"Saddam's trial must be completely public. It is necessary to let Saddam express himself, that the Americans express themselves, that we ourselves can express ourselves and that people say what they have to say," Rafsanjani told Friday prayers.
Flaying the preliminary phases of Saddam's tribunal, the chairman of the Expediency Council said, “This is not the trial of a criminal. Saddam's extraordinary crimes must be exposed but from the first words pronounced by Saddam, the Americans imposed censorship and broadcast only what they wanted. Iran was ignored in the seven charges against Saddam. Are not the thousands of Iranian chemically wounded veterans part of his crimes?”
Commenting that the monsters of crime meet face-to-face today, he said Saddam has confessed the major war criminal is U.S. President George W. Bush.
Referring to the anniversary of chemical bombardment of Sardasht city, he said the bombardment was both the crime of Saddam and the United States.
"I ask the Iraqi judge why Saddam's crimes against Iran have not been raised," said Rafsanjani, adding that 100,000 Iranian fighters suffered from Iraqi chemical weapons.
"If the Iraqi court refuses to include (Saddam's responsibility) in the unleashing of the war against Iran, it means it is on an order from the Americans.
"Why does the war against Kuwait, which only lasted several months, figure among the major charges while the war against Iran which lasted eight years has been omitted?" he asked.
Referring to the bombardment, he said that five thousands were martyred and fifteen thousands were wounded who are being martyred at present.
Commenting on the U.S. concern over the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), he went on to say the United Nations should resolve the problem fundamentally and should prevent the Zionists from possessing weapons of mass destruction as well.
Referring to the documents that indicate the involvement of Western companies in providing the deposed regime of Saddam Hossein with chemical warfare, he stressed that the West shares the blame with Saddam for crimes against humanity in gassing people in the war with Iran.
MT/IS
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MNA