To the Point

The Challenges of Bringing Saddam Hussein to Justice

A skeptical world is waiting for what could be the most important event in the history of human rights since the Nazis were tried at Nuremberg. President Bush wants the death penalty, but Saddam Hussein has not yet been convicted and his trial won't be easy. Is there persuasive evidence to connect him to 30 years of unspeakable crimes? Are Iraqi courts up to the challenge? Will US involvement cast doubt on the fairness and legitimacy of the proceedings? Will Saddam be able to use the event to embarrass former supporters, including America? We ask those and other questions of experts in international law and foreign policy from Johns Hopkins University, the Institute for Policy Studies, the American Enterprise Institute, and a former State Department official who was instrumental in bringing the leaders of genocide in Bosnia and Rwanda to justice. Making News: Terror Suspect Jose Padilla to Be Released President Bush does not have the power to arrest an American citizen, designate him an -enemy combatant- and detain him indefinitely without an attorney. That-s the ruling of a federal appellate court in New York, which has ordered that Jose Padilla be released within 30 days. Viveca Novack, who covers legal issues for Time Magazine, says the ruling is a rebuke the Bush administration, which is certain to request a stay as it appeals the case. Reporter's Notebook: Stealing Illegal Immigrants in Arizona Increased border restrictions since September 11 have made it tougher to smuggle illegal immigrants into Texas and California. That-s made Arizona the venue for traffic in a commodity as valuable as narcotics-human beings. Charlie Leduff, who covers the border for the New York Times, has more on this growing black market, reaction of the smugglers, and the impact the violence has had on communities in Arizona.