Iraq cancels leave for military officers

[oberliner]

Iraq canceled leave Friday for all military officers two days before an expected verdict — and possible death sentence — in the trial of Saddam Hussein. For the second time this week, a top Bush administration official huddled with the Iraqi prime minister.


Many of Saddam's fellow Sunni Arabs, along with some Shiites and Kurds, are predicting a firestorm of violence if the court sentences the ex-president to death, as is widely expected. Bloodshed is already high, with police finding the bodies of 83 torture victims throughout the capital between 6 a.m. Thursday and 6 p.m. Friday.

But most Shiites, including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, are likely to be enraged if he escapes the gallows. Al-Maliki declared last month he expected "this criminal tyrant will be executed," saying that would likely break the will of Saddam's followers in the insurgency.

In a videotape Friday, Defense Minister Abdul-Qader al-Obeidi was heard issuing the order canceling all military leaves and ordering vacationing soldiers back to duty. The order took effect at noon Friday and was announced at a meeting among al-Maliki and senior military and security officials.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061103/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[teryang]

1. Good luck!

Do they even bother to schedule leave?

[JDPriestly]

2. Announcing the judgment just days before the American

mid-term election is likely to be interpreted by many in the world outside the U.S. as proof that the trial was just a political ploy by Bush and his friends. Poor timing, if they want the skeptics in the world to believe the trial was legitimate -- especially considering the assassinations of various lawyers in the case.