Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has formally asked President Bush to hand over Saddam Hussein's cousin, "Chemical Ali", and two other former officials sentenced to hang for the 1986-88 crackdown against Kurds.
The US is, quite rightly, refusing to hand over the men until the Iraqi leadership agree as whether the executions should be carried out or not. Were the US to give in to the Prime Minister's request, it would provoke a backlash from Sunni Arabs.
Maliki has accused unnamed politicians of interfering in the legal process for personal reasons, and insisted that Sunni politicians had no right under Iraqi law to pardon or ease the sentences of people convicted of crimes against humanity and condemned.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Sentencing Lite
Houston oilman Oscar Wyatt, accused of paying kickbacks to Saddam Hussein under the United Nations' Oil-for-Food programme has been sentenced to 12 months 1 day in a low security jail.
In explaining the sentence, which was six months less than the low end of the sentencing range under federal guidelines, U.S. District Judge Denny Chin cited "amazing letters" from admirers of the 83 year old.
Quote:
"Mr. Wyatt is a most extraordinary man.
He has lived a remarkable life.
There is little doubt in my mind that Mr. Wyatt broke the law."
What a remarkable country America is; where, on the one hand, the death sentence is routinely carried out yet there are times when mercy is also shown.
In explaining the sentence, which was six months less than the low end of the sentencing range under federal guidelines, U.S. District Judge Denny Chin cited "amazing letters" from admirers of the 83 year old.
Quote:
"Mr. Wyatt is a most extraordinary man.
He has lived a remarkable life.
There is little doubt in my mind that Mr. Wyatt broke the law."
What a remarkable country America is; where, on the one hand, the death sentence is routinely carried out yet there are times when mercy is also shown.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Delay in Excecutions Drags On
Iraqi Shiite and Kurdish MPs have condemned the delay in carrying out the executions of "Chemical Ali" and two other convicted former officials of the Saddam Hussein regime.
Ali Hassan al-Majid, Sultan Hashim al-Tai, Saddam's defence minister, and Hussein Rashid al-Tikriti, his armed forces deputy chief of operations, were sentenced to death on June 24.
Kurdish and Shiite deputies called for the executions to be carried out without further delay.
The US military will not hand the condemned men over until the legal row between Iraqi officials over the execution is resolved.
Two members of the presidential council President Jalal Talabani, and Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, have refused to sign the execution orders.
Ali Hassan al-Majid, Sultan Hashim al-Tai, Saddam's defence minister, and Hussein Rashid al-Tikriti, his armed forces deputy chief of operations, were sentenced to death on June 24.
Kurdish and Shiite deputies called for the executions to be carried out without further delay.
The US military will not hand the condemned men over until the legal row between Iraqi officials over the execution is resolved.
Two members of the presidential council President Jalal Talabani, and Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, have refused to sign the execution orders.
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