Tariq Aziz, once Saddam
Hussein's most trusted lieutenant, has agreed to
testify against the ousted dictator during his
forthcoming trial for war crimes, according to his
lawyer and American officials.
In return for his co-operation, Aziz, 69, Iraq's
foreign minister during the Gulf war and deputy
prime minister throughout Saddam's 24-year rule,
will have the most serious charges against him
dropped and be allowed to spend his dotage in exile.
The outline plea agreement, under which he will
plead guilty to minor charges, was reached after
more than two years of delicate negotiations during
which Aziz also revealed important intelligence
information. It could mean him walking free almost
as soon as the trials of Saddam and his cohorts are
over. |
 
Former dictator
Saddam Hussein (Left)
Former Iraqi FM Tariq Azaiz
Photo : AP
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The man regarded as the Ba'athist regime's chief
mouthpiece to the outside world will not, however,
be called to give evidence against his former master
this week. The deposed Iraqi leader is due in court
in Baghdad on Wednesday accused of murdering 143
Shias in the town of Dujail, north of the capital,
after a failed assassination attempt in 1982.
Saddam, 68, who is in American custody in Baghdad,
has been linked to hundreds of thousands of killings
but the Dujail case is being heard first because
prosecutors believe it will be simple to link him
directly to acts of murder.
He will eventually be tried on further charges of
crimes against humanity, for which he will be
sentenced to death if found guilty. It is in these
more complex cases - involving the sanctioning of
mass executions - that Aziz's evidence could prove
crucial.
Badie Izzat Arief, Aziz's lawyer, said in an
interview with The Sunday Telegraph that his client
had "given them facts, well known facts" during more
than 300 interviews with United States officials,
including, he suggested, members of the CIA and FBI.
During the interviews, Aziz was questioned
repeatedly about whether Saddam had signed execution
orders. "They asked him whether the executions were
decided by Saddam Hussein or the court," said Mr
Arief. "He said that Saddam had the right to ratify
or not. It depended on him." His client, he
confirmed, would be prepared to state "facts" in his
own trial and those of other senior regime figures.
He said that Aziz, who was "tired" and suffering
from high blood pressure and diabetes, was kept in a
12ft by 12ft cell and now wore a tracksuit. He had
expressed a desire to move to Europe and to write an
autobiography. Mr Arief expected the former Iraqi
foreign minister to be sentenced to "time served" -
about three years - and freed.
"He told me, 'If I am released, please take me
straight to the airport' and, 'When I'm free I will
write a book about the whole matter'. For
humanitarian reasons he should be granted a visa in
Europe because he has been attacked many times by
the Iraqis now ruling this country."
Aziz, a Chaldean Catholic, changed his name from
Michael Yuhanna to Tariq Aziz, which means
"Venerable Path" in Arabic, at the outset of his
political career. He has been viewed with suspicion
by Sunni rejectionists since he surrendered to US
forces following the invasion and formally
identified Saddam after his capture in December
2003.
"Saddam should never have put a Christian in his
government," said Saddoun Hail al-Aani, a former
Iraqi army colonel who remains loyal to the former
dictator. "He made a dirty deal with the Americans
because he is a crusader like them. He is a spy, a
traitor and a servant of the occupiers."
Aziz has long been courted by American lawyers and
their Iraqi counterparts. Evidence from such a
senior figure would add powerful legitimacy to any
conviction.
A US official cautioned, however, that Aziz might
change his mind. "Things are very delicate and a
plea bargain is never sealed until the witness takes
the stand and delivers his side of the deal." Aziz's
son Zayad, in exile in Jordan, said his father would
not give evidence. "He will not be a witness against
anyone. He had no connection with the crimes alleged
to have been committed by the military people."
Unprecedented security will be in place for the
trial, which could last months. At least one new
purpose-built courtroom has been set up in Baghdad,
its precise location, for the time being, a closely
guarded secret.
Saddam will be defended by a team led by Khalil
Dulaimi, an Iraqi, but several international lawyers
are expected to assist in an opening argument over
whether the court has jurisdiction over the case.
Anthony Scrivener QC, who has condemned the
proceedings as "a promising theatrical farce", and
Desmond Doherty, who once worked on the Bloody
Sunday case, have been invited to take part.
One defence argument is likely to be that the
executions Saddam ordered in Dujail were no
different in law from the 152 that George W Bush
approved while he was Texas governor.
www.telegraph.co.uk
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