Re. the latest find of mass graves, with pregnant women, children and babies, it was said in passing that the work was slow because European scientists boycotted it – since the findings could be used as collaborating evidence sentencing Saddam to death. Here for instance: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3738368.stm
I have however been unable to find any more detail on this supposed boycott. Does there in fact exist such a one? And if so, has it been decided on a higher political (EU) level or is it the result of individual decisions, perhaps after mutual consultations, by different European government organisations and NGOs?
I know there earlier have been Danish teams of specialist (archaeologist, anthropologists, land-measure and police forensics) inside Iraq to look for mass graves – I don’t think they’re there anymore.
I know nothing more than what I’ve read in the report. So the following is all guesswork.
I can’t see any scientist deciding not to investigate this purely on the basis that his findings might be used by someone else to prosecute and execute Sadaam Hussein. I think it’s a fundamental of the scientific ethic that the discovery and dissemination of truth in inherently good, and that a scientist is not responsible for the possibly evil use which someone else makes of his findings.
However if this grave is being investigated by a prosecution team employing forensic scientists, I could see individual scientists who oppose the death penalty electing not to join the team, since they would thereby be participating in a project to which they object.
It may also be the case that many of the most distinguished and experienced forensic pathologists are in government service, and - a guess - the prosecution team has approach the scientists employers and asked them to provide assistance, those bodies may have declined on the basis that it is the policy of their governments not to assist in prosecutions leading to the death penalty.
If I am right, and the Iraqis were to establish a fact-finding commission of enquiry which focussed on finding out what happened rather than on building a case against Sadaam Hussein, they might get a different response.
I’d assume most qualified European forensic specialists would be state employees (including employees of universities), which would not be directly hired but seconded to such investigations. It’s a policy of most European governments not only not to extradite prisoners to where they run the risk of the death penalty, but also not to contribute evidence to a death penalty case.
There might also be a consideration not mentioned in the article: government agencies/universities would balk at exposing their people to the current security situation in Iraq.