Saddam trial resumes

BAGHDAD – Saddam Hussein’s trial for the killing of 180 000 Kurds in the 1980s resumed yesterday with the late dictator’s seat empty, nine days after he 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 for their roles in 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 death was confirmed.”Saddam was hanged on December 30, in a chaotic execution that has drawn global criticism for the Shiite-dominated government.An illicit video from inside the former leader’s execution chamber showed him being taunted on the gallows.British Prime Minister Tony Blair believed the manner in which Saddam was executed was “completely wrong,” his office said Sunday.”He believes that the manner of the execution was completely wrong, but that should not lead us to forget the crimes that Saddam Hussein committed, including the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis,” a spokeswoman for Blair’s office said on condition of anonymity in line with policy.Human Rights Watch said Saddam’s speedy execution illustrated the Iraqi government’s disregard for human rights, and urged Iraqi officials to halt two upcoming hangings.Saddam’s half brother and former intelligence chief, Barzan Ibrahim, and former head of Iraq’s Revolutionary Court, Awad Hamed al-Bandar, were sentenced to death after being found guilty along with Saddam of involvement in the killings of nearly 150 Shiites in the town of Dujail after a 1982 assassination attempt there against Saddam.Nampa-APSix co-defendants still face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for their roles in 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 death was confirmed.”Saddam was hanged on December 30, in a chaotic execution that has drawn global criticism for the Shiite-dominated government.An illicit video from inside the former leader’s execution chamber showed him being taunted on the gallows.British Prime Minister Tony Blair believed the manner in which Saddam was executed was “completely wrong,” his office said Sunday.”He believes that the manner of the execution was completely wrong, but that should not lead us to forget the crimes that Saddam Hussein committed, including the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis,” a spokeswoman for Blair’s office said on condition of anonymity in line with policy.Human Rights Watch said Saddam’s speedy execution illustrated the Iraqi government’s disregard for human rights, and urged Iraqi officials to halt two upcoming hangings.Saddam’s half brother and former intelligence chief, Barzan Ibrahim, and former head of Iraq’s Revolutionary Court, Awad Hamed al-Bandar, were sentenced to death after being found guilty along with Saddam of involvement in the killings of nearly 150 Shiites in the town of Dujail after a 1982 assassination attempt there against Saddam.Nampa-AP