Iraq court drops Saddam charges

[helderheid]

Saddam Hussein's trial for the killing of 180,000 Kurds in the 1980s resumed today nine days after the late dictator went to the gallows.

The court's first order of business was to drop all charges against Saddam.

Six co-defendants still face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity stemming from a military campaign code-named Operation Anfal during the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war.

Shortly after the court reconvened, a bailiff called out the names of the accused and the six men walked silently into the courtroom one after another.

Chief Judge Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa said the court decided to stop all legal action against the former president, since "the death of defendant Saddam was confirmed".

All seven defendants in the Anfal case, including Saddam, had pleaded innocent to charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Saddam and one other man also pleaded innocent to the additional charge of genocide.

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http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0108/breaking67.htm

[helderheid]

1. and the thread drops like a rock!

[Catherine Vincent]

2. Oops!

[htuttle]

3. Three years ago, they said it was genocide...

...and today, they sweep it under the rug. Sure wouldn't want all those embarrassing revelations to come out, I guess...

[PRETZEL]

4. And couple this with rumors of having Kurdish troops

helping to secure Baghdad, this is going to go over real well...:sarcasm:

No reason not to let the Kurds have some fun also.

[Uncle Joe]

5. I read a report somewhere stating that Saddam was a day

or two away from taking the witness stand in this trial, somebody did not want him to testify.

[helderheid]

7. interesting

[sabra]

6. Also, the court introduced today an audio tape of Saddam talking

of the attacks back in 1988... :crazy:

[helderheid]

8. oh man