March 9, 2004 - A senior US Official told the Financial Times that Saddam Hussein could be tried for war crimes this year. The State Departments top official responsible for war crimes issues Pierre Richard Prosper said that the US objective was to move as quickly as possible while avoiding a proceeding that lets Saddam have a platform like that furnished to Slobodan Milosevic and still appears to be fair. There is another parameter that the Administration insists on – that the US role be seen as only assisting in a process led by the Iraqis. . "The international community will come in as advisers as called for by the statute passing this law and will also come in the supportive role as determined by the Iraqis," Prosper said.

If it is to be an Iraqi show the Trial of the New American Century can not begin until after June 30th when the US hands over sovereignty to its new client state’s provisional government. If it is to have the desired effect, providing a political justification for the Second Iraqi War, it must be commenced promptly and be completed promptly – say, by Mid October. That is why the United States dispatched teams of investigators to Baghdad last week charged with marshalling evidence of the crimes for which Saddam is to be tried and sentenced. Of course those teams of US investigators are only there to provide advice – to ghost write the script for the all Iraqi show and make sure that it is ready to open on time.

With any luck at all the production will be a smash hit and the prosecution case will dominate the media at least until the Republican Convention convenes in New York. The timing is critical. The details of the gassing of the Kurdish village; the invasion of Kuwait; the diversion of Iraq’s wealth to the Ba`athist elite while ordinary Iraqis struggled has to drown out questions about missing WMDs and faulty intelligence. The evidence has to dominate the front pages and the five o’clock news.

It has to be a production worthy of a great partnership. Bialystock and Bloom’s “Springtime for Hitler” must make way for a new Bush and Blair hit. Look for “Saddam’s Summer” opening in July. Now if we can just get Mel Brooks to write the music…