Iraq Leader Paves Way for Legal Hangings

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5215963,00.html

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - President Jalal Talabani has paved the way for the first legal execution in Iraq since the 2003 fall of Saddam Hussein, the presidential office said Wednesday. The case involves three men sentenced to hang for murdering three policemen.

Any death sentence must be approved by the three-member presidential council headed by Talabani, who has voiced opposition to capital punishment in the past. He still refuses to sign the authorization document, but his office said he had authorized one of his vice presidents, Adil Abdul-Mahdi, to do so instead.

Abdul-Mahdi signed the order but it was unclear if the sentence had been carried out. Executions in Iraq are by hanging.

The three Iraqis were not identified. But the statement said they were convicted by a court in the Shiite city of Kut, 100 miles southeast of Baghdad, for killing three police officers.

[meganmonkey]

1. Great - will they be public too?

So very democratic...

:(

[ellenfl]

2. shrub must have recommended the capital punishment amendment

to their constitution.

ellen fl

[gratuitous]

3. Yesiree, American style democracy

So much more, uh, robust than that democracy practiced in other countries, no?

[leftofcool]

4. Will there be stonings as well?

Gosh, I hope so, cuz no "American-style democracy" would be complete without an occasional stoning, especially if a woman is in the line of fire.......uh, rocks.

Left of Cool

[NNN0LHI]

5. The Carlisle Group can't wait for the public amputations to begin

The sell prosthetics.

Don

[sintax]

6. But wait I thought the right to vote changed everything

"We are in a process of absorbing the factors of the situation we're in and shedding the unreality that dominated at the beginning."-White house official Addressing the Possibility of US Troop Removal


Seeing things and remaining quiet about them will change nothing, not even ourselves. But saying things - having the courage to testify to our own forbidden knowledge - could be the way the world changes.

[DFWJock]

7. Halliburton

has a no-bid contract to sell them the rope.

[caligirl]

8. Iraqi convicts bound for gallows

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4159366.stm

Iraq will carry out its first execution of convicts since the fall of Saddam Hussein within a few days, Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari has said.

Three men convicted of killing, kidnap and rape are set to be hanged in the southern city of Kut.

Rights group Amnesty International has called for Iraq's constitution, now being finalised, to ban executions.

[sniffa]

9. now that's freedom

first sign of democracy is not eLections, but summary executions.

[alcibiades_mystery]

14. They're not "summary" executions

The men have been tried in a court of law, however illegitimate the current government of Iraq.

That said, there's little doubt that many summary executions are occurring around Iraq, perpetrated by both the insurgents and the government forces. One might also suspect that coalition forces engage in the practice from time to time, gnaw mean?

[Child_Of_Isis]

10. The Iraq's constitution that American's are dying for

includes hangings? I am so confused.

[Bob3]

11. More progress

N/t

[caligirl]

12. Or as condi said'process' Dailly show scewered her for this.

[Tyranny_R_US]

13. Gee how is this any different from Saddam?

[daleo]

15. This might just be a warmup

To get people prepared for mass executions, including Hussein, a little later on.

On edit - Maybe Bush can make fun of these people later.

[VegasWolf]

16. Does W get a front row seat? Or, get to give thumbs up or down while

masturbating?

[loudsue]

17. That's him!

Our chimporer in chief. Gets off on seein' all that dyin' goin' on, doesn't he?

[Bo]

18. How special..a lil bit of texas in iraq