News in this week（Nov.5—Nov.12）

William

Saddam appears for genocidal trial after death sentence


•BAGHDAD, Nov. 7 -- Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein returned to court to face trial on genocide against Kurds on Tuesday, two days after being sentenced to hang in a separate trial, and urged Iraqis "to forgive, reconcile and shake hands."

•Saddam and two of his senior aides were on Sunday sentenced to death on crimes against humanity in the trial of Dujail, in which 148 people were executed in the aftermath crackdown on the town following a failed assassination attempt against Saddam in 1982.

William

•In Tuesday's trial, Saddam and six former senior aides are facing charges of genocide for their roles in the 1988 Anfal (Spoils of War) military campaign against ethnic Kurds. Prosecutors say up to 180,000 Kurds were killed, many of them by gas.
•Chief Judge Muhammed Ureybi begun the session and called the first witness, Qahhar Khalil Mohammad, 52, who was forced to live in a den with his seven-member family because the Iraqi army destroyed their village in 1986.
•Mohammad and other Kurdish witnesses told the court that they were deceived by the government.
•He said that he and many people surrendered themselves to the authorities after a government amnesty, but only to find themselves ended up in a military camp.
•During the session, the first after he was found guilty in the separate case of Dujail, Saddam appeared unusually calm and he quietly listened to witnesses. After the first witness' testimony, he complained that the court should adequately cross-examine the witnesses.

William

•Saddam also challenged the witness. "When he says there are two officers, what do they look like? Does this bring us to the truth?" Saddam politely addressed judge Ureybi.
•Ureybi approved the demand but said it is for the court to decide which testimony to take into consideration.
•Another witness, Abdul-Karim Nayif Hassan, also told the court that they were deceived by promises of amnesty, and were dragged to mass killing by the Iraqi soldiers. He submitted a video showing human remains in a mass grave found near his village after the Kurds gained self-rule in 1991.
•Saddam then called for reconciliation among Iraqis saying, "I call on Iraqis, Arabs and Kurds, to forgive, reconcile and shake hands," Saddam said.
•After hearing a fourth witness, the trial was announced to adjourn till Wednesday.

William

•Saddam appears for genocidal trial after death sentence
•Saddam calls for reconciliation among Iraqis
•Saddam Hussein sentenced to death
•"Long live Iraq," Saddam cries after death sentence
•Saddam in court awaiting verdicts
•Saddam Hussein trial resumes in Baghdad
•Iraqi court may announce Saddam verdict on Nov. 5
•Saddam trial adjourned until next Tuesday
•New session of Saddam trial ends amid chaos
•Saddam Hussein ordered out of courtroom
•Saddam Hussein trial adjourned until Oct. 9
•Saddam trial resumes with judge ordering Saddam out
•Saddam's defense lawyers to boycott trial

William

•New judge expels Saddam from trial
•Chief judge in Saddam's 2nd trial reportedly sacked  
•Witness testify as Saddam trial enters third day
•First witness testifies against Saddam in trial on anti-Kurdish campaign
•Saddam dismisses "court of occupation“
•Saddam prefers death by fire squad rather than hanged
•Saddam brought to court against his will  
•Former judge of Saddam trial says "happy to be out of it"
•Saddam hospitalized due to hunger-strike  
•Iraq's high tribunal to start 2nd Saddam trial on Aug. 21
•Chief prosecution urges death for Saddam
•Saddam testifies over Dujail killing

William

•Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein addresses the court during his trial inside the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad Nov. 7, 2006. Saddam was back in court on Tuesday for the first time since he was sentenced to hang for crimes against humanity, facing separate charges of genocide of the Kurds. (Reuters Photo)

William

Saddam protests new judge

William

Will  he surely die?

——world reactions

William

•World reacts to Saddam Hussein's death sentence
China: Saddam's fate should be decided by Iraqi people
•Blair opposes Hussein's death penalty
•Iran urges Saddam's death sentence to be carried out
•Saddam sentence "unacceptable": Italian FM
•Saddam's verdict reminder of brutal regime: Blair  
•Bush says Saddam's death sentence "a landmark event“
•U.S. ambassador: Saddam verdict "important milestone“
•Chirac urges foreign troops' withdrawal from Iraq
•Bush insists no early withdrawal from Iraq
•White House rebuffs idea of partitioning Iraq  

FCH

thanks williamwoo for updating us the news re. Saddam's death sentence!

it's really hard to say if his death will bring peace to Iraq. What a wealthy country it used to be, but now, ......poor people living there.....

William

you are right, Laoda

speaking of wars, people are inevitably the victims.

speaking of politics, people are only the moves in a chess game.

thank you for encouragement

一叶方舟

a big man