Re: Saddam Hussein. Can anybody explain...

[SackAttack]

Why it's the defense lawyers who are apparently being targeted for assassination these days?

I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation (or at least an explanation, period), but for the life of me, I can't see it.

[JeffR]

Kill somebody, and they might have some friends or relatives that aren't too interested in seeing you get top-notch legal representation for your trial. Now multiply that by tens or hundreds of thousands of somebodies.

On top of that, the Iraqi insurgency is fragmented. Just because someone's shooting at American troops or Iraqi police doesn't mean they want Saddam back in power. If he'd been caught by, say, an Iranian-backed group instead of the US, he'd probably be in a cell or unmarked grave somewhere in Tehran.

[sachmo71]

One theory is that they are trying to get a mistrial or get the trial moved out of Iraq, striking a blow to the credibility of the current Iraqi government. I don't think they actually think that Sadaam is going to go free, so they will make him a symbol.

[monte_mcguire]

Most Iraqi's (Shia) hate Saddam.