Trying Saddam

The capture of Saddam Hussein must be used to heal the wounds of war-torn Iraq. It must not be used only to galvanise popular support for United States President George W Bush and the Republican Party in the run-up to the American presidential elections.

Certainly there are no guarantees that the capture of Saddam will mean an end to organised violence in Iraq. Resistance to American occupation is likely to continue and the events of the last few days, the blasts and bomb attacks which have resulted in Iraqi civilian casualties, point in that direction.

The United Nations must now be accorded a more prominent role in the rehabilitation of Iraq. France, Germany, Russia and Canada must be brought on board the reconstruction and nation-building process.

The trial of Saddam Hussein must not be used as an excuse to prolong American occupation. Moreover, efforts must be made so that the trial does not trigger conflict and divisions among the Iraqi people.

The nature of the tribunal before which the ousted Iraqi leader will be brought will determine whether public opinion in the Arab world can be optimistic about the future of democracy in Iraq, and by extension, the region. The tribunal must not be seen as a show trial, one in which the verdict is a forgone conclusion. A transparent and fair trial will ensure that Arabs can place their faith in the new democratic dispensation in Iraq. The tribunal must be dominated by Iraqi jurists. All segments of the Iraqi population must be represented -- Kurds, Christians, Sunni and Shi'ites -- for it is they who were forced to bear the brunt of Saddam's excesses.