Schiff Comments on Hussein Court Appearance

Schiff Comments on Hussein Court Appearance

WASHINGTON, DC - (July 1, 2004) Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) issued the following statement in regard to the first appearance of Saddam Hussein in a Baghdad, Iraq courtroom:

"The image of Saddam Hussein - held before a judge in a free Iraq - is an important assertion of sovereignty by the new Iraqi government. Iraqis yearn for justice for their sufferings, and Hussein's trial is a significant step in that nation's new history. Yet, Iraqis as well as the international community will not only focus on the outcome of the trial, but also on the process. The bedrock of a modern society is the rule of law. We hope that all Iraqis - Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds - will embrace the value of due process as they try their former dictator and his inner circle for decades of heinous crimes against their people."

Congressman Schiff is the co-founder of the Democratic Study Group on National Security and a member of both the House Judiciary and International Relations committees. He represents California's 29th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City