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Saddam's former deputy 'Tariq Aziz' to
stay in Jail
30.12.2005
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Baghdad, 29 Dec.
(AKI) - Iraq's jailed former deputy prime-minister,
Tariq Aziz, is to remain in prison, Judge Raid Juhi,
president of the panel investigating deposed Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein has told the pan-Arab al-Sharq
al-Awsat daily in an interview. Aziz has been in US
custody since April, 2003, held in isolation in an
unspecified location. A Christian, Aziz was allowed
over Christmas to speak to his family for the first
time since his detention.
"I have seen Tariq Aziz's file, and this has been
handed over to another public prosecutor. No request
has been made for his release, because he is still
under investigation," said Juhi. Aziz has so far not
been charged with any specific crimes. |
Tariq Aziz, The former deputy prime minister of Iraq
Photo : AFP
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On Wednesday, a lawyer for Aziz announced he was one
of a group of former Iraqi Baath party senior
officials who were about to be released. Aziz was
not considered a member of Saddam's innermost
circle, which was mostly dominated by members of the
Tikriti clan. He was 43rd in the United States' set
of playing cards depicting the most wanted members
of the former Iraqi regime, and surrendered into US
custody on 24 April, 2003, days after the invasion
of Iraq.
Aziz alleges that decisions to declare war, suppress
a revolt or a civil mutiny were taken by Saddam, and
had nothing to do with him. However, as a member of
Iraq's Revolutionary Command Council, he has been
accused by Indict, the committee seeking to
prosecute the Iraqi leadership, of war crimes
against Iran, Kuwait and his own people.
As Iraq foreign minister in the 1980s and 1990s,
Aziz represented Saddam's regime on the world stage
for many years. He enlisted American support for
Bagdhad in its 1980-1988 conflict with Iran. After
Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and the the first
Gulf war that ensued, Aziz became an instantly
recognisable figure in the world media as he
shuttled frenetically between foreign capitals,
seeking to enlist support for his country.
At home, he survived Saddam's political purges and
an assassination attempt by Iranian-backed radicals
in 1980.
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