Fair Trials?

In "Justice for Hussein", Debra Saunders writes:

I would trust the producers of "Survivor" to put together a fitting trial for Saddam Hussein before I would trust the United Nations.

To start, any solon who worries about giving Hussein a "fair" trial should not be allowed near the tribunal. For such people, Hussein's trial is an opportunity to establish how fair-minded they are as jurists, rather than a chance to redress the rivers of red blood spilled in this thug's name.

Ah yes - there's no room, after all, for due process for people we already know to be guilty. And nothing could possibly be gained by demonstrating to the Arab world that we are actually interested in advancing justice and fairness, even when handling the most odious of offenders.

After yammering on for a bit about the evils of those who oppose the death penalty or favor international organizations (and along the way, admittedly, making some decent points about the bizarre trial of Milosevic), she concludes,

I want Hussein to get a fair trial -- but it won't be fair to Iraq if Hussein is allowed to turn his trial into a circus.

I see.... So while she will condemn a "solon" - that is, a "wise lawgiver" - who calls for a fair trial, apparently she does not believe it to be hypocritical when she expresses the very desire she previously condemned.

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