AU SIS in the News 12/29/06

AU SIS in the News 12/29/06 - 1/05/07

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Total Clips: 19

Outlet		Date	News Type
SIS (19)
Fox Morning News - WTTG-TV	now, professor edmond with american university, he's a former	01/04/2007	TV Appearance
Pakistan Link	Imam Holocaust Denial Cannot Be Islamic Cause	01/04/2007	Brief Mention
Financial Times - Washington DC Bureau	How China is rising through the innovation ranks	01/04/2007	Quote
ABCNews - Online	General 'We Will Never Be Able to Win the Peace' in Iraq	01/03/2007	Quote
Washington Post	Fenty Takes Office, Calls for Better Schools	01/03/2007	Brief Mention
Religion and Spirituality	The president who 'saw the right'	01/03/2007	AU Author
WBAL-TV	Poll Finds Support For Democratic Issues	01/02/2007	Quote
KETV-TV	Poll Finds Support For Democratic Issues	01/02/2007	Quote
WJAC-TV	Poll Democrats Have Support Key Issues	01/02/2007	Quote
NBC 25 Nightbeat - WHAG-TV	(Sot (edmund ghareeb, american university) it is likely	01/02/2007	Quote
27 News at 10 PM - WKOW-TV	((SOT (EDMUND GHAREEB, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY) 'IT IS LIKELY	01/02/2007	Quote
Islamic Republic News Agency - New York Bureau	Saddam's swift execution aimed at blocking any collusion Analyst	12/31/2006	Quote
Washington Times	Bridging a faith divide (Tom Carter)	12/31/2006	Brief Mention
Rocky Mount Telegram, The	Saddam Hussein executed	12/30/2006	Quote
Daily Reflector, The	Saddam Hussein executed	12/30/2006	Quote
Times Argus, The	Saddam executed	12/30/2006	Quote
Daily Sentinel, The	Saddam Hussein executed	12/30/2006	Quote
AZCentral.com	Stage set for execution	12/29/2006	Quote
Pakistan Link	Muslims Visit Holocaust Museum	12/29/2006	Quote
No Category Defined (0 Clips)


now, professor edmond with american university, he's a former 01/04/2007 Fox Morning News - WTTG-TV	Return to Top
Meanwhile, preparations are underway to hang two of saddam's codefendants as early as today. The u.N. Human rights chief appeald to iraq's president to prevent the executions. She said she's concerned with the fairness and impartiality of their trial. Saddam's half-brother and the former chief justice of the revolutionary court were originally scheduled to hang with saddam. The execution of saddam and others that follow is sparking feelings of justice and outrage. Lark joins us now with more on the execution fallout. There is plenty of fallout over the way saddam was treated during the execution. But what is the back lash meaning for u.S. Policy and u.S. Troops. Joining us now, professor edmond with american university, he's a former journalist who specializes in middle east history and politics and he's also the author of the historicaldictionary of iraq. Certainly fair to say you're considered an expert in iraqi matters, thank you so much for coming in. Thank you. We look at the video of saddam there on the gallows. It was bad, it was mishandled, how inflameitory is it, professor? i think from what you're seeing from that initial reaction, um, that there has been a great deal of anger and frust rage, people believe the timing of the execution -- which is the most important husband almost holiday -- muslim holiday, the day of a stone -- a tonement and forgiveness. The second was the taunting and the bating of saddam. That raised questions. Let me ask you this. The latest word is that three people were arrested. Is the bottom loan no matter how many people they arrest, no matter what the investigation shows, many people in the middle east are going to blame the united states. I think they're going to blame the united states. They're also going to blame the iraqi government because for a lot of people, because of the way the hanging was handled, as we heard from the u.N. Rights commissioner, there were questions about the procedures and the trial and the witnesses that many of the defense lawyers were executed, assassinated, the judges were somewhat removed for reasons and then this. Right. Let me ask you how you monitor the media. You're hearing the execution may take place on sunday? is that what you're hearing but that they will take place. What does that say? that's what i heard. The last i had heard and this way, it sends a message that, in fact, this is a continuation. Not of the current policies, not of the justice but, perhaps -- sends the wrong 34eszage. Right. We have seen protests not just in iraq but protests, i guess, supporting saddam, mourning saddam in jordan. Is there concern the protestors on a spread in the same way that we protest after the cartoon, mother. Mo-- mocki mohammad. I was watching this with an arab editor, for example. Who was for a long time, has been a longtime critic of saddam who said yesterday because of the demeanor and taunting and bating she felt sympathy for him. The -- [ indiscernible ] for a long time had been a critic of saddam said the same thing in an article that appeared yesterday. Sympathy even to the point of saying they wish he hadn't been executed, even though they disagree with him and criticized how he treated, killed the kurds, how he treated his own people? there are those who say saddam committed a lot of crimes, deserved to be tried and punished, but they felt that the trial should have been a more transparent one and a fairer one and that perhaps could have been better if he had been tried by an interna onal tribunal. Bottom line, is the way the execution was handled made it more difficult to bring peace to iraq, to end the civil war and the violence? there is no doubt the way it was done poured fuel on the sectarian fire that is burning iraq and i think this is going to make life much more difficult for both the u.S. Government and the iraqi government. Right, and therefore for our troops. Thank you, professor for coming in from american university. We appreciate it very much. Thank you. Over to you, bob. Turning now to the race for the white house. Add mitt romney's name to the list of republicans wanting to follow george bush. Now that he finished the term as gov notify -- governor of massachusetts, he filed papers to foil a exploratory committee. Both liberals and conservatives are concerned about his changing positions on issues like abortion and garights.

Imam Holocaust Denial Cannot Be Islamic Cause 01/04/2007 Pakistan Link	Return to Top
Eight days after Iran held a two-day conference denying the Nazi Holocaust, Washington-area Muslim leaders gathered at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum to honor the memory of Jews murdered during the Shoah. Standing before the eternal flame in the DC museum's Hall of Remembrance, they lit candles to remember Jewish suffering. Muslims 'have to learn from the lessons of history and to commit ourselves, never again,' said Imam Mohamed Magid of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) in Sterling. Joining him were American University professor Akbar Ahmed, who helped arrange the visit on Wednesday of last week, museum director Sara Bloomfield, three Holocaust survivors, ADAMS president Rizwan Jaka and representatives from the Council on Islamic-American Relations (CAIR), the Muslim Public Affairs Council and the Arab American Institute. Magid, whose father had been a mufti of Sudan, had heard about the Teheran conference on his car radio. He wanted to go beyond condemning the event by organizing a delegation of Muslim leaders to declare their solidarity with Jewish victims. 'No Muslim anywhere has the right to turn Holocaust denial into an Islamic cause,' the Sudanese native said. 'I applaud the Jewish community for making sure humanity never forgets how the Nazis murdered Jews, gypsies and disabled people, including more than 1 million children. They set an example for the rest of us on how to make people more aware of horrors like the genocide in Rwanda and slavery.' Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad saw the Tehran meeting, which brought together Holocaust deniers from all over the world including former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, as a vehicle to delegitimize the state of Israel, which he wants to see 'wiped off the map.' Bloomfield said she was proud to be standing with her Muslim friends at an institution devoted to history and committed to confronting hatred. Ahmed agreed, but also emphasized that 'hate is not only about hating Jews or anti-Semitism, but also about Islamophobia, the hatred of Islam.' The Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University, Ahmed is a longtime activist in interfaith dialogue. For the past two years, he and Judea Pearl, the father of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, have led public dialogues nationwide on Muslim-Jewish reconciliation. Last June, he led a conversation at the museum on 'How to tackle Anti-Semitism and Anti-Americanism in the Muslim world.' Nihad Awad, CAIR's executive director of the Council on Islamic-American Relations, said 'misguided people' are wrong to question whether the Holocaust took place. 'Belittling the suffering of any people contradicts Islamic teachings and the actions of the prophet Muhammad. It's a red line that no one should cross.' A Palestinian who grew up in Amman, Jordan, Awad acknowledged that Jews and Muslims have differences on contemporary issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But, he said Muslims are reflecting their faith when they sympathize with how Jews suffered in Europe, and cited a Koranic verse 'Let not the dispute with other people make you swerve you from being just.' Halina Peabody, 74, was one of the Holocaust survivors attending last week's event. The Bethesda resident said she was 'overwhelmed with happiness' at this gesture by Muslim leaders. 'This makes me believe there are moderate Muslims, but I keep wondering if they are living under a cloud and are in danger of being assassinated,' she worried. Peabody, her sister and mother had survived the war in their native Poland after buying papers from a priest certifying that they were Catholic. Another survivor, Silver Spring's Johanna Neumann, and her parents were saved by Njazi and Liza Pilku, Albanian Muslims whose names are inscribed at the Holocaust museum and Yad Vashem among the 'Righteous Among the Nations.' The Pilkus hid Neumann's father during the war while the teenage Johanna and her mother passed themselves off as members of the Pilku family. When Magid lit a candle commemorating victims of the Holocaust, he mentioned the Pilkus. Neumann, 76, was impressed, saying, 'I mentioned their name only once in a conversation with him before the candle-lighting ceremony.' She and her parents had fled their home in Hamburg, Germany, in early 1939, shortly after Kristallnacht ('Night of the Broken Glass') in November 1938, the date often used to mark the onset of the Holocaust. On the day after the museum ceremony, Magid led a delegation of 100 Muslims on the annual hajj to Mecca. He said that once he returned, he wanted to invite Neumann to address youth at the Sterling mosque. This would not be the first time that ADAMS reached out to the Jewish community. Last April, it hosted a Jewish-Muslim Passover seder for 30 people in the mosque. Neumann said she would be pleased to speak there. 'Education is the best way to counteract negative propaganda. I can tell them about how my own experiences and how Albanian Muslims saved more than a thousand Jews from the Nazis,' she said. 'This is a historical fact that no one can dispute.' (Courtesy Washington Jewish Week) Editor © 2004 pakistanlink.com . All Rights Reserved.

