Iraq's Prime Minister Calls For Execution

During yesterday's session of Saddam Hussein's trial, witnesses described their suffering during their detention in a desert prison in southern Iraq.

Abdullah Said Muhammed, 79 years old, said that his village was attacked by chemical weapons.

Quote:

"We ran away from poison gas and fled the area to a nearby village."

He noted that the Iraqi forces then arrested the fleeing people and threw them to prison, where they endured bad sanitary conditions.

Said added that approximately 1,800 people died in Nugrat al- Salaman prison, during the four months of his detention, "I myself helped bury 20 dead prisoners, including eight of my relatives."

Baqer Qader Muhammad described his suffering in the Nugrat al-Salman prison, saying that he and many other detainees were infected with diarrhea as a result of the dirty water.

The trial has now been adjourned until October 30th, to give the defendants time to contact their lawyers.

Iraqi Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki, said on Wednesday:

"God willing, the trial will not continue for a long time and shortly a death sentence will be passed against his crimes, along with his aides and the criminals who worked with him.

With his execution, those betting on returning Saddam to power under the banner of the Baath Party will loose."

As Prime minister he should not openly interfere in the trial, by stating publicly his wish to see a death sentence, prior to a verdict being delivered.

He is hoping against hope, that the execution of Saddam will stem the tide of violence that is engulfing Iraq. I suspect that it is too late for that, and that the eventual "solution" to the violence will be the partition of Iraq.