1,000 Iraqi detainees risk execution as premier rules out clemency

[sabra]

Source: Azzaman (Iraq Daily)

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki wants to have more than 1,000 Iraqi detainees executed before the general elections scheduled for January 2010.

The detainees were tried in Iraqi courts and tribunals and have been sentenced to death. Capital punishment is permissible in Iraq and apparently Iraqi courts find it easy to pass the penalty.

Maliki has been under immense pressure to show mercy but observers believe his determination to go ahead and implement the death sentences is politically motivated.

“Maliki wants to win over the electorate by showing that he is resolute in liquidating elements belonging to the former regime and the groups the government sees as terrorists,” said an observer on condition of anonymity.

Among those sentenced to death are eight senior aides of former leader Saddam Hussein.



Read more: http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news/200...

[asjr]

1. Well, from one dictator to another. That is what

has been accomplished?

[bbgrunt]

2. that about says it all.

[winyanstaz]

3. And we are over there supporting this????

[Wizard777]

4. 1,000 bodies for Maliki's first mass grave.

He had better hope Jeb Bush never win an election here. Because Maliki will hang for that mass grave if he does. The world knows Bush's aren't too big on details.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

5. Mission Accomplished: 4500 US/UK troops have died to turn Iraq over to an Iranian terrorist

A thousand executions in two months, won't those optics be fucking great,

[bobshin]

6. What's another 1,000 after the 100,000 the US murdered?

They're only fellow human beings. A few thousand here, a thousand there. What's the big deal?

[daleo]

7. G.W. Bush - "Let freedom reign". n/t

[Vidar]

8. So we have another murderous CIA stooge who will turn on in a minute.

Why not? Saddam, bin Laben, Marcos & the Shah of Iran turned out so well for us.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

9. al-Maliki doesn't even pretend not to be an Iranian stooge

[struggle4progress]

10. For comparison, Iraq has about the land-area and population of California, which is executed about

a dozen people since 1976

China, which accounts for about three-quarters of the executions in the world, is believed to have executed about 1700 last year: in terms of population, it's about 45X the size of Iraq

So if Iraq executes 1000, its per capita execution rate will be about 25X the rate of China, and those executions will increase total annual world executions by about 40%