How China is rising through the innovation ranks 01/04/2007 Financial Times - Washington DC Bureau By Geoff Dyer	Return to Top
One of the specialities of modern China is an ability to generate statistics that strike fear into governments and boardrooms around the world.Companies talk endlessly about the 'China price' - how Chinese manufacturers have driven down the cost of goods, from socks to semiconductors. At other times it has been the number of mobile phone users in China (440m) or the proportion of world cement it consumes (40 per cent).Now the theme is turning to science. Having spent two decades muscling in on one manufacturing sector after another, China wants to spend the next two decades moving from 'Made in China' to 'Invented in China'. Here, too, it has some numbers to show it is serious.According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, China overtook Japan last year in terms of spending on research and development and ranks in second place behind only the US. In the last decade, R&D has more than doubled as a share of the country's gross domestic product. China has also just overtaken Germany in terms of patent filings to stand fifth in international rankings.Japan and South Korea invested heavily in universities to modernise their economies in the past and China is doing the same. The number of university students has more than quadrupled since 1998 to 16m. While the US produces 137,000 engineers a year with at least a bachelor's degree, China churns out 352,000.Not only are one-quarter of foreign PhD candidates in the US Chinese but a growing number of them are heading back home Beijing says 170,000 Chinese who studied abroad have returned, 30,000 of them last year.Multinationals are lining up to open research centres in China, inspired in part by the abundance of local scientists who are paid only about 20 per cent of that which western counterparts receive. Academics estimate that 250-300 foreign companies have R&D centres in China. Having watched first Japan, then Taiwan and South Korea develop knowledge-based economies, China's leaders are in a hurry to do the same, especially given the rapid rise in the country's own labour costs. President Hu Jintao in speeches regularly extols the cause of 'independent innovation'.It all looks like another episode in the relentless advance of the Chinese economic juggernaut. Yet beneath the surface, China's science drive faces a host of problems, ranging from academic fraud to weak financial markets. At the corporate level, Chinese innovation remains weak. Having a top-down government plan for fostering innovation is one thing; turning it into reality is a much harder task.Indeed, the problems are so entrenched that a recent report by CLSA, the regional brokerage, maintains that China lacks the legal and economic environment to foster innovation. It concludes 'China is not an innovative economy and has no innovative companies.' The sheer weight of numbers and scale of the Chinese economy will ensure that some research-based companies come through. But whether it is a trickle or a flood will depend on how well China overcomes these obstacles.The problems begin with academic research. China may be spending a lot more money in the laboratory but there are big questions about the results. Many potential worries were brought to the fore by a recent scandal at Jiaotong University in Shanghai where Chen Jin, a dean, claimed to have invented a sophisticated form of microchip that could process 200m instructions per second. Instead, an inquiry revealed he had scraped the name off a Motorola product and claimed the work as his own.The scandal was not as damaging as the one in South Korea involving Hwang Woo-suk, a scientist whose claims to have produced the world's first stem cells cloned from human embryos were revealed to be a fraud. But it did expose the same problem of a government desperate to show off research triumphs. Like Mr Hwang, Mr Chen had been given generous public grants, while the announcement of his chip design was trumpeted at a press conference attended by leading government officials and which made front-page news. Wen Jiabao, the prime minister, even visited his lab.Even before the Jiaotong revelations, Chinese academia was witnessing a slew of allegations about endemic plagiarism and fraudulent research. A Chinese magazine article exposed academics and students who had created counterfeit versions of respected journals so that it would seem their work had been published.'People used to think that only officials could be corrupt,' says Tang Anguo, director of the higher education institute at East China Normal University in Shanghai. 'But I can tell you that in Chinese academia, there are many similar cases [to the Chen one].'The statistics show quality might be suffering. In 2004, China was in ninth place in the ranking of published scientific papers and a handful of Chinese scientists have made the cover of international journals such as Nature and Science. However, China ranked only 124th in the average number of citations per paper - a measure of the modest influence of much of its scientific output.Some Chinese academics say the low quality of research reflects not just the growing pains of a rapidly expanding system but is a direct result of political meddling. Liu Ming, a professor at Zheijiang University, says most important decisions in universities - such as promotions, funding and publications in periodicals - are made by administrators and politicians rather than as a result of peer review. 'In university circles there is common agreement that the greatest barrier to academic development is the improper interference of the government,' he says. It is not just the academic research apparatus that needs an overhaul if China is to be more innovative, according to many observers, but also the education system. University teachers say there is too much emphasis on theory and rote learning and insufficient attention given to problem-solving and working in a team. Classes are also overloaded some doctoral advisers have more than 50 candidates to supervise.A report by McKinsey estimates that only 10 per cent of the engineering graduates of Chinese universities have the practical and language skills needed to work for a multinational company. The consultancy warns of a looming talent shortage. The Chinese even have a phrase for this type of student - 'stuffed ducks' who are good at memorising facts and passing exams but have little initiative.With its Confucian heritage, China places great emphasis on education, but there is also a heavy deference towards authority. Employers regularly complain that although they hire graduates who seem brilliant on paper, it can be very hard to get them to voice opinions. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan all had to overcome this sort of reticence in their young graduates and the Chinese government is trying to address some of these problems. It has introduced changes in the curriculum that emphasise communication and teamwork and a core of elite universities has been established, which will be given additional resources. Yet even top universities operate under very tight budgets.One of the biggest obstacles to innovation might not be in the lab or the classroom, however, but the fate of stock market. Over the last couple of decades, small private companies have been one of the main engines of innovation, yet China's financial system does not provide enough support to private entrepreneurs. State-controlled groups garner around 75 per cent of bank credit in China and dominate the ranks of the 1,300 companies on the stock market.Although research companies sometimes need years and millions of dollars to get a product to market, China's entrepreneurs often have to raise start-up capital from family members or informal networks of lenders. 'Informal networks work really well to set up a backyard factory,' says Andrew Grant, head of the China practice at McKinsey. 'But they do not work if you want to shift to an operation of 1,000 people.'In Japan and South Korea, research has been concentrated in big companies with the resources to take chances, such as Sony or Samsung. But in China the large companies are mostly state-owned and run by executives allergic to taking big risks. 'One of the keys will be the financial system,' says Andy Rothman, an economist at CLSA who prepared its report on China's science drive. 'The question is, can it become a genuine system that allocates funds to private sector companies to fund their own research?'On top of these obstacles, Chinese innovation faces the further threat of intellectual property theft. The immediate threat to research from patent violations can be exaggerated companies are usually more concerned about someone making fakes of a finished product than having secrets stolen from a lab. But both Chinese and foreign groups regularly warn that such legal uncertainties will inhibit investment in knowledge industries.Against these deep-seated problems, there are two wild cards that could work in China's favour. The first is the role of the multiÂnationals. The extent of multinational research is hard to gauge because some of the R&D centres in China are more about public relations than science. Sylvia Schwaag Serger, science counsellor at the Swedish embassy in Beijing who has written several papers on Chinese research, estimates that only 30 overseas companies are doing innovative research.In the long run, however, multiÂnationals could provide a strong platform for China's innovation push. A young generation of scientists is being trained at Microsoft, Intel and other leading companies in how to manage complex research projects that span different disciplines, how to establish links with university researchers and how to collaborate with other companies that have niches of expertise.Armed with such skills, some of these young scientists are bound to strike out on their own. 'There will inevitably be a spill-over from the multiÂnationals into the Chinese economy,' says Ms Schwaag Serger. The other swing factor is the returnees. Of the 30,000 overseas graduates who returned last year, some will have been enticed by government grants and others by the booming economy. Many talk about a patriotic urge to make a contribution to their country. The returnees bring not just the skills they learnt abroad but also a greater willingness to throw ideas around.'The success of Chinese scientists in the west shows that they can be innovative,' says Wang Baoping, research director in China at Novo Nordisk, the Danish diabetes specialist. 'What they need is the right environment.'In addition to returnees, China has the advantage of attracting many ÂTaiwanese nationals who have watched their own country establish research-based industries. Indeed, Taiwanese companies and returnees are already a driving force in corporate innovation in China. According to Douglas Fuller at the American University in Washington, companies founded by ethnic Chinese or returnees are responsible for 503 of China's 616 US utility patents in information technology. (Utility patents are for genuine innovations rather than adaptations). For two decades, the huge Chinese diaspora has helped accelerate the country's entry into manufacturing, with both capital and management know-how. Now it could provide the same crucial boost to China's innovation drive.

