Chemical Ali Keeps Quiet

Saddam Hussein's cousin, "Chemical Ali", yesterday refused to make a statement at the genocide trial in Baghdad of six former regime officials.

The court has now resumed after a 12 day break, and chief judge Mohammed al-Oreibi al-Khalifah asked the six defendants to make statements before prosecutors presented additional documentary evidence against the accused.

Ali Hassan al-Majid, also known as "Chemical Ali", said:

"I have no testimony to present to the court unless I am given the chance to see my lawyer."

Former military intelligence chief, Sabir al-Duri, also refused to make a statement.

The judge then switched off microphones in the court, and had some "animated" discussions with the two defendants.

The trial continues.

The State of The Union

An ABC poll shows that, on the eve of his State of The Union address to Congress, President Bush is now more unpopular than any president since Richard Nixon in 1974 -the year that Nixon resigned amid the Watergate scandal.

It seems that Iraq may not be the only country to undergo "regime change", as a result of the Iraq invasion.

The Saddam Hussein Museum

As President Bush contemplates his Presidential Library, in anticipation of his departure from office at the end of 2008, he may be "interested" to know that Saddam Hussein's followers are planning a similar memorial for Saddam.

They plan to create a museum besides Saddam's grave in al-Ouja.

Exhibits will include photographs, the coat, white shirt and shoes he wore at his execution together with other documents and belongings returned to the family by the Iraqi Government.

There is even talk of a book containing Saddam's writings penned whilst he was in jail.

Farouq Majdalawi, head of the Jordanian Publishers' Association, is quoted in the press as saying:

"If the readers are assured that the author is Saddam himself then the book will become hot and will make record sales".

I wonder if this is exactly what President Bush had hoped for, when he enacted regime change?