Sunday, July 15, 2007
Judging Saddam: Courageous Iraqi jurist to teach at Cornell
For those of you eager for more news of Cornell and Ithaca, here is a story with a bit of a geopolitical slant:
Cornell University and FBI representatives have fulfilled local officials' requests for written threat assessments regarding the visit of Ra'id Juhi Hamadi Al-Saiedi, an Iraqi judge involved in the trial of Saddam Hussein slated to be the law school's first Clarke Middle East Fellow.
The representatives shared three separate threat assessments — two classified, one public — local officials said in a meeting Friday afternoon at Ithaca City Hall.
“At this time, the FBI has not identified any specific or credible threats to the judge or local community,” John F. Pikus, special agent in charge of the Albany Division of the FBI, said in a statement distributed after the meeting.
Of course, Judge Ra'id has taken risks that few other law professors could imagine. From Cornell's announcement of his appointment last month:
Under the civil law system used in Iraq, Ra'id's role was to examine witnesses and collect evidence to determine whether sufficient grounds existed to refer particular cases for trial. Ra'id investigated and referred cases against Saddam Hussein to the Iraqi High Tribunal for trial, and he investigated and issued an arrest warrant for Moqtada al-Sadr for his alleged involvement in the murder of Abdul Majeed Al-Khoei. He also served as the official spokesperson for the Iraqi High Tribunal.
Frankly, Judge Ra'id makes Elliot Ness look like a total candy-ass by comparison. There are few law schools where Ra'id would not be the toughest member of the faculty, at least if toughness is measured by willingness to risk life and limb in the service of justice.
In coming from Baghdad to Ithaca, Judge Ra'id is obviously making his own life safer. He is a man with a lot of enemies, though, and the locals do not like the idea that Iraqi Ba'athists or Shiite extremists might shatter the repose of their college town lives. I have two reactions to this. My first reaction: Ithaca is probably safer from foreign assassins than most places with top law schools. There is no direct commercial air service, and Ithaca's geography means that it would be relatively easy to seal off with roadblocks. Yes, assassins could get here and kill the judge if they wanted to, but they would then be at great risk of capture.
My second reaction: Tough on you, Ithaca townies. Be honored that such a man would want to live here.
10 Comments:
By 
Purple Avenger, at
Sun Jul 15, 11:04:00 AM:
Ithaca is a relatively small town (even smaller than Troy where RPI is). Foreign outsiders asking odd questions won't go unnoticed.
If this guy gets hit, it'll happen somewhere else -- like during a guest speaking strip to NYC, where fading into the woodwork or making a fast exit is a lot easier.
By joated, at
Sun Jul 15, 11:45:00 AM:
The only problem with Ithaca is Ithaca. It's a terribly Liberal/Leftist community. Everybody asks strange questions there.
One of my favorite bumper stickers seen while passing through read: "Ithaca: Ten square miles surrounded by reality."
By 
, at
Sun Jul 15, 11:50:00 AM:
This is somewhat off-topic, but speaking of
a bit of a geopolitical slant
I thought you might like to see the, uh, re-write I did to an old classic, inspired by a post on Maggie's Farm.
By antithaca, at
Sun Jul 15, 04:13:00 PM:
The locals here don't want him. And these are the same people who will chant at the top of their lungs demanding that the US Government admit as many Iraqi refugees as possible right now.
Personally, I welcome the man. And I wallow in the hypocrisy oozing from the local intelligensia.
By , at
Sun Jul 15, 05:20:00 PM:
The locals here don't want him. And these are the same people who will chant at the top of their lungs demanding that the US Government admit as many Iraqi refugees as possible right now.
How do you know this? A few anecdotes? A reliable poll? Or are you just making this up?
By Purple Avenger, at
Sun Jul 15, 05:44:00 PM:
The only problem with Ithaca is Ithaca. It's a terribly Liberal/Leftist community.
That's the university population. Locals will be a somewhat different story.
By Hank, at
Sun Jul 15, 06:25:00 PM:
The locals are actually to the left of many of the university students.
By Purple Avenger, at
Sun Jul 15, 08:04:00 PM:
By antithaca, at
Mon Jul 16, 11:08:00 AM:
Don't draw too big a distinction between the university population and the local population. Both are *very* liberal. The distinction you might be able to draw would be between the university students and faculty/staff. Students represent the rest of the country. The faculty and staff do not.
As for the whole "how do I know this" question regarding my pulse of the community...it's called reading the paper and listening to comments and reading contributions (online), etc, etc.
In other words, to borrow a favorite phrase from the left...I'm organic. :) I don't need a poll thank you very much.
By Caveat B, at
Mon Jul 16, 09:23:00 PM:
I've refused to donate to my alma mater since they gave Cynthia McKinney a spot after losing her seat. This makes me think that I should begin the long process of reconsideration.