General 'We Will Never Be Able to Win the Peace' in Iraq 01/03/2007 ABCNews - Online	Return to Top
General 'We Will Never Be Able to Win the Peace' in Iraq More Troops May Not Help, According to Maj. Gen. Caldwell Jan. 3, 2006 - - With 3,000 U.S. troops dead in Iraq and Saddam Hussein's execution fueling protests in the region, President Bush's new plan for the war is more anticipated than ever. The world may not have much longer to wait. Senior administration officials say the president is nearly finished with his new Iraq strategy and will outline it to the public in a speech next week. The plan will likely include economic and political initiatives as well as a modest increase of 10,000 to 18,000 more U.S. troops in Iraq. The increase will come by extending the deployments of some forces already in the country and sending others to Iraq earlier than planned. However, according to Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, the spokesman for the multinational forces in Iraq, troop increases may not help solve Iraq's problems. 'This is the Iraqis' situation to win. We will never be able to win the peace,' Caldwell said, explaining that 10,000 or 20,000 more U.S. troops might not bring order to Iraq. 'Ultimately it's going to be up to the Iraqis to make this happen,' he said. Anger Follows Saddam's Execution As Bush prepares to announce his new plan for Iraq, tensions in the region bubble over. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Kamel al-Maliki has ordered an investigation into allegations that Saddam's execution turned into an unruly lynching. The unofficial video shows a scene where one person is heard shouting 'To hell!' at the deposed president and Saddam is heard exchanging insults with his executioners. The footage also shows Saddam plummeting through the gallows trapdoor and dangling in death. 'It is likely to pour oil on the fire of sectarianism,' American University professor Edmund Ghareeb said. Caldwell said he had not seen any immediate backlash to U.S. troops after Saddam's execution. 'We anticipate [there] could've been some backlash initially, but the last three days, we've been watching the situation very closely, and we have had some of our lowest casualties,' he said. 'There has not been that backlash right now.' In Sunni areas, though, the execution has provoked anger as the military passed the grim milestone of 3,000 U.S. troops killed in Iraq. At least 110 were killed in December, the deadliest month for U.S. troops in more than two years. Bush hopes to turn the tide with what the White House calls 'a new way forward' in Iraq. In outlining a new strategy, he faces a skeptical public and an even more skeptical Congress. 'If the president is to lead, he has to show this can actually work,' said ABC News analyst Tony Cordesman, the Arleigh A. Burke chair in strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Fenty Takes Office, Calls for Better Schools 01/03/2007 Washington Post Debbi Wilgoren and Elissa Silverman	Return to Top
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty began his first full day in office with a prayer breakfast this morning at a downtown Washington church, greeting a modest crowd of well wishers and listening to high school choirs and prayers offered by a panoply of religious leaders. 'I love every part of my job,' Fenty (D) told reporters as he arrived at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church at 7 10 a.m., accompanied by his wife Michelle and their young twin sons, Matthew and Andrew. In an interview an hour earlier on Washington Post Radio, Fenty said he was 'humbled, and appreciative of' city residents who elected him by wide margins in all eight political wards. 'Elections are the time to bring new energy into government of the city,' Fenty said. 'We're getting new leadership in both the council and the executive, and then we really work together over the next four years to make the city great.' Fenty and six D.C. Council members took the oath of office yesterday in a in deference to the national day of mourning for former president Gerald R. Ford. Public festivities -- including the prayer breakfast; a repeat swearing-in before a crowd at the Washington Convention Center scheduled for 10 a.m.; and a 2 p.m. open house to meet and greet citizens at city hall -- were delayed until today. Fenty, a 36-year-old District native, is the city's youngest mayor since the advent of home rule in the mid-1970s. He said the inaugural rituals and celebrations were an important way for him to thank the voters he met during two years of intensive campaigning door to door. An inaugural ball, originally scheduled for last night, has been postponed until Saturday. It will be held at 7 p.m. at the convention center, and will be free and open to all, Fenty said. Fenty has scheduled a news conference for tomorrow morning to unveil his first major initiative a mayoral takeover of the struggling public school system. He said failing schools contribute to problems with crime and unemployment in the city, and said residents told him during the campaign that improving public education should be his highest priority. 'The city's making progress, we're heading in the right direction,' he said. 'But we're not going to ever fulfill our potential if we don't fix our school system.' This morning's inauguration speech will call for building on the city's fiscal recovery over the last decade to improve services and shore up neighborhoods that revitalization still has not touched, Fenty said. 'We're going to talk about all of the priorities that we heard coming out of the campaign. How the District of Columbia, the nation's capital of the United States of America, really should be the standard bearer. Maybe not even just for the country, but for the whole world.' This morning's prayer service was to include songs by the choir from the Duke Ellington School for the Arts, and from students at Anacostia High School, according to the program. The lineup of speakers included Fenty, former Mayor Anthony A. Williams and newly sworn-in council chairman Vincent Gray, as well as a diverse lineup of clergy and religious speakers. The Rev. Roger Gench, pastor of the New York Avenue church and an opponent, like Fenty, of the District's 2005 decision to publicly fund a baseball stadium for the Washington Nationals, was slated to give the welcome. A prayer for the city was to be offered by Akbar Ahmed, an American University professor of Islamic studies and international relations who helped organize a recent interfaith event at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Rev. Raymond B. Kemp, a Catholic priest who directs a social justice program called 'Preaching the Just Word,' was to offer a prayer for the city's leaders, and Rabbi Jeffrey A. Wohlberg of Adas Israel Congregation was to give a prayer for religious leadership. Imam Johari Abdul-Malik of the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church was to offer a prayer for Fenty and his family. The crowd by 7 30 filled only about half of the pews in the stately church, founded more than two centuries ago by Scottish artisans who were helping to build the White House, three blocks to the west. Those in attendance included D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) the District's non-voting representative in Congress; newly elected school board president Robert Bobb, who will be sworn in at a public ceremony along with other new school board members this evening; Tommy Wells, the new council member from Ward 6; and scores of city government workers, police officers and firefighters and campaign volunteers. Post a Comment Comments (Limit 5,000 characters) Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain 'signatures' by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.

The president who 'saw the right' 01/03/2007 Religion and Spirituality	Return to Top
president today. Eight days and countless eulogies after the passing of Gerald Rudolph Ford, the 38th president of the United States will be laid to rest in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich. Ford was president when I was born, though I can't say that I really knew much about him before last week. I knew he had pardoned Nixon for his dealings in Watergate and that he lost to Jimmy Carter because of it. I knew he was in office when the last troops left Vietnam. But I didn't know much. Since his passing, President Ford has been virtually inescapable. Part of that may have to do with the fact that I live right outside Washington, D.C., and so have seen the city change as it does when former presidents return to be welcomed by Hail to the Chief one last time. I saw the flags that dotted the route his hearse followed along his way to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda. We all have noticed the flags at half-mast and the somber voices of the news commentators when discussing Ford's legacy. But it seems clear that President Ford is receiving far more praise now than he did during his time as our president. It may be too soon to understand why fully, but I think it has to do with something he said when he revealed his pardon of Nixon. In explaining his decision to the American people, Ford announced, I have promised to uphold the Constitution, to do what is right as God gives me to see the right, and to do the very best that I can for America. President Ford saw the right in understanding the need to pardon Nixon, respond to an act of treachery with an act of mercy, and begin a difficult process of national reconciliation. He saw something that the majority of Americans could not see in that moment, and he acted on what he saw, despite consistent counsel that it would cost him the presidency. The epistle reading at his funeral yesterday in Washington proclaimed You must understand this, my beloved Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. Therefore rid yourself of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in the for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act they will be blessed in their doing (James 1 19-25). Ford was a doer. He did not let personal ambition cloud his understanding of what God gave him to see the right. He did not use political expediency as an excuse to cover moral cowardice. I have a hunch that we mourn the passing of our accidental president because we yearn for such vision and courage today. Who now in public life speaks with such humble conviction and acts with such unwavering integrity (even when the majority of the country doubts that integrity)? Every speaker at President Ford's service yesterday spoke of his rise to the White House as being guided by the hand of providence. He became our president in a moment of profound self-doubt and distrust to guide us back to ourselves. We had looked into the mirror of racial bigotry, Vietnam, Watergate and forgotten what we were like. He reminded us then, and with his passing he reminds us now. Godspeed. Dr. Rebecca Johnson is an assistant professor at American University's School of International Service in Washington, D.C., and is currently pursuing a master's of divinity at Wesley Theological Seminary. Visit her website , or send an email to becky@. © copyright 2007 by Rebecca Johnson.

Poll Finds Support For Democratic Issues 01/02/2007 WBAL-TV	Return to Top
WASHINGTON -- Americans appear to offer strong support for two of the Democrats' top goals in Congress in a new Associated Press-AOL News poll. The survey found overwhelming support for increasing the minimum wage and easing restrictions on buying cheap prescription drugs from other countries. On a third key issue, 56 percent favor easing restrictions on using federal money for embryonic stem cell research. But while her agenda may get a thumbs-up, the jury is still out on Nancy Pelosi. Most of those surveyed said they don't know enough about the incoming House speaker to form an opinion. Congress gets back to work on Thursday, with the Democrats in charge. Along with the minimum wage, prescription drugs and stem cell research, the Democrats also have to grapple with the estimated $100 billion the administration wants to pay for the Iraq war. Lawmakers may be asked to back a plan that would lift restrictions on deploying reserve troops. One analyst warned that the Democrats face a delicate balancing act. James Thurber of American University said they'll have to show they can govern in a way that'll help the White House resolve the war. Her also warned that they run the risk of going too far in criticizing President George W. Bush.

Poll Finds Support For Democratic Issues 01/02/2007 KETV-TV	Return to Top
WASHINGTON -- Americans appear to offer strong support for two of the Democrats' top goals in Congress in a new Associated Press-AOL News poll. The survey found overwhelming support for increasing the minimum wage and easing restrictions on buying cheap prescription drugs from other countries. On a third key issue, 56 percent favor easing restrictions on using federal money for embryonic stem cell research. But while her agenda may get a thumbs-up, the jury is still out on Nancy Pelosi. Most of those surveyed said they don't know enough about the incoming House speaker to form an opinion. Congress gets back to work on Thursday, with the Democrats in charge. Along with the minimum wage, prescription drugs and stem cell research, the Democrats also have to grapple with the estimated $100 billion the administration wants to pay for the Iraq war. Lawmakers may be asked to back a plan that would lift restrictions on deploying reserve troops. One analyst warned that the Democrats face a delicate balancing act. James Thurber of American University said they'll have to show they can govern in a way that'll help the White House resolve the war. Her also warned that they run the risk of going too far in criticizing President George W. Bush.

Poll Democrats Have Support Key Issues 01/02/2007 WJAC-TV	Return to Top
Related To StoryPOLITICAL ENGAGEMENT Who's In? Background Background Interactive Slideshow Link U.S. House Link U.S. Senate Link White House Link Supreme Court Link Link Poll Finds Support For Democratic Issues POSTED 4 59 pm EST January 2, 2007UPDATED 5 52 pm EST January 2, 2007WASHINGTON -- Americans appear to offer strong support for two of the Democrats' top goals in Congress in a new Associated Press-AOL News poll. The survey found overwhelming support for increasing the minimum wage and easing restrictions on buying cheap prescription drugs from other countries. On a third key issue, 56 percent favor easing restrictions on using federal money for embryonic stem cell research. But while her agenda may get a thumbs-up, the jury is still out on Nancy Pelosi. Most of those surveyed said they don't know enough about the incoming House speaker to form an opinion. Congress gets back to work on Thursday, with the Democrats in charge. Along with the minimum wage, prescription drugs and stem cell research, the Democrats also have to grapple with the estimated $100 billion the administration wants to pay for the Iraq war. Lawmakers may be asked to back a plan that would lift restrictions on deploying reserve troops. One analyst warned that the Democrats face a delicate balancing act. James Thurber of American University said they'll have to show they can govern in a way that'll help the White House resolve the war. Her also warned that they run the risk of going too far in criticizing President George W. Bush.

