White House "protests" rush to hang Saddam

The NYT does a great steno job for the White House this morning, promoting the official party line that the US was disturbed by the rush to hang Saddam on the eve of the Islamic High Holy Days but could do nothing but offer their advice and wring their hands when it wasn't taken. Bush expresses his grave concern that the execution occur under due process. Right. As Chris Floyd points out what a steaming crock.

First off, the US had custody and could have refused to turn over Saddam until the legal requirements were met. Instead they bore silent witness to a series of 11th hour "workarounds" to allow the hanging. As Glenn Greenwald points out workaround is such a pretty word for "deliberate and knowing government lawbreaking" and in that Maliki learned his lessons from the White House well. Follow the laws that serve your purpose and those that don't are simply ignored. Not to mention Saddam's trial was conducted in the first place, not under Iraqi law but under a special tribunal system that echoed the kangaroo court that passes for justice at Gitmo.

In the end, the US took custody of the body immediately after the execution, so the Iraqi's "sovereignty" over the process lasted only as long as it took to stage the distasteful spectacle. If the White House thinks their official statements of "concern" can wipe their fingerprints from this perversion of justice -- they should think again.