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| Iraq | |
| US 'stalling' on Iraq executions | |
| 2007-11-12 | |
| Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki has criticised US forces for failing to hand over for execution three former prominent figures in Saddam Hussein's regime. The three, including Ali Hassan "Chemical Ali" al-Majid, were condemned to death for the campaign against the Iraqi Kurds in the 1980s. There has been division in the Iraqi leadership over the executions and the US says it is waiting for consensus. There is suspicion the US does not want ex-defence chief Sultan Hashim to hang.
President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd himself, opposes the death penalty in principle. One of his two vice-presidents, Tareq al-Hashemi, a Sunni, is particularly incensed by the death sentence on Sultan Hashim and has threatened to resign if it is carried out. The Americans, who are physically holding the three convicted men, have refrained from handing them over to Mr Maliki's Shia-led government for execution. Now Mr Maliki has lashed out at them, accusing the US embassy of dragging its feet and causing a violation of the constitution. He insists all three men should be delivered for execution. There is a strong suspicion the US is reluctant to see the former defence minister hang. It has been widely reported that he was in touch with the CIA during Saddam Hussein's rule and took part in plots to unseat him. Sultan Hashim's supporters, Sunnis and others, say that like many others at the time he was simply obeying orders and not driving policy. | |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #4 Pipe nerve gas into his cell, kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Or have an "Accidental" gas leak, same thing. Or a carbon dioxide (Or liquid Nitrogen) tank "Ruptures" nearby. Either way he was NOT "Executed". (Hung) But justice is served. Let him gasp out his lungs, like his victims did. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2007-11-12 16:21 |
| #3 Sultan Hashim cut a deal with the US to turn himself in in exchange for not being executed. The US then turned him over to the Iraqis, who sentenced him to death. When he protested, the US said, "oh...your deal was with us. WE won't execute you!" Yet another example of someone trusting the US government and getting totally screwed. |
| Posted by: gr(o)mky 2007-11-12 16:20 |
| #2 The Saddam' execution turned into a Shiite revenge affair. They don't want that repeated. |
| Posted by: McZoid 2007-11-12 08:24 |
| #1 Can they have us hang the ba$tards for them? |
| Posted by: gorb 2007-11-12 02:05 |