(Sot (edmund ghareeb, american university) it is likely 01/02/2007 NBC 25 Nightbeat - WHAG-TV	Return to Top
former president gerald ford is back home in michigan tonight, his final resting place. (Nats up music) our 38th president made his final visit to capitol hill this morning. On this national day of mourning. His motorcade fittingly passed by the white house, three or four deep, they silently paid their respects. On the way to the national cathedral, where three thousand invited guests sat silently, hearing the steps of the honor guard. Thirty years of presidency were represented, while betty, his wife of 58 years, kept her eyes closed most of the service. Alongside family. The theme throughout the service, was gerald ford's character and decency. (Sot bush. Amid all the turmoil, gerald ford was a rock of stability and when he put his hand on his family bible to take the presidential oath of office, he brought grace to a moment of great doubt. )(Sot mos. I think gerald ford was epitome of honorable) and in michigan, this evening, they welcomed ford home to grand rapids, where he will be buried tomorrow on the side of a hill outside his presidential museum. A few hundred feet from where his coffin rests tonight. Instead of a solemn proceeding, it was a spectacle. And an investigation has now been ordered into how people were able to taunt saddam hussein on the gallows, and film his execution on cell phonecameras. Here's abc's terry mccarthy. The anger is spreading. Demonstrations have broken out in sunni towns across central iraq at the manner of saddam hussein's execution, which many now see as an act of crude vengeance by the shiite government of prime minister maliki. Thousands flocked to his burial place in awja, 80 miles north of baghdad. In samarra demonstrators paraded a mock coffin and picture of saddam around a shiite shrine. The execution was rushed, they say - just four days after his appeal failed - and against the advice of the us ambassador who wanted a delay. It was carried out on the first day of eid, a muslim religious holiday. Most provocative - and this is what the investigators want answered - why were some witnesses to the hanging permitted to film this with cell phones? and why were the guards allowed to taunt saddam? nats of video moqtada moqtada they are shouting, referring to moqtada al-sadr, leader of the most feared shiite militia in iraq. Saleh al-mutlaq heads one of the main sunni parties in parliament. (S/u what sunnis are so angry about is not so much the insults against saddam hussein himself, but the implication that the shiite-controlled government has such little regard for the sunni community as a whole. ) (Sot (edmund ghareeb, american university) it is likely to pour oil on the fire of sectarianism and that in itself is going to make life difficult for both the united states and the iraqi government. The us has been leaning heavily on prime minister maliki to crack down on the shiite militias. The militia's influence is everywhere - they have persecuted the sunnis, alienated many moderate shiites, and now, incredibly, have given new dignity in death to a former dictator once known as the butcher of baghdad. Terry mccarthy abc news baghdad a single bulletto the neck is what killed denver broncos star darrent williams. That's the official word from the medical examiner. The 24-year-old defensive back was fatally shot on new year's day whilein a white stretch hummer in denver. The luxury vehicle was struck with a barrage of bullets after a nightclub dispute following a new year's eve party. Sot tierra leonard i text-messaged him last night to tell 'happy new year 's! ' and he never text-messaged me back. Williams has two young children in the fort worth area. He said last month that he wanted to return to his hometown in the off season to talk to kids about staying out of street gangs. Services for williams will be held saturday in fort worth. Denver police have no suspects so far. Former new york mayor rudy guiliani hasn't even thrown his hat in the race for the white house, and already he may be the victim of a dirty campaign trick. And an inventor has figured out a way for you to never be lost. As long as you're not barefoot! the details, when we come back.

((SOT (EDMUND GHAREEB, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY) 'IT IS LIKELY 01/02/2007 27 News at 10 PM - WKOW-TV	Return to Top
CONTROLLED GOVERNMENT HAS SUCH LITTLE REGARD FOR THE SUNNI COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. S 10 SADDAM EXECUTION ((SOT (EDMUND GHAREEB, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY) 'IT IS LIKELY TO POUR OIL ON THE FIRE OF SECTARIANISM AND THAT IN ITSELF IS GOING TO MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT FOR BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT. ' )) THE JUDGE WHO FIRST PRESIDED OVER THE CASE THAT RESULTED IN SADDAM'S DEATH SENTENCE SAID THE FORMER DICTATOR'S EXECUTION AT THE START OF THE RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY OF EID WAS ILLEGAL ACCORDING TO IRAQI LAW AND CONTRADICTED ISLAMIC CUSTOM. 10 MA GAY MARRIAGE MASSACHUSETTS LAWMAKERS ARE MOVING AHEAD WITH A PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN SAME SEX MARRIAGE. TODAY, THE LEGISLATURE VOTED TO ADVANCE THE MEASURE, WHICH WOULD DEFINE MARRIAGE AS ONLY BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN, SIMILAR TO THE AMENDMENT WISCONSIN VOTERS APPROVED LAST YEAR. CURRENTLY, MASSACHUSETTS IS THE ONLY STATE WHERE GAY MARRIAGE IS LEGAL. THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT NEEDS TO PASS THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEFORE APPEARING ON THE BALLOT IN 2008. 10 STOLEN LUGGAGE ARRESTS FIVE MEN ARE IN CUSTODY IN TEXAS TONIGHT, ACCUSED OF STEALING DOZENS OF PIECES OF LUGGAGE, THEN DUMPING THEM IN A TRASH BIN. HOUSTON POLICE SAY FIVE AIRPORT CONTRACTORS WORKING AT BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT STOLE THE BAGS IN A TRANSFER BETWEEN CONNECTING FLIGHTS LAST WEEK. THE MEN ARE BEING CHARGED WITH FELONY COUNTS OF ORGANIZED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. 10 STARBUCKS TRANS FAT STARBUCKS IS THE LATEST IN A GROWING NUMBER OF RESTAURANT CHAINS GETTING RID OF TRANS FATS FROM THEIR MENUS. STARTING TOMORROW, THEY'LL CUT TRANS FATS FROM ALL THEIR BAKED GOODS, LIKE MUFFINS AND SCONES, AT HALF ITS STORES, AND EVENTUALLY ALL NATIONWIDE. 10 TEASE 3 ONE NEWLY ELECTED LOCAL OFFICIAL IS SWORN IN . ANOTHER PREPARES FOR TOMORROW'S INAUGURATION. NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM DANE COUNTY SHERIFF DAVE MAHONEY AND GOVERNOR JIM DOYLE. THEIR PLANS FOR THEIR UPCOMING TERMS IN MEET JEN MILLER. FOR THE LAST 28 YEARS SHE'S HAD A TWIN SISTER, MARY, BUT NEVER NOTICED. IT WAS McDONALD'S FRESH BREWED PREMIUM ROAST COFFEE. THAT WOKE HER UP TO HER DOUBLE. HI. IT WAS LIKE LOOKING IN A MIRROR. I'M JEN.

Saddam's swift execution aimed at blocking any collusion Analyst 12/31/2006 Islamic Republic News Agency - New York Bureau	Return to Top
Iraq-Saddam-Analyst An Iraqi analyst said on Sunday that the death sentence, issued against former Iraqi dictator Saddam, was natural consequence of his crimes committed from 1979 to 2003 when he was in power, but the point is that Iraq government was too hasty in its execution. 'Iraqi government hanged Saddam so quickly to prevent any collusion,' said the analyst Mohammad Khafaji in an interview with IRNA on Sunday. 'The atrocities of the Baathist regime, including without-any-trial executions, expulsion of Iraqis from their homeland, crackdown on Intifada in southern Iraq, chemical attack on Kurdish inhabited regions as well as imposition of war on the Iranian and Kuwaiti nations, were the result of Saddam's unjust decisions,' he said. Khafaji noted that the Saddamist regime used barbaric and inhumane methods to punish its opponents, including burial of people live in mass graves, cutting tongues and ears, and branding people's forehead. The analyst, residing in Damascus, said that he had witnessed the regime agents cutting ears of the people, who escaped military service and branded them as animals. 'Does a man committing so much crimes deserve a punishment less than death sentence?' he said. Pointing to Saddam's execution in the wee hours on Saturday concurrent with Eid-e Qurban (Feast of Sacrifice), the analyst said Islamic teachings or some countries' laws do not consider any limit for punishment and execution of criminals. 'The Iraqi government, of course, could execute Saddam before or after the eid to deprive domestic and foreign sides from any pretext but it did it in the set time to avoid any unexpected problem,' he said. As the verdict was issued by Iraq's court of justice, certain foreign countries tried to hinder the execution but the government did it to please majority of Iraqi people, he added. News sent 19 53 Sunday December 31, 2006 Print Related Saturday December 30, Analyst Hope for Saddam's return to power dashed Saturday December 30, Saddam execution amounts to Iraqis victory Asefi Back Previous news Headlines Tehran to Host ECO Agriculture Meeting CCIPO congratulates Iraqis on Saddam's execution Myanmar-India gas pipeline may be shelved Indian President, Premier greet nation on Eid-ul Adha, New Year American University to open in India Key objective Access to education in 2006 in India SAIPA fights back to beat Esteqlal Indian Home Ministry worry security in Assam, Nagaland Militants kill constable, attack politician in Kashmir America abusing Saddam hanging Go Top 'Iraqi government hanged Saddam so quickly to prevent any collusion,' said the analyst Mohammad Khafaji in an interview with IRNA on Sunday. 'The atrocities of the Baathist regime, including without-any-trial executions, expulsion of Iraqis from their homeland, crackdown on Intifada in southern Iraq, chemical attack on Kurdish inhabited regions as well as imposition of war on the Iranian and Kuwaiti nations, were the result of Saddam's unjust decisions,' he said. Khafaji noted that the Saddamist regime used barbaric and inhumane methods to punish its opponents, including burial of people live in mass graves, cutting tongues and ears, and branding people's forehead. The analyst, residing in Damascus, said that he had witnessed the regime agents cutting ears of the people, who escaped military service and branded them as animals. 'Does a man committing so much crimes deserve a punishment less than death sentence?' he said. Pointing to Saddam's execution in the wee hours on Saturday concurrent with Eid-e Qurban (Feast of Sacrifice), the analyst said Islamic teachings or some countries' laws do not consider any limit for punishment and execution of criminals. 'The Iraqi government, of course, could execute Saddam before or after the eid to deprive domestic and foreign sides from any pretext but it did it in the set time to avoid any unexpected problem,' he said. As the verdict was issued by Iraq's court of justice, certain foreign countries tried to hinder the execution but the government did it to please majority of Iraqi people, he added. News sent 19 53 Sunday December 31, 2006 Print Related Saturday December 30, Analyst Hope for Saddam's return to power dashed Saturday December 30, Saddam execution amounts to Iraqis victory Asefi Back Previous news Headlines Tehran to Host ECO Agriculture Meeting CCIPO congratulates Iraqis on Saddam's execution Myanmar-India gas pipeline may be shelved Indian President, Premier greet nation on Eid-ul Adha, New Year American University to open in India Key objective Access to education in 2006 in India SAIPA fights back to beat Esteqlal Indian Home Ministry worry security in Assam, Nagaland Militants kill constable, attack politician in Kashmir America abusing Saddam hanging Go Top Khafaji noted that the Saddamist regime used barbaric and inhumane methods to punish its opponents, including burial of people live in mass graves, cutting tongues and ears, and branding people's forehead. The analyst, residing in Damascus, said that he had witnessed the regime agents cutting ears of the people, who escaped military service and branded them as animals. 'Does a man committing so much crimes deserve a punishment less than death sentence?' he said. Pointing to Saddam's execution in the wee hours on Saturday concurrent with Eid-e Qurban (Feast of Sacrifice), the analyst said Islamic teachings or some countries' laws do not consider any limit for punishment and execution of criminals. 'The Iraqi government, of course, could execute Saddam before or after the eid to deprive domestic and foreign sides from any pretext but it did it in the set time to avoid any unexpected problem,' he said. As the verdict was issued by Iraq's court of justice, certain foreign countries tried to hinder the execution but the government did it to please majority of Iraqi people, he added.

