OCR Text |
Show Discovery of more Sunni victims raises fresh warnings ofcivil war crackdown Robert H. Reid THE ASSOCIATED PRESS who are eagerto see Saddam hang but also international i Hamza Hendawi THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. The government is pushing hard towarda civil war,” alayaa told ae BAGHDAD,Iraq — Sunni politicians warned ofcivil war Saturday after the bullet-ridman al-Jumaili, a dled bodies of 14 Sunni Arab iicremeaate menwere foundin Baghdad — apparently the latest vici est Sunni blocin the new partims of sectarian death squads. \ lidment, threatened to carry Oneperson was killed and » throughwith a threat by his 12 injured when a mortar shell party’s leader Wednesday to exploded near a Shiite mosque launch “civil disobedience” northof the capital. campaignif attatks against Sunnileadersclaimed the ‘Sunnis do not stap. 14 men wereseized last week “Thereis an estalation in organized assassinations by parby Shiite-led security forces. There was noconfirmation ties belonging to Severna from the Shiite-led Interior securityforces,” al-Jumaili said. Ministry that government “Thereis an organized and troops wereresponsible. well-trained force at the InteA top ministry official, Maj. rior Ministry conducting this Gen. Hussein Ali Kamal,said sectarian cleansing against us.” the bodies wer¥ shot multiple The 14 bodies were taken times and dumpedin the back to a morgueto be collected by of a truck in northern Baghtheir families, the Association dad late Friday. He denounced of Muslim Scholars, a Sunni clerical group,said in statethe killings as a “criminal”act and said “we have nothing so ment. The bodies of a father and son weretakento the far”to indicate government forces wereto blame. Leaders headquarters of the National of several major Sunni Arab Dialogue Council, another political organizations insisted Sunnipolitical group, anddisthe Interior Ministry was replayed to reporters. sponsibleforthekillings. Shiites, an estimated 60 percentof Iraq’s 27 million people, Khalafal-Ilyan, head of the National Dialogue Council, havebeenthe victims of sectarsaid the men werearrested by ian killings and have beentargeted in suicide bombings. Interior Ministry troops at a institutions that have been tical ofan Iraqitrial from thé” start. Prosecutor Jaafar al-Mousawitold The Associated Press that the case’s se dossier includes i Saddam ordered interrogations, executions and in some cases BAGHDAD, DS After four months 26 witnesses, prosecutors in one Saddam Hussein nette haveoffered little credible testi directly linking the paces ewe to the killeee and torture for which he’s clemency. Bur legal experts familiar with the case say the best may be yet to come — documents allegedly tying Saddam to the crackdownthat followed an assassination attempt against him 23 years agoin Dujail, a mainly Shiite town north of Baghdad. Without compelling evidence, a guilty verdict against Saddam maynot provide closure for victims of Saddam'satrocities. But the experts caution that the documents — which include handwritten notes, interrogation orders and death sentences handed downby the Revolutionary Court — may not alone be enoughto win a conviction. Whatis needed,they said, is to establish a clear chain of commandthat would show Saddam would have knownwhat happened to the more than 140 Shiites killed and the others tortured after the 1982 attempt on the former ruler’s life in Dujail, north of Baghdad. DAVID FURST/Associated Press Poo! The chair of Saddam Hussein remains empty,right, as his codefendant MohammedAzawiAli addressesthe court in Baghdad on Wedne:sday. After four months and 26 witnesses, prosecutors haveofferedlittle credible testimony directly linking Saddam Hussein to thekillings and torture for which he is charged. “Wehave many such documents that we plan to present laterin the trial,” he said. However, defense lawyers, as well as some foreign legal organizations monitoring the trial, say about a third of the documentsareillegible after so many years. Trial testimony so far has linked Saddam'shalf brother and co-defendant, Barzan Ibrahim,to the torture of Dujail residents in the Baghdad headquarters of orintelligence agency, that heled at the time. Some witnessestestified that Ibrahim had personally tortured them. The evidence to date — mostly testimony from people who werearrested and allegedly tortured — has pointed to a brutal crackdown — but has not showed that Saddam played a direct role. “The testimonies we have heardso far are moving but they are not enough andthat’s causing us concern,” said Nehal Bhuta, a Human Rights Watch eae following the Saddam What ii s needed is evidence linking eachofthe eight de“Barzan is practically the top fendants to what happened or _ defendantin this case,”said alevidence that Saddam could not Mousawi. have not known,”hesaid by Saddam's former deputy, telephone from New York. Taha Yassin Ramadan,also has But the chief prosecutor main- beenimplicated by witnessesin tains thathe has the evidence to the reprisal destruction of Duwin a conviction thatwill be ac- jail fruit orchards shortly after cepted not only by thoseIraqis the attempt on Saddam’slife. SHOP TODAY 12PM-6PM FR OUN JUST IN TIME FOR VALENTINE’S DAY ORIG. PRICES" SUPER WINTER CLEARANCE APPAREL & ACCESSORIES FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY MISSES ¢ PETITES * WOMEN’S * JUNIORS’ SPORTSWEAR « COATS DRESSES * LADIES’ SUITS * ACCESSORIES » JEWELRY * INTIMATE APPAREL SHOES « KIDS’ « SPORTSWEAR FOR MEN & YOUNG MEN MEIER & FRANK 15*OFF WITH cYOURGE HAR STORE OR SHOPPING PASS ‘HOME SHOPPING