Saddam Hussein Confesses? Really?

According to CNN, Saddam Hussein has confessed to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani that he is guilty of committing atrocities against Kurds [CNN, Talabani: Saddam confesses to execution orders]:

Saddam Hussein has confessed that he gave orders to execute thousands of Kurds in the late 1980s, according to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

In an interview with Iraq's state-funded broadcaster al-Iraqiya, Talabani said he had spoken to one of the Iraqi Special Tribunal judges involved in the investigation who said that "he was able to take important confessions from Saddam Hussein and he has signed these confessions and there is video and audio for these confessions."

Talabani said the judge told him that Saddam confessed that he gave orders for the executions and military operations directed against Kurds in what came to be called the Anfal campaign.

Saddam Hussein is certainly one of the most vile dictators this planet has ever seen. But he confessed? Just like that?

The BBC goes a bit further though [BBC, Saddam 'confesses' says Iraq head]:

"Saddam deserves a death sentence 20 times a day because he tried to assassinate me 20 times," [Talabani] said.

...

"There are 100 reasons to sentence Saddam to death," said Mr Talabani, a former Kurdish rebel leader.

I think CNN should have included the parts that cast doubt on Mr. Talabani's credibility.

In the end, we'll still need to wait for the trial.

Tags: iraq, saddam hussein, war