Order of Business - 8th November 2006

Order of Business – 8th November 2006
Mr. Norris: I am very happy to agree strongly with my colleague, Senator Mansergh, who called for a debate on Iraq, particularly in the light of the death sentence passed on Saddam Hussein. I have a long record over 20 years, as the Cathaoirleach knows, of opposing Saddam Hussein on human rights issues. However, it is not a coincidence that the announcement of the death sentence came just in the final moments of the American elections. President Bush has a habit, as he had even as Governor of Texas, of creating a few executions pour encourager les voters. I expect my honourable colleagues in Fianna Fáil will agree, although they have not said so, that it is a vitiation of the whole legal process. The court was established by an edict from Mr. Paul Bremner and the rules of evidence were interfered with. There was supposed to be an international conference to redress this, but it was scrapped. The government ministers prejudiced the trial by pronouncing him guilty and saying they were going to kill him before it started. One judge had to withdraw because of American pressure. Three of his attorneys were murdered. A trial judge was removed last week because they thought he was too sympathetic. It is a dreadful abandonment of all the principles of a fair trial, even for monsters. Senator Mansergh's suggestion of some type of internment camp for these monsters is very important. It is also significant, in my opinion, that the Americans again resisted any attempt to bring it under the auspices of the International Court of Justice. Of course they did because the final point I want to make-----

An Cathaoirleach: All of these matters will be points to be made by the Senator in the debate.

Mr. Norris: I am using these points as an argument to support Senator Mansergh's call for a debate. Bush and Blair are guilty of precisely the same crimes of which they are accusing Saddam Hussein, the use of chemical weapons, the mass murder of 650,000 civilians, the use of torture and all of these things. Please let us have a debate on this matter.
I want to raise a final matter, namely, that there should be a debate on the GAA. As a taxpayer-----

An Cathaoirleach: No, we cannot have that.

Mr. Norris: It is a wonderful institution, but as a taxpayer, I strongly object to my money being used to fund the type of disgraceful exhibition of-----

Mr. Coonan: It is close to the Senator's heart.

Mr. Norris: It is a disgrace. The Senator should grow up. We are living in the American empire, after all.

An Cathaoirleach: The Senator is being irrelevant.

Mr. Norris: As a taxpayer, I do not want my money used to fund a disgraceful exhibition, performed in front of 20,000 children.

An Cathaoirleach: Order, please, order. The Senator is being irrelevant.

Mr. Norris: The GAA regards the taxpayer as a rich tax cow and we are entitled to decent standards.

An Cathaoirleach: The Senator is out of order.

Mr. Norris: That is the situation and the Cathaoirleach knows it. It is just because his voters are involved-----