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Saddam Faces The Music On October 19

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in The War On Terrorism, The World

The trial is coming soon and the death penalty is on the table.

BAGHDAD (AFP) – Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein will go on trial on October 19 over the massacre of Shiite villagers more than two decades ago, for which he could face the death penalty.

Saddam, who has been in US custody awaiting trial on charges of crimes against humanity since December 2003, could be swiftly executed if found guilty, said government spokesman Laith Kubba.

“In view of recent leaks to the press and in the absence of an official spokesman for the tribunal, I have been authorized to announce that the trial of Saddam Hussein will begin on October 19,” he told a news conference.

Saddam and seven henchmen will be tried by the Iraqi Special Tribunal over the 1982 killing of 143 residents in the Shiite village of Dujail, northeast of Baghdad, where he had been the target of a failed assassination bid.

The 68-year-old is also expected to face separate trials at a later date on further counts of crimes against humanity, particularly over the gassing of Kurds and the mass killings of Shiites in the south of the country.

But Kubba told AFP that if found guilty and sentenced to death after the initial trial, the punishment could be carried out without waiting for any further trials.

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 4th, 2005 and is filed under The War On Terrorism, The World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Saddam Faces The Music On October 19”

the english guy Says:
September 4th, 2005 at 4:33 pm
Do they know where the official public execution will take place yet? ;)
Paul Brinkley Says:
September 7th, 2005 at 6:43 pm
Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

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