And if we can prove that it works it will be a prototype to be used in other industries

And if we can prove that it works it will be a prototype to be used in other industries and could well be a movement that leads capitalism into that bottom-up direction.”Lasn’s decision to target Converse is best understood by examining the history of this iconic brand. From James Dean through The Ramones to Kurt Cobain and the anti-globalisation protesters, the Converse basketball shoe (and boot) has long been the default footwear for rebels with or without a cause. With its simple styling, canvas uppers and low price, the shoe passed on from rockers and hippies to punks and skaters, along the way becoming the trainer you wore if you were conscientiously shunning the likes of Nike and Adidas. One thing fashion-magazine stylists and anti-fashion anarchists agreed on was that Converse sneakers were cool.But then the brand was hoovered up by the Nike empire. Keen to cash in on Converse’s retro cool and its historic association with basketball, which stretches back to the 1920s, Nike bought the brand in July for a reported $305m (£175m). He must be given every opportunity of a fair trial so that in years to come people won’t be able to claim that he was treated shoddily,” Mr Scrivener said.Under the constitution of the new Iraqi war crimes tribunal there is some provision for the inclusion of international judges, for lawyers to represent the defendants and an appeals system. But groups such as Human Rights Watch are concerned that the court retains the power to impose a death penalty and may be vulnerable to “revenge justice”.Human Rights Watch said that the new law did not require that judges and prosecutors have experience working on complex criminal cases and cases involving serious human rights crimes.

There was jubilation in Kuwait, whose invasion by Iraq led to the 1991 Gulf war. The Kuwaiti information minister, Mohammed Abulhassan “thanked God” that Saddam had been captured alive “so that he can be tried for the heinous crimes he has committed”.Iran, Iraq’s arch enemy, joined in the call for justice. “The coming days could be equally dangerous as these past days,” he said.The Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, whose decision to send troops to Iraq is deeply unpopular with his own people, predicted that the capture would improve security in Iraq.Reaction was more mixed in the Arab world. The Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar, said: “The time has come for [Saddam] to pay for his crimes.”The Italian Premier, Silvio Berlusconi, phoned Mr Bush to congratulate him.In Poland, which commands thousands of international troops in Iraq, the Defence Minister Jersey Szmajdzinski welcomed the news, but said the arrest could prompt retaliation from Saddam’s supporters.

In a telegram to George Bush, he called for intensified efforts to rebuild Iraq.Spain and Italy, both of which sent troops and backed the war, were jubilant. Some Arab leaders warned the US, however, that Saddam should face justice in his own country.Jacques Chirac, the most strident leader of the European anti-war camp said the arrest was an event which “should strongly contribute to the democratisation and the stabilisation of Iraq”.The German chancellor, Gerhard Schr?, greeted the development “with much happiness”. Western leaders, even those who opposed the US war against Saddam’s Iraq, hailed news of the capture of the tyrant as a turning point, and acknowledged the achievement of the forces who caught him without firing a shot.
Few tears were shed in the Arab world, a reflection of how devoid of allies the deposed Iraqi leader was at the end. Iraqis whose relatives were murdered by the regime could hold Saddam liable for deaths in his name.Waging illegal war: Saddam’s war against Iran, in which one million people died, and his invasion of Kuwait were in breach of international law.. After the 1990-91 Gulf war, evidence emerged of 270 mass graves across Iraq.Crimes against humanity: The torture and imprisonment of thousands of Saddam’s people are in breach of international laws. Individual victims of torture will be able to testify against him to support the charges.Murder: In 1996, he ordered the killing of two of his sons-in-law who had defected to Jordan the year before.