Death Sentence Commuted?

President Jalal Talabani of Iraq has told France 24 television that he won't sign the death penalty sentence against Tarik Aziz, who was sentenced to death last month.

President Talabani says that he feels "compassion" for Aziz, as Aziz is both "a Christian" and over 70 years old.

Does this mean the sentence has really been commuted, or postponed until the President can be "persuaded" to change his mind or leaves office?

Tariq Aziz

The death sentence of the former Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz, has drawn international condemnation (with the exception of the USA, who refer to it as an "internal matter" for Iraq).

Haven't enough people died already as a result of this misguided war?

Chemical Ali To Be Executed

The protracted wait for confirmation of the death sentence on Chemical Ali is now over, Iraq has approved the execution of Ali Hassan al-Majid for ordering gas attacks on Iraqi Kurds in the 1980s.

An Iraqi official issued the following statement:

"The presidency has approved Chemical Ali's execution."

Under Iraqi law, Ali should have been executed by October 4, 30 days after his sentence was upheld by the Iraq Supreme Court.

No date has been set for the execution.

Maliki Asks Bush To Hand Over Chemical Ali

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.

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.

Hanging Delayed

The stay of execution for Chemical Ali, and two other ex members of Saddam Hussein's inner circle, remains in place; as the US continues to hold them and will not hand them over to the Iraqis, until a legal row is resolved.

US spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo said:

"There continue to be differences in viewpoint within the government of Iraq regarding the necessary Iraqi legal and procedural requirements for carrying out death sentences issued by the Iraqi High Tribunal.

Coalition forces will continue to retain physical custody of the defendants until this issue is resolved."

The Iraqi Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki, is less than pleased with the US policy wrt this matter. On Sunday he accused the US embassy of playing an "unfortunate role" in preventing the handover of the three. He added that his government was "determined" that the executions be carried out.

However, the irresistible force appears to have met the rock in the form of Nantongo who said:

"There is still discussion within the government of Iraq over the legal requirements in this case. We are waiting for the government to come to consensus as to what their law requires before preparing a physical transfer."

Two members of the presidential council, President Jalal Talabani and Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi have refused to sign the execution orders.

This stand off is not due to end anytime soon.

Execution Status Unclear

Chemical Ali (Ali Hassan al-Majid) was set to be executed yesterday.

Munir Hadad, a senior judge of the Supreme Criminal Court, said that the execution could take place anytime after 5:00am on Tuesday.

Majeed and two other lieutenants of Saddam Hussein were convicted in June of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for their role in Operation Anfal, in which as many as 180,000 Kurdish civilians and guerrillas were killed two decades ago.

It is not yet clear as to whether the sentence has been carried out.

Chemical Ali To Hang in Baghdad

Saddam Hussein's cousin "Chemical Ali", Hassan al-Majid, and two other former regime officials will be hanged in Baghdad and not in Kurdistan if their death sentences for killing Kurds are upheld by an appeals court.

The Iraqi government, not noted for its competence, is concerned that hanging them in Kurdistan would make their executions look like revenge killings.

An appeals court is considering their appeal of sentences handed down last month.

Chemical Ali Sentenced to Death

Saddam Hussein's cousin known as "Chemical Ali", and two other former regime officials, have been sentenced to death by hanging today for their roles in a 1980's campaign that led to the deaths of 180,000 Kurds.

Ali Hassan al-Majid, Saddam's cousin and the former head of the Baath Party's Northern Bureau Command, stood silently as the judge read the verdict.

The judge, Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa, said that al-Majid was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes for ordering army and security services to use chemical weapons in a large-scale offensive that killed or maimed thousands.

As he was led out of the court, al-Majid said:

"Thanks be to God."

The death sentence is subject to an appeal confirmation.

Saddam's Former Minister Denies Chemical Weapons

Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai, Saddam Hussein's former defence minister, said on Sunday that he had no access to chemical weapons and had received no orders to use them in an operation that killed tens of thousands of Iraqi Kurds.

Also on trial is Saddam's cousin, Ali Hassan al-Majid, also known as "Chemical Ali" for allegedly ordering poison gas attacks against the Kurds.

If convicted, the defendants could be sentenced to death by hanging.

Al-Tai said:

"I did not receive any order asking me to use chemical weapons, but if so I would have implemented it. I did not receive any chemical-related weapons."

Chief Prosecutor Munqith al-Faroon said al-Tai knew about the chemical attack, and showed the court a letter sent by his superiors asking him to use "special ammunition (chemical weapons) against enemy poison."

Al-Tai's lawyer said that his client was only defending his country against Iranian attacks in northern Iraq during the 1980-88 war between the two countries.

Saddam's Body Taken

It is reported that Saddam Hussein's corpse has been taken from his grave.

The Kurdistan patriotic party said on its website that there had been unofficial reports that Saddam's grave in Auja village, just outside Tikrit had been exhumed.

It is also reported that the body was devoured by dogs.

These reports have not been validated.

Death Sentence Confirmed

An Iraqi appeals court has upheld the death sentence against Taha Yassin Ramadan, Saddam Hussein's former vice president.

Taha Yassin Ramadan was convicted in November, along with Hussein and six others, for the killing of some 140 Shi'a in the 1980s.

He was initially sentenced to life in prison, but that sentence was later raised by a higher court and automatically sent to an appeals panel.

Ramadan's execution is to be carried out within 30 days.

Human Rights Watch has called for the death sentence against Ramadan to be repealed.