Bridging a faith divide (Tom Carter) 12/31/2006 Washington Times Tom Carter	Return to Top
Ali Cheaib, a Lebanese Canadian who spent his summer vacation taking refuge from Israeli warplanes in a Lebanese bomb shelter, calls Judea Pearl, the father of Daniel Pearl, the reporter for the Wall Street Journal who was beheaded by radical Muslims, a hero and a mentor. Mr. Pearl is a Jew and Mr. Cheaib is a Muslim. Both teach computer science -- Mr. Cheaib (pronounced 'Shibe') at Hamilton's Mohawk College, Mr. Pearl at Stanford University in California, where he is renowned as a specialist on artificial intelligence. They disagree on almost every point of Middle East politics, and both have suffered bitter losses at the hands of their enemies but are nevertheless trying to get beyond personal tragedy to build bridges with people of the other faith. Asks Mr. Cheaib, in an interview 'Judea Pearl is a phenomenal example, like a phoenix, of coming out of the ashes of loss and tragedy and saying, 'We are going to turn this into something worthwhile.' He has done this. Why can't I? 'What I was living [in Lebanon during the war] was the alternative to dialogue. Dialogue must continue.' He said this minutes before Mr. Pearl took the platform at the Hamilton Place community center in Ontario for an unusual public airing of the differences between the Islamic world and the West. Mr. Pearl and Muslim scholar Akbar Ahmed of American University in Washington have been traveling around North America talking to one another before audiences like this about Daniel Pearl's death in Pakistan four years ago, and about Palestinian-Israeli relations and other issues. Nearly 1,000 Jews, Muslims and Christians crowded into Hamilton Place last month to listen to the two men talk, much like old friends, about some of the world's most provocative issues. On stage, they parry and thrust as if continuing a long-running conversation in someone's living room. Does Israel have the right to exist? Was it created out of the Holocaust? Why shouldn't Iran have nuclear weapons? Are terrorists authentic Muslims? If the United States champions democracy, why won't it recognize Hamas? Why do Muslims think they are under siege by the West? Why won't Muslim nations recognize Israel's right to exist? What, if anything, can be done about the state of the world today? 'Our mission is not to embrace each other with understanding, but mainly to listen to each other, to hear two narratives side by side,' Mr. Pearl says in an interview before his presentation. 'To acknowledge each other's narrative. I am a soldier fighting hatred, fighting ignorance. 'I have not forgiven [what they did to my son]. I am not going to forgive. I am dialoguing as a soldier. Dialogue is my weapon. ... I am fighting the hatred that took Danny's life. We don't have armies, but we have the good will of millions, the coalition of the decent.'

Saddam Hussein executed 12/30/2006 Rocky Mount Telegram, The LARRY KAPLOW	Return to Top
Police \| State \| Nation \| World \| Archives Most popular Type size Saddam Hussein executed By LARRY KAPLOWCox News Service Saturday, December 30, 2006 BAGHDAD, Iraq Saddam Hussein was hanged just before dawn Saturday, dramatically ending the life of the once-feared Iraqi dictator less than two months after his conviction for crimes against humanity. Death came about 6 a.m. local time (10 p.m. EST), according to Iraq's state-run television. The location was not immediately disclosed, nor were the names of those who witnessed the execution. But there were media reports that some in attendance danced in celebration after the hanging. There were conflicting reports as to the executions of two others - Saddam's half-brother Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court. An announcer on state-run Iraqiya television said the 'criminal Saddam was hanged to death and the execution started with criminal Saddam, then Barzan, then Awad al-Bandar.' A conflicting report surfaced later when Iraqi National Security Advisor Mouwafak al-Rubaie told the same state television channel that the executions of Barzan and al-Bandar had been postponed. There was no immediate word on what would be done with Saddam's body. Reuters news agency reported that Saddam's daughter Raghd, who is exiled in Jordan, wants his body buried temporarily in Yemen in hopes it can eventually be reburied in Iraq. The capital was mostly quiet early Saturday following the normal overnight curfew, but some celebratory gunfire was heard following Arabic language media reports of the hangings. Security had been tightened leading up to the execution amid concerns that it would touch off reprisal attacks and a new cycle of sectarian bloodshed. The execution was not televised live but Iraqi officials said it could be shown later in photos or video. Footage of the execution could prevent speculation that it never occurred and that Saddam is still alive. From his ranch in Crawford, Texas, President Bush issued a statement late Saturday saying that Saddam 'was executed after receiving a fair trial - the kind of justice he denied the victims of his brutal regime.' Saddam's execution 'will not end the violence in Iraq,' the statement continued, 'but it is an important milestone on Iraq's course to becoming a democracy that can govern, sustain, and defend itself, and be an ally in the War on Terror.' Leading up to the hanging, Iraqi television aired footage of atrocities attributed to Saddam. And many Iraqis from throughout the country stayed up through the night awaiting word of the hanging and, with it, the official end of the Saddam era. American-backed Iraqi leaders, long eager to dispense with Saddam and the trials that gave him a platform before the world, had worked to end his life as quickly as was legally possible. 'There is no review or delay in carrying out the execution,' state television quoted Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as saying shortly after a Ministry of Justice official said Friday that the hanging might be delayed. Al-Maliki, who met Friday with families of those who died during Saddam's reign, went on to say that the preservation of human rights required Saddam's execution after his final appeal was rejected Tuesday. Throughout the day Friday, there were conflicting reports as to whether the United States had handed Saddam, 69, to Iraqi officials. He had been legally in Iraqi custody but had been guarded by U.S. troops. The final physical handover was expected to closely precede the hanging. Until Friday, Saddam had been held in a U.S. military cell at Camp Cropper, near the Baghdad Airport. Officials told wire services that Saddam had met Thursday in his cell with two half brothers to give them a will and his lawyers said U.S. officials had inquired about where to send his personal effects. There were last minute appeals to stop the execution. The prime minister of Yemen, Abdul-Kader Bajammal, urged a delay on grounds it would increase sectarian violence. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi said Saddam should be retried by an international court. In Washington, a federal judge refused a request by lawyers for Saddam to block his transfer to Iraqi custody on grounds that there was a civil suit pending against him in the United States. In issuing her denial after a hearing conducted by telephone, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said she lacks authority to interfere with another country's judicial process. Al-Maliki met with U.S. officials on Friday, reportedly to finalize details of the execution and to discuss the possible violent backlash it might prompt. U.S. military forces were put on high alert and considered options for limiting car bombs by banning vehicular traffic in some areas. The rush to execution by the Shiite-led government underscored the turnover of power in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003. The Shiite majority was repressed and brutalized by Saddam's mainly Sunni regime. Sunnis worry the execution is another form of payback by Shiite factions that are now in power and who are accused of running death squads that torture and kill dozens of Sunnis daily. Elements in the Sunni Muslim minority in Iraq, which have spearheaded the anti-American insurgency and unleashed multiple daily bombings, may answer the execution with attacks on U.S. troops or Shiite Muslim targets. That could lead to more Shiite reprisals against Sunni non-combatants in the ongoing sectarian strife that kills and displaces thousands each month. In a Baghdad chicken restaurant Friday evening, workers and patrons of both sects looked on the execution with trepidation. 'I want to ask President Bush, did he do better (in Iraq) than Saddam?' said a Kurdish Baghdad resident who asked to go by just his first name, Bilal, and complained about poor security and spotty electricity service since the American invasion. There had been speculation that the execution might be delayed if it could not take place before the Saturday morning start of the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha. A Shiite legislator said the government asked for an opinion from supreme Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani about whether the execution could go ahead. Another senior Shiite cleric announced that Saddam's execution would be a 'good omen' for the new year and anticipation built in Dujail, the Shiite town that was the scene of the 1982 killings of local residents that Saddam ordered after his convoy was attacked there. Those retaliatory killings formed the basis for the legal case that led to Saddam's guilty verdict. 'From the bottom of my heart, I am happy as are the Dujaili people except a few, those who benefitted from or were members of the old regime,' said Sheikh Talal al-Dujaili, 50, a tribal leader watching Friday for news of the execution. He was interviewed by telephone. As anticipation over the execution built Friday, it was clear that time was running out for a dictator who ruled this oil-rich country with a brutality reminiscent of the cruelty meted out by ancient Mesopotamian despots to whom he used to compare himself. His defiance of Israel and eventual clashes with the United States, after enjoying American support during his long war against Iran, elevated him to hero status among Arabs in the region. But his legacy, marked by megalomania and the opulent decadence of Saddam and his family, was ultimately ruinous. He started two regional wars that killed hundreds of thousands. He ordered the executions of political rivals, let his forces systematically torture opponents and ordered the use of chemical weapons against ethnic Kurds. He was convicted Nov. 5 of crimes against humanity for mass murder, torture and imprisonment of residents from Dujail after his motorcade was fired on during the visit in 1982. At his death, he also was on trial again for the so-called Anfal military campaign that destroyed hundreds of Kurdish villages and killed upwards of 100,000 in the late 1980s. Even in a region where tyrants and violence are common, Saddam stood out. 'He was a monster. He was the only Arab leader who went beyond the red line, which was genocide,' said Wayne White, a former State Department Iraq expert. But historians will see two sides to Saddam, said Edmund Ghareeb(cq), an American University professor and author of a book titled 'Historical Dictionary of Iraq.' He said some will see the secular modernizer who advanced womens' rights and Iraqi technology and others will see a 'ruthless' dictator who led his country to disaster. 'Historically, Saddam was probably finished after the 1991 war as a major player,' Ghareeb said. As he battled for his life in court, Saddam was a disruptive defendant trying to paint his legacy in the same tones of nationalism and Islam he used to build his cult of personality in office. He vowed to sacrifice himself for his nation, serving the Islam he appeared to adopt for political affect in the mid-1990s and continuing to oppose 'aggressors' from America. All were themes that still resonate among some Iraqis and Arabs in the region. Saddam's portrait was painted and sculpted on monuments throughout the capital, many of which still stand but with his image scraped off or pulled down. Larry Kaplow is an international correspondent for Cox Newspapers. Cox Newspapers assistant Leo Hamdi contributed to this story. 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Saddam Hussein executed 12/30/2006 Daily Reflector, The	Return to Top
Death came about 6 a.m. local time (10 p.m. EST), according to Iraq's state-run television. The location was not immediately disclosed, nor were the names of those who witnessed the execution. But there were media reports that some in attendance danced in celebration after the hanging. There were conflicting reports as to the executions of two others - Saddam's half-brother Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court. An announcer on state-run Iraqiya television said the 'criminal Saddam was hanged to death and the execution started with criminal Saddam, then Barzan, then Awad al-Bandar.' A conflicting report surfaced later when Iraqi National Security Advisor Mouwafak al-Rubaie told the same state television channel that the executions of Barzan and al-Bandar had been postponed. There was no immediate word on what would be done with Saddam's body. Reuters news agency reported that Saddam's daughter Raghd, who is exiled in Jordan, wants his body buried temporarily in Yemen in hopes it can eventually be reburied in Iraq. The capital was mostly quiet early Saturday following the normal overnight curfew, but some celebratory gunfire was heard following Arabic language media reports of the hangings. Security had been tightened leading up to the execution amid concerns that it would touch off reprisal attacks and a new cycle of sectarian bloodshed. The execution was not televised live but Iraqi officials said it could be shown later in photos or video. Footage of the execution could prevent speculation that it never occurred and that Saddam is still alive. From his ranch in Crawford, Texas, President Bush issued a statement late Saturday saying that Saddam 'was executed after receiving a fair trial - the kind of justice he denied the victims of his brutal regime.' Saddam's execution 'will not end the violence in Iraq,' the statement continued, 'but it is an important milestone on Iraq's course to becoming a democracy that can govern, sustain, and defend itself, and be an ally in the War on Terror.' Leading up to the hanging, Iraqi television aired footage of atrocities attributed to Saddam. And many Iraqis from throughout the country stayed up through the night awaiting word of the hanging and, with it, the official end of the Saddam era. American-backed Iraqi leaders, long eager to dispense with Saddam and the trials that gave him a platform before the world, had worked to end his life as quickly as was legally possible. 'There is no review or delay in carrying out the execution,' state television quoted Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as saying shortly after a Ministry of Justice official said Friday that the hanging might be delayed. Al-Maliki, who met Friday with families of those who died during Saddam's reign, went on to say that the preservation of human rights required Saddam's execution after his final appeal was rejected Tuesday. Throughout the day Friday, there were conflicting reports as to whether the United States had handed Saddam, 69, to Iraqi officials. He had been legally in Iraqi custody but had been guarded by U.S. troops. The final physical handover was expected to closely precede the hanging. Until Friday, Saddam had been held in a U.S. military cell at Camp Cropper, near the Baghdad Airport. Officials told wire services that Saddam had met Thursday in his cell with two half brothers to give them a will and his lawyers said U.S. officials had inquired about where to send his personal effects. There were last minute appeals to stop the execution. The prime minister of Yemen, Abdul-Kader Bajammal, urged a delay on grounds it would increase sectarian violence. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi said Saddam should be retried by an international court. In Washington, a federal judge refused a request by lawyers for Saddam to block his transfer to Iraqi custody on grounds that there was a civil suit pending against him in the United States. In issuing her denial after a hearing conducted by telephone, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said she lacks authority to interfere with another country's judicial process. Al-Maliki met with U.S. officials on Friday, reportedly to finalize details of the execution and to discuss the possible violent backlash it might prompt. U.S. military forces were put on high alert and considered options for limiting car bombs by banning vehicular traffic in some areas. The rush to execution by the Shiite-led government underscored the turnover of power in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003. The Shiite majority was repressed and brutalized by Saddam's mainly Sunni regime. Sunnis worry the execution is another form of payback by Shiite factions that are now in power and who are accused of running death squads that torture and kill dozens of Sunnis daily. Elements in the Sunni Muslim minority in Iraq, which have spearheaded the anti-American insurgency and unleashed multiple daily bombings, may answer the execution with attacks on U.S. troops or Shiite Muslim targets. That could lead to more Shiite reprisals against Sunni non-combatants in the ongoing sectarian strife that kills and displaces thousands each month. In a Baghdad chicken restaurant Friday evening, workers and patrons of both sects looked on the execution with trepidation. 'I want to ask President Bush, did he do better (in Iraq) than Saddam?' said a Kurdish Baghdad resident who asked to go by just his first name, Bilal, and complained about poor security and spotty electricity service since the American invasion. There had been speculation that the execution might be delayed if it could not take place before the Saturday morning start of the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha. A Shiite legislator said the government asked for an opinion from supreme Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani about whether the execution could go ahead. Another senior Shiite cleric announced that Saddam's execution would be a 'good omen' for the new year and anticipation built in Dujail, the Shiite town that was the scene of the 1982 killings of local residents that Saddam ordered after his convoy was attacked there. Those retaliatory killings formed the basis for the legal case that led to Saddam's guilty verdict. 'From the bottom of my heart, I am happy as are the Dujaili people except a few, those who benefitted from or were members of the old regime,' said Sheikh Talal al-Dujaili, 50, a tribal leader watching Friday for news of the execution. He was interviewed by telephone. As anticipation over the execution built Friday, it was clear that time was running out for a dictator who ruled this oil-rich country with a brutality reminiscent of the cruelty meted out by ancient Mesopotamian despots to whom he used to compare himself. His defiance of Israel and eventual clashes with the United States, after enjoying American support during his long war against Iran, elevated him to hero status among Arabs in the region. But his legacy, marked by megalomania and the opulent decadence of Saddam and his family, was ultimately ruinous. He started two regional wars that killed hundreds of thousands. He ordered the executions of political rivals, let his forces systematically torture opponents and ordered the use of chemical weapons against ethnic Kurds. He was convicted Nov. 5 of crimes against humanity for mass murder, torture and imprisonment of residents from Dujail after his motorcade was fired on during the visit in 1982. At his death, he also was on trial again for the so-called Anfal military campaign that destroyed hundreds of Kurdish villages and killed upwards of 100,000 in the late 1980s. Even in a region where tyrants and violence are common, Saddam stood out. 'He was a monster. He was the only Arab leader who went beyond the red line, which was genocide,' said Wayne White, a former State Department Iraq expert. But historians will see two sides to Saddam, said Edmund Ghareeb(cq), an American University professor and author of a book titled 'Historical Dictionary of Iraq.' He said some will see the secular modernizer who advanced womens' rights and Iraqi technology and others will see a 'ruthless' dictator who led his country to disaster. 'Historically, Saddam was probably finished after the 1991 war as a major player,' Ghareeb said. As he battled for his life in court, Saddam was a disruptive defendant trying to paint his legacy in the same tones of nationalism and Islam he used to build his cult of personality in office. He vowed to sacrifice himself for his nation, serving the Islam he appeared to adopt for political affect in the mid-1990s and continuing to oppose 'aggressors' from America. All were themes that still resonate among some Iraqis and Arabs in the region. Saddam's portrait was painted and sculpted on monuments throughout the capital, many of which still stand but with his image scraped off or pulled down. Larry Kaplow is an international correspondent for Cox Newspapers. Cox Newspapers assistant Leo Hamdi contributed to this story.

Saddam executed 12/30/2006 Times Argus, The Larry Kaplow Cox News Service	Return to Top
Saddam Hussein is seen during his trial for crimes against humanity. The former Iraqi dictator was hanged Saturday. morning. Photo AP File Phot BAGHDAD, Iraq - Saddam Hussein was hanged just before dawn Saturday, dramatically ending the life of the once-feared Iraqi dictator less than two months after his conviction for crimes against humanity. Death came about 6 a.m. local time (10 p.m. EST), according to Iraq's state-run television. The location was not immediately disclosed, nor were the names of those who witnessed the execution. But there were media reports that some in attendance danced in celebration after the hanging. Also hanged were Saddam's half-brother Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court. There was no immediate word on what would be done with Saddam's body. Reuters news agency reported that Saddam's daughter Raghd, who is exiled in Jordan, wants his body buried temporarily in Yemen in hopes it can eventually be reburied in Iraq. The capital was mostly quiet early Saturday following the normal overnight curfew, but some celebratory gunfire was heard following Arabic language media reports of the hangings. Security had been tightened leading up to the execution amid concerns that it would touch off reprisal attacks and a new cycle of sectarian bloodshed. The execution was not televised live but Iraqi officials said it could be shown later in photos or video. Footage of the execution could prevent speculation that it never occurred and that Saddam is still alive. Leading up to the hanging, Iraqi television aired footage of atrocities attributed to Saddam. And many Iraqis from throughout the country stayed up through the night awaiting word of the hanging and, with it, the official end of the Saddam era. American-backed Iraqi leaders, long eager to dispense with Saddam and the trials that gave him a platform before the world, had worked to end his life as quickly as was legally possible.'There is no review or delay in carrying out the execution,' state television quoted Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as saying shortly after a Ministry of Justice official said Friday that the hanging might be delayed. Al-Maliki, who met Friday with families of those who died during Saddam's reign, went on to say that the preservation of human rights required Saddam's execution after his final appeal was rejected Tuesday. Throughout the day Friday, there were conflicting reports as to whether the United States had handed Saddam, 69, to Iraqi officials. He had been legally in Iraqi custody but had been guarded by U.S. troops. The final physical handover was expected to closely precede the hanging. Officials told wire services that Saddam had met Thursday in his cell with two half brothers to give them a will and his lawyers said U.S. officials had inquired about where to send his personal effects. There were last minute appeals to stop the execution. The prime minister of Yemen, Abdul-Kader Bajammal, urged a delay on grounds it would increase sectarian violence. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi said Saddam should be retried by an international court. In Washington, a federal judge refused a request by lawyers for Saddam to block his transfer to Iraqi custody on grounds that there was a civil suit pending against him in the United States. In issuing her denial after a hearing conducted by telephone, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said she lacks authority to interfere with another country's judicial process. Al-Maliki met with U.S. officials on Friday, reportedly to finalize details of the execution and to discuss the possible violent backlash it might prompt. U.S. military forces were put on high alert and considered options for limiting car bombs by banning vehicular traffic in some areas. The rush to execution by the Shiite-led government underscored the turnover of power in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003. The Shiite majority was repressed and brutalized by Saddam's mainly Sunni regime. Sunnis worry the execution is another form of payback by Shiite factions that are now in power and who are accused of running death squads that torture and kill dozens of Sunnis daily. Elements in the Sunni Muslim minority in Iraq, which have spearheaded the anti-American insurgency and unleashed multiple daily bombings, may answer the execution with attacks on U.S. troops or Shiite Muslim targets. That could lead to more Shiite reprisals against Sunni non-combatants in the ongoing sectarian strife that kills and displaces thousands each month. In a Baghdad chicken restaurant Friday evening, workers and patrons of both sects looked on the execution with trepidation.'I want to ask President Bush, did he do better (in Iraq) than Saddam?' said a Kurdish Baghdad resident who asked to go by just his first name, Bilal, and complained about poor security and spotty electricity service since the American invasion. There had been speculation that the execution might be delayed if it could not take place before the Saturday morning start of the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha. A Shiite legislator said the government asked for an opinion from supreme Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani about whether the execution could go ahead. Another senior Shiite cleric announced that Saddam's execution would be a 'good omen' for the new year and anticipation built in Dujail, the Shiite town that was the scene of the 1982 killings of local residents that Saddam ordered after his convoy was attacked there. Those retaliatory killings formed the basis for the legal case that led to Saddam's guilty verdict.'From the bottom of my heart, I am happy as are the Dujaili people except a few, those who benefitted from or were members of the old regime,' said Sheikh Talal al-Dujaili, 50, a tribal leader watching Friday for news of the execution. As anticipation over the execution built Friday, it was clear that time was running out for a dictator who ruled this oil-rich country with a brutality reminiscent of the cruelty meted out by ancient Mesopotamian despots to whom he used to compare himself. His defiance of Israel and eventual clashes with the United States, after enjoying American support during his long war against Iran, elevated him to hero status among Arabs in the region. But his legacy, marked by megalomania and the opulent decadence of Saddam and his family, was ultimately ruinous. He started two regional wars that killed hundreds of thousands. He ordered the executions of political rivals, let his forces systematically torture opponents and ordered the use of chemical weapons against ethnic Kurds. He was convicted Nov. 5 of crimes against humanity for mass murder, torture and imprisonment of residents from Dujail after his motorcade was fired on during the visit in 1982. At his death, he also was on trial again for the so-called Anfal military campaign that destroyed hundreds of Kurdish villages and killed upwards of 100,000 in the late 1980s. Even in a region where tyrants and violence are common, Saddam stood out.'He was a monster. He was the only Arab leader who went beyond the red line, which was genocide,' said Wayne White, a former State Department Iraq expert. But historians will see two sides to Saddam, said Edmund Ghareeb(cq), an American University professor and author of a book titled 'Historical Dictionary of Iraq.' He said some will see the secular modernizer who advanced womens' rights and Iraqi technology and others will see a 'ruthless' dictator who led his country to disaster.'Historically, Saddam was probably finished after the 1991 war as a major player,' Ghareeb said.As he battled for his life in court, Saddam was a disruptive defendant trying to paint his legacy in the same tones of nationalism and Islam he used to build his cult of personality in office. He vowed to sacrifice himself for his nation, serving the Islam he appeared to adopt for political affect in the mid-1990s and continuing to oppose 'aggressors' from America. All were themes that still resonate among some Iraqis and Arabs in the region. Saddam's portrait was painted and sculpted on monuments throughout the capital, many of which still stand but with his image scraped off or pulled down. (Cox Newspapers assistant Leo Hamdi contributed to this story). Larry Kaplow may be e-mailed at lkaplowcoxnews.com Endit ENDIT Story Filed By Cox Newspapers For Use By Clients of the New York Times News Service NYT-12-29-06 2256EST

Saddam Hussein executed 12/30/2006 Daily Sentinel, The	Return to Top
\| \| \| \| Archives Most popular Type size Advertisement Saddam Hussein executed Friday, December 29, 2006 By LARRY KAPLOW Cox News Service BAGHDAD, Iraq Saddam Hussein was hanged just before dawn today, dramatically ending the life of the once-feared Iraqi dictator less than two months after his conviction for crimes against humanity. Death came about 6 a.m. Baghdad time (8 p.m. MST Friday), according to Iraqs state-run television. The location was not immediately disclosed, nor were the names those who witnessed the execution. But there were media reports that some in attendance danced in celebration after the hanging. Also hanged were Saddams half-brother Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court. There was no immediate word on what would be done with Saddams body. Reuters news agency reported that Saddams daughter Raghd, who is exiled in Jordan, wants his body buried temporarily in Yemen in hopes it can eventually be reburied in Iraq. The capital was mostly quiet early today after the normal overnight curfew, but some celebratory gunfire was heard following Arabic language media reports of the hangings. Security had been tightened leading up to the execution amid concerns that it would touch off reprisal attacks and a new cycle of sectarian bloodshed. The execution was not televised live but Iraqi officials said it could be shown later in photos or video. Footage of the execution could prevent speculation that it never occurred and that Saddam is still alive. Leading up to the hanging, Iraqi television aired footage of atrocities attributed to Saddam. And many Iraqis from throughout the country stayed up through the night awaiting word of the hanging and, with it, the official end of the Saddam era. American-backed Iraqi leaders, long eager to dispense with Saddam and the trials that gave him a platform before the, had worked to end his life as quickly as was legally possible. There is no review or delay in carrying out the execution, state television quoted Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as saying shortly after a Ministry of Justice official said Friday that the hanging might be delayed. Al-Maliki, who met Friday with families of those who died during Saddams reign, went on to say that the preservation of human rights required Saddams execution after his final appeal was rejected Tuesday. Throughout the day Friday, there were conflicting reports as to whether the United States had handed Saddam, 69, to Iraqi officials. He had been legally in Iraqi custody but had been guarded by U.S. troops. The final physical handover was expected to closely precede the hanging. Officials told wire services that Saddam had met Thursday in his cell with two half brothers to give them a will and his lawyers said U.S. officials had inquired about where to send his personal effects. There were last-minute appeals to stop the execution. The prime minister of Yemen, Abdul-Kader Bajammal, urged a delay on grounds it would increase sectarian violence. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi said Saddam should be retried by an international court. In Washington, a federal judge refused a request by lawyers for Saddam to block his transfer to Iraqi custody on grounds that there was a civil suit pending against him in the United States. In issuing her denial after a hearing conducted by telephone, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said she lacks authority to interfere with another countrys judicial process. Al-Maliki met with U.S. officials on Friday, reportedly to finalize details of the execution and to discuss the possible violent backlash it might prompt. U.S. military forces were put on high alert and considered options for limiting car bombs by banning vehicular traffic in some areas. The rush to execution by the Shiite-led government underscored the turnover of power in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003. The Shiite majority was repressed and brutalized by Saddams mainly Sunni regime. Sunnis worry the execution is another form of payback by Shiite factions that are now in power and who are accused of running death squads that torture and kill dozens of Sunnis daily. Elements in the Sunni Muslim minority in Iraq, which have spearheaded the anti-American insurgency and unleashed multiple daily bombings, may answer the execution with attacks on U.S. troops or Shiite Muslim targets. That could lead to more Shiite reprisals against Sunni non-combatants in the ongoing sectarian strife that kills and displaces thousands each month. I want to ask President Bush, did he do better (in Iraq) than Saddam? said a Kurdish Baghdad resident who asked to go by just his first name, Bilal, and complained about poor security and spotty electricity service since the American invasion. There had been speculation that the execution might be delayed if it could not take place before the Saturday morning start of the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha. A Shiite legislator said the government asked for an opinion from supreme Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani about whether the execution could go ahead. Saddam was convicted Nov. 5 of crimes against humanity for mass murder, torture and imprisonment of residents from Dujail after his motorcade was fired on during the visit in 1982. At his death, he also was on trial again for the so-called Anfal military campaign that destroyed hundreds of Kurdish villages and killed upwards of 100,000 in the late 1980s. Even in a region where tyrants and violence are common, Saddam stood out. He was a monster. He was the only Arab leader who went beyond the red line, which was genocide, said Wayne White, a former State Department Iraq expert. But historians will see two sides to Saddam, said Edmund Ghareeb, an American University professor and author of a book titled Historical Dictionary of Iraq. He said some will see the secular modernizer who advanced womens rights and Iraqi technology and others will see a ruthless dictator who led his country to disaster. As he battled for his life in court, Saddam was a disruptive defendant trying to paint his legacy in the same tones of nationalism and Islam he used to build his cult of personality in office. He vowed to sacrifice himself for his nation, serving the Islam he appeared to adopt for political affect in the mid-1990s and continuing to oppose aggressors from America. All were themes that still resonate among some Iraqis and Arabs in the region. Saddams portrait was painted and sculpted on monuments throughout the capital, many of which still stand but with his image scraped off or pulled down. (Cox Newspapers assistant Leo Hamdi contributed to this story). Larry Kaplow may be e-mailed at lkaplowcoxnews.com Endit ENDIT Story Filed By Cox Newspapers For Use By Clients of the New York Times News Service

Stage set for execution 12/29/2006 AZCentral.com	Return to Top
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Saddam Hussein's fate at the gallows was apparently just hours away here early Saturday as Iraqi leaders pressed ahead with plans for his execution less than two months after his conviction for crimes against humanity. The capital was quiet after a curfew that kept residents indoors. Security was tight amid concerns that the hanging could touch off reprisal attacks and a new cycle of sectarian bloodshed. American-backed Iraqi leaders, long eager to dispense with Saddam and the trials that have given him a platform before the world, seemed intent on ending his life as quickly as is legally possible. advertisement 'There is no review or delay in carrying out the execution,' state television quoted Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as saying shortly after a Ministry of Justice official said the hanging might be delayed. Al-Maliki went on to say that the preservation of human rights required Saddam's execution after his final appeal was rejected Tuesday. Throughout the day Friday, there were conflicting reports as to whether the United States had handed Saddam, 69, to Iraqi officials. He has been legally in Iraqi custody but has been guarded by U.S. troops. The final physical handover was expected to closely precede the hanging. By late Friday, there were reports that official witnesses were gathering in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone for the impending execution. A senior judge told the Associated Press that the execution would be no later than Saturday and that he was preparing to attend. The location of the gallows was not disclosed and officials had said the execution would not be public but could be shown later in photos or video. Officials told wire services that Saddam had met Thursday in his cell with two half brothers to give them a will and his lawyers said U.S. officials had inquired about where to send his personal effects. Al-Maliki met with U.S. officials on Friday, reportedly to finalize details of the execution and to discuss the possible violent backlash is might prompt. U.S. military forces were put on high alert and considered options for limiting car bombs by banning vehicular traffic in some areas. The rush to execution by the Shiite-led government underscores the turnover of power in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003. The Shiite majority was repressed and brutalized by Saddam's mainly Sunni regime. Sunnis worry the execution is another form of payback by Shiite factions that are now in power and who are accused of running death squads that torture and kill dozens of Sunnis daily. Elements in the Sunni Muslim minority in Iraq, which have spearheaded the anti-American insurgency and unleashed multiple daily bombings, could be expected to answer the execution with attacks on U.S. troops or Shiite Muslim targets. That could lead to more Shiite reprisals against Sunni non-combatants in the ongoing sectarian strife that kills and displaces thousands each month. While there will no doubt be celebrations in Shiite areas of Baghdad and southern Iraq and Kurdish areas in the northern part of the country, residents of the capital seemed less focused on Saddam's fate than their perilous life amid daily bombings and bloodshed. In a Baghdad chicken restaurant Friday evening, workers and patrons of both sects looked on the execution with trepidation. 'I want to ask President Bush, did he do better (in Iraq) than Saddam?' said a Kurdish Baghdad resident who asked to go by just his first name, Bilal, and complained about poor security and spotty electricity service since the American invasion. The Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha begins Saturday and there was speculation about whether the execution could be held during the holiday week. A Shiite legislator said the government asked for an opinion from supreme Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani about whether the execution could go ahead. Another senior Shiite cleric announced that Saddam's execution would be a 'good omen' for the new year and anticipation built in Dujail, the Shiite town that was the scene of the 1982 killings of local residents that Saddam ordered after his convoy was attacked there. Those retaliatory killings formed the basis for the legal case that led to Saddam's guilty verdict. 'From the bottom of my heart, I am happy as are the Dujaili people except a few, those who benefitted from or were members of the old regime,' said Sheikh Talal al-Dujaili, 50, a tribal leader watching for news of the execution. He was interviewed by telephone. What was clear throughout the day Friday was that time was running out for a dictator who ruled this oil-rich country with a brutality reminiscent of the cruelty meted out by ancient Mesopotamian despots to whom he used to compare himself. His defiance of Israel and eventual clashes with the United States, after enjoying American support during his long war against Iran, elevated him to hero status among Arabs in the region. But his legacy, marked by megalomania and the opulent decadence of Saddam and his family, was ultimately ruinous. He started two regional wars that killed hundreds of thousands. He ordered the executions of political rivals, let his forces systematically torture opponents and ordered the use of chemical weapons against ethnic Kurds. He was convicted Nov. 5 of crimes against humanity for mass murder, torture and imprisonment of residents from Dujail after his motorcade was fired on during this visit in 1982. He currently is on trial again for the so-called Anfal military campaign that destroyed hundreds of Kurdish villages and killed upwards of 100,000 in the late 1980s. Even in a region where tyrants and violence are common, Saddam stood out. 'He was a monster. He was the only Arab leader who went beyond the red line, which was genocide,' said Wayne White, a former State Department Iraq expert. But Saddam's place in history might present two sides of the region, said Edmund Ghareeb(cq), an American University professor and author of a book titled 'Historical Dictionary of Iraq.' He said Saddam was a secular modernizer who advanced womens' rights, but also was a 'ruthless' dictator. 'Historically, Saddam was probably finished after the 1991 war as a major player,' Ghareeb said. As he battled for his life in court, Saddam was a disruptive defendant trying to paint his legacy in the same tones of nationalism and Islam he used to build his cult of personality in office. He vowed to sacrifice himself for his nation, serving the Islam he appeared to adopt for political affect in the mid-1990s and continuing to oppose 'aggressors' from America. All were themes that still resonate among some Iraqis and Arabs in the region. Saddam's portrait was painted and sculpted on monuments throughout the capital, many of which still stand but with his image scraped off or pulled down.

Muslims Visit Holocaust Museum 12/29/2006 Pakistan Link	Return to Top
Washington-area Muslim leaders met at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum to encourage humanity to take the lessons of the Holocaust to reaffirm a commitment to preserving human dignity for all people. Muslim American leaders -- including Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Imam Mohamed Magid, and MPAC board member Dr. Hassan Ibrahim -- called for remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust and commemorated the struggles endured by survivors. SEE 'Muslims Remember Holocaust Victims at Memorial Museum' (Washington Post, 12/21/06) The visit was prompted by a recent conference in Iran attended by many who deny the Holocaust occurred. Sarah Bloomfield, director of the museum, said Muslim groups have visited the museum in the past but the visit Wednesday was an unprecedented 'act of solidarity' from Muslims on the issue of Holocaust denial. 'I speak on behalf of American Muslims, all of us who believe that we have to learn from the lessons of history and to commit ourselves 'Never again,'' said Magid, who postponed a trip to Saudi Arabia for the annual hajj in order to visit the museum. 'The lessons that should be learned are that many people have lost their lives because of hatred and bigotry and that we have to stand together committed to work for love, mercy and humanity as one family.' At the event, Johanna Neumann, a Holocaust survivor, described how Albanian Muslims saved her and her family from the Nazis. She said Albania at the time was 85 percent Muslim and that she and her family were protected by Muslims in their town. 'Everybody knew who we were, and nobody would have thought of denouncing us,' Neumann said. Dr. Akbar Ahmad, an Islamic scholar from American University, called the Holocaust 'one of the low points in history.' Ahmad urged all people to condemn anti-Semitism and to equally condemn widespread Islamophobia. He said anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are linked 'To check one, we have to check the other.' Ahmad and Magid were joined by leaders of organizations that included MPAC, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Arab-American Institute. The delegation lit candles in memory of those who died and Imam Magid asked for a moment of silence for those who suffered. As Muslims, it is important to sympathize and grieve for those of all religions who have suffered. The message of the event was aimed to honor, respect and relate to the suffering of one another as a global community. At its sixth annual convention this past weekend, MPAC officials denounced attempts to question the authenticity of the number of Jewish deaths in the Holocaust. Unimaginable crimes were committed by the Nazis during World War II. Denying the pain endured by millions of human beings only intensifies it. Founded in 1988, MPAC is a public service agency working for the civil rights of American Muslims, for the integration of Islam into American pluralism, and for a positive, constructive relationship between American Muslims and their representatives.