about imminent threats, WMD, uranium, intelligence dossiers etc but perhaps this is my bad memory because it was bringing freedom to Iraq that it was all about. In this context the trial of Saddam should have been a formality that could easily have been delivered in a legally sound way and have marked a triumph in the Iraqi invasion. However the opposite was true. The trial was a (highly engaging) mess of walkouts, murdered defence staff and Saddam showing himself a dominant figure that would not go quietly.

The film captures this perfectly by using lots of court footage, news footage and good use of contributions and candid footage with those involved. A lot of praise should go to editor Tagg for bringing it all together. Considering how much material he had to deliver from, it is impressive how it does it in such a clear and accessible way. The film does not make easy watching and it reminded me of the complexity of the situation. On one hand I have no doubt that Saddam was guilty of atrocities but then on the other hand I saw little in the trial that suggested it was fair – surely a judge should not mock the accused in the way we see here? Anyway, a depressing film that stands as an accessible and engaging potted history of the Saddam Hussein trial. I guess my politics are clear from my review but regardless of this the film makes for great viewing, providing recent history while also creating food for thought.