The Trial of Saddam Hussein and The Fallout of The War

The Trial of Saddam Hussein

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The fallout in the Middle East from the regime change in Iraq

Friday, December 16, 2005

Count Underway

In the first full term parliamentary election, since the invasion of Iraq, millions of Iraqis voted.

The ballots are now being counted.

It is estimated that 11 million of Iraq's 15 million eligible voters took part in the vote.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad is quoted as saying:

"The number of people participating is very, very high, and we have had very few irregularities. It is a good day so far, good for us, good for Iraq."

Officials say it could be at a fortnight, before the final results can be announced.

After that an agreement will then need to be brokered over the form of government, and the naming of a prime minister.

The high turnout is a positive sign that many wish to end the chaos that has engulfed Iraq since Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled in 2003.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Saddam The Video Game

Kuma Reality Games have launched an online documentary gaming series about Saddam Hussein.

The latest installment (The Capture of Saddam: Operation Red Dawn) takes gamers through the town of Adwar, as they "search" for Saddam in his "spider hole."

The previous episode recreated the events that led to Saddam's war crimes trial.

Both episodes are available at www.kumawar.com.

Keith Halper, CEO of Kuma Reality Games, is quoted as saying:

"These missions allow people to educate themselves on international events that have shaped our history, while providing a dynamic forum for further exploration and discussion."

A cynic might suggest that those who play the games have little interest in educating themselves, they are merely playing them for the "buzz" that they get.

Monday, December 12, 2005

Saddam's Nephew Goes To Jail

Aymen Sabawi, Saddam Hussein's nephew and former regime insider and terrorist supporter, was found guilty in a Baghdad court on December 5th of illegally crossing the Syrian border without authorisation from Iraqi customs.

Sabawi has had a 15 year sentence handed down, on top of a 6 year sentence that he received during a September trial in which he was found guilty of possessing illegal weapons and manufacturing explosive devices.

This means that Sabawi will not be released from prison for more than 20 years.

Sabawi and members of his family have allegedly played an active role in sustaining terrorism in Iraq; by providing financial support, weapons and explosives.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483 indicted the Sabawi family for stealing millions of dollars from the Iraqi people during Saddam Hussein's regime.