VENEZUELA STRONGLY CONDEMNS EXECUTION OF SADDAM

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000021 SIPDIS SIPDIS HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2017 TAGS: PREL VE SUBJECT: VENEZUELA STRONGLY CONDEMNS EXECUTION OF SADDAM HUSSEIN Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT DOWNES FOR 1.4 (D) ¶1. (SBU) In a press release January 3, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the execution of Saddam Hussein, which it called "a political crime produced by an illegitimate foreign occupation." The BRV couched its objection not only as a rejection of the death penalty, but also of a world power usurping the UN's role presumably in judging crimes against humanity. The BRV specifically accused "invading forces led by the United States" of imposing a tribunal to conduct an orchestrated show trial that denied Hussein due process. The BRV also compared the 150 charges of murder against Hussein to the thousands of dead and wounded Iraqi citizens and U.S. soldiers resulting from the so-called "military occupation of Iraq ordered by President Bush" and declared that those responsible would one day answer to international courts. The statement ended with a call for an end to the U.S. military presence in Iraq and for the UN to re-establish Iraq's sovereignty and investigate human rights violations committed in the name of the "hypocritical" fight against terrorism. ¶2. (U) Informal translation of full text as follows: The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela categorically condemns the execution to which the ex-President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, was submitted, and does not doubt in qualifying this repudiated act as a political crime produced by the illegitimate foreign occupation of that brother Arab nation. The assassination of Saddam Hussein was the culmination of a fixed trial, realized by tribunals imposed by invading forces led by the Army of the United States of America. The defeated and later executed ex-Iraqi leader was denied the right to due process, his lawyers suffered persecution, threats, and assassination attempts, and the abuses committed against him reveal the orchestrated scheme to ultimately legalize this crime that today shakes the dignity of the people of the world, particularly that of the Arab people. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejects, on reasons of principle, the use of the death penalty, as stated in our Constitution, but also refuses to validate the actions of one or more world powers, with the help of other countries, in assuming the right to usurp the United Nations' role, and impose decisions destined to deprive the liberty and later the life of a leader deposed by invading troops. The ex-President of Iraq was accused of killing some 150 people, and for this he was sent to the gallows. But the military occupation of the Iraqi territory, ordered by the President of the United States, George W. Bush, has led to the death of dozens of thousands of citizens of that country and more than 3,000 North American soldiers and about 20,000 battle wounded. One day those responsible for these thousands of murders and these grave violations of human rights will respond to international justice. We reiterate our demand for the cessation of the illegal occupation to which Iraq is submitted and formulate a call to the United Nations to initiate the steps to re-establish the sovereignty of that nation and to investigate the innumerable human rights violations that have been committed in the name of the hypocritical fight against terrorism. ¶3. (C) Comment: This statement comes as no surprise from a government with a decidedly skewed and misguided view of world events--for example, BRV leaders from President Chavez on down have repeatedly accused the USG of staging the September 11 terrorist attack. Chavez has long been an extremely vocal opponent of the war in Iraq, which he considers to be yet another show of U.S. imperialism. This statement is generally consistent with many of Chavez' statements over the past three years. WHITAKER