The Telegraph - The trial of Saddam Hussein will be shown on live television, Iraq's national security adviser said yesterday.

The trial will show the Arab and Muslim world "that this is going to be a fair, just trial with a defence counsel in there, with a proper prosecuting counsel as well there," Iraqi national security adviser Muwaffaq Rubaie told CNN. "And everybody will watch this trial live on television."

I think that's a smart move. I hope they show it over here in the U.S. as well.

I also wonder if this decision has something to do with this bit of grandstanding from one of Saddam's lawyers:

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein's chief attorney vowed to boycott Iraq's war crimes tribunal on Tuesday until a man he says attacked the former president during a hearing is brought to justice and the court apologizes.

Khalil Dulaimi said his client, expected to stand trial as early as September, was dismissive of prosecutors and judges working for the U.S.-backed Special Tribunal, calling them American puppets. He said Saddam does not fear death.

In an exclusive interview, Dulaimi announced a boycott of the tribunal, saying it had failed to protect Saddam from attack. U.S. forces responsible for guarding Saddam have denied any such assault on the former president had taken place.

"As Saddam Hussein's lawyer and on behalf of all the defense team, we announce the boycott of the Iraqi Special Tribunal until they make a formal apology for the incident and the person who committed that disgraceful act is brought to justice," Dulaimi, sitting in law offices in Baghdad, told Reuters.

Saddam's defense is clearly interested in feeding stories about American and British corruption and wrong-doing to the conspiracy and scandal hungry press. I would imagine that, once this trial is started, that will be Saddam's chief line of defense both in the court room and in the media. That defense won't be nearly as effective with the whole world watching in as the trial proceeds.

They'll still probably make their accusations, but now we'll get to see them shot down by the prosecution. We'll also get to see Saddam confronted by the very people he tortured and oppressed. Which should, one would hope, erase any trace of sympathy in even the most hardened of the "blame America first" crowd.