MOSCOW. (Professor Mikhail Barshchevsky...

Legally, only Iraqi President Jalal Talabani can pardon Saddam. But this would not be the right move because the former Iraqi leader does not deserve mercy. However, his execution may destabilize the situation in the Middle East. Moreover, the Iraqi court is not independent, and its sentence is dubious for this reason as well.

The media have often compared Saddam's case to the Nuremberg Trial of the Nazi war criminals. In both cases the leaders of states committed crimes against humanity, and were tried for them. But there is one important difference. The Nuremberg Trial was conducted by the victors, and was not manipulated by anyone. The judges who have sentenced Saddam to gallows are under pressure from the country that has occupied Iraq.

Whether the occupation was justified is another matter. But it is a fact that the Iraqi court is not independent. This is why its sentence gives rise to doubts, even if formally it is legitimate. The court proceedings were aimed

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