Stupid Journalist

The Judge scheduled to try Saddam Hussein had his identity kept secret for a very good reason. About six months ago, a so-called "journalist" published his identity in a UK Newspaper -- The Independent. The toad in question is Robert Fisk. The website This Is London has the story:

Newspaper exposes Saddam trial judge
By Paul Waugh, Evening Standard 2 July 2004 The judge in charge of Saddam Hussein's trial was in fear for his life today after his identity was revealed by a UK newspaper. The Iraqi Special Tribunal had asked the media to protect his anonymity. But he was named by Robert Fisk, foreign correspondent of The Independent.

The Independents response:

Simon Kelner, editor of The Independent, defended his decision, saying: "This was not a British court, it was an Iraqi court. We don't want to compromise the judge's safety but the cameras showed side views of him and he was instantly recognized by many Iraqis."

Fast Forward to today: Fisk's incompetency and drive to get the headline has resulted in a possible assassination or attempt -- the news is still not quite clear but from FOX News:

Judge in Saddam Trial Assassinated
An investigating judge in the trial of deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has been assassinated, FOX News has learned. U.S. officials originally said Judge Raid Juhi, had been killed, but another judge � one of dozens � was murdered. Details on the assassination and that judge's identity were not immediately available.

Thanks Robert! To get an idea of the odiousness of Mr. Fisk, consider that the term "Fisking" came about from his perpetual hand-wringing articles that were based on impressions and not fact. Googling for "Robert Fisk" Idiot tuns up about 15,000 entries. The Independent only has the first paragraph up on their website (wanting you to pony up some $$$ for the full thing) but Mr. Fisk has the entire thing on his site and it is a classic introduction to his style of writing:

US military tried to censor coverage of Saddam hearing
By Robert Fisk in Baghdad - 03 July 2004

Off to a rolling start there with no Media Bias evident. The hallmark of a good journalist.

A team of US military officers acted as censors over all coverage of the hearings of Saddam Hussein and his henchmen on Thursday, destroying videotape of Saddam in chains and deleting the entire recorded legal submissions of 11 senior members of his former regime. An American network cameraman who demanded the return of his tapes, which contained audios of the hearings, said he was told by a US officer: "No. They belong to us now. And anyway, we don't trust you guys." According to American journalists present at the 30-minute hearing of Saddam and 11 former ministers at Baghdad airport, an American admiral in civilian clothes told camera crews that the judge had demanded that there should be no sound recording of the initial hearing. He ordered crews to unplug their sound wires. Several of the six crews present pretended to obey the instruction. "We learnt later," one of them said, "that the judge didn't order us to turn off our sound. The Americans lied - it was they who wanted no sound. The judge wanted sound and pictures."

It is called Security - security for Saddam, security for the Iraqi and Coalition people who are protecting him and protecting the Iraqi citizens who are bringing him to justice. The hearing was recorded, it is not being censored, the release of this information is being delayed until no one can be hurt with it. And why do you say the tapes were destroyed? Did you actually see this happening? That would be stupid for the Security people to do since someones' tape may have captured something that their own cameras missed. Evidence is evidence... Somehow I don't think the Security people are stupid -- especially in this high-profile case... And the paragraph in question (skipping more of Fisk's bloviation -- the links is posted above if you want to read the entire thing...)

Video showed the face - and audiotape revealed the voice - of Judge Raid Juhi, whose name was widely reported in the Arab press yesterday. According to the camera crews, Judge Juhi wanted the world to hear Saddam's voice. Nevertheless the Americans erased the entire audiotape of the hearings of the 11 former Saddam ministers, including that of Tariq Aziz, the former deputy prime minister, and "Chemical" Ali, Saddam's cousin accused of gassing the Kurds at Halabja. The US Department of Defense tape of their hearings has been taken by the US authorities so there is now no technical record of the words of these 11 men, save for the notebooks of "pool" reporters - four Americans and two Iraqis - who were present. Judge Juhi said not long ago that "I have no secrets - a judge must not be ashamed of the decisions he takes." The Americans apparently think differently.

Of course Juhi's name was circulated widely -- thanks to useful idiots like you who thought that they knew the situation more accurately than the Security people or the Justices. Someone's blood is directly on your hands Mr. Fisk and I defy you to wash it off.