IRAQ: Saddam Hussein's trial will show the world how to deal with leaders "who rule by iron and force and blood... This is the future of any dictator," Dr Ibrahim Jaafari, one of Iraq's two vice presidents, has said.
He told The Irish Times that the trial of Saddam Hussein will be closely followed by Iraqis, people in neighbouring countries and round the world. People want to "see what will happen to the dictator and his cronies", Dr Jaafari said.
Dr Jaafari is a medical doctor from Mosul and senior spokesman of the Shia Islamist Dawa party which maintained an underground presence in the country during the rule of the secular Baathist regime. He is a respected figure, a moderate who speaks of pluralism in both political life and social relations.
Dr Jaafari reiterated a statement made last month that martial law might be imposed if insecurity continues.
"I favour giving freedom to the people and not restricting their freedom in any way - that's a human right," he said. "Martial law is not needed during normal times but when the security and safety of the country is at stake, then it may be necessary to impose martial law until order is restored. Many people want to have this kind of law introduced now."
He made it clear that the government would impose a curfew only "in regions and localities, according to necessity, with the aim of preventing criminals from circulating and saboteurs from carrying out their activities. [The curfew] will be for a short time, then lifted. Sections of a town, not the whole town, will be affected."
He said that media, critical of the government, would not be censored but he said media "encouraging criminality and terrorism" would be restricted. He said Iraq would "not be like Egypt where martial law has been in force for 23 years".
When asked about the failure of the occupation authorities to reconstitute the Iraqi army, now only several thousand strong, Dr Jaafari said there must be a clear break with the past if Iraq is to have an army which will have the respect and confidence of a majority of Iraqis.
He said: "We cannot depend on the security system of Saddam Hussein. In the name of law it performed criminal actions. Before, security meant the security of the dictator, now it means the security of the people. We must have another concept, another definition of security, a new system. We have to start from zero. We have to start with a small number [of troops]. We need people of quality, not quantity."
Rebuilding the security forces is not like reviving the ministries of health and oil, he said. "It is not necessary to start at zero here... Rebuilding the armed forces will take time and Iraq will need the help of outside powers" to maintain order. Dr Jaafari welcomed the decision by the Nato summit, which met last week in Istanbul, to assist with the armed forces and police.
He said the European Union could help politically "by adopting Iraq's demand for sovereignty in the Security Council and the General Assembly, opening relations with Iraq and encouraging investment, particularly in industries" in which European countries have experience.
On the critical issue of sovereignty, Dr Jaafari stated: "Sovereignty is not proportional. [You either have] sovereignty or not. It's like in medicine, a lady is either pregnant or not. There is no relative or conditional sovereignty."
He added: "The strong countries try to redefine sovereignty", suggesting limitations. "But," he insisted, UN Security Council "resolution number 1546 said sovereignty should be complete."
He added: "I think we have to know how to to make our sovereignty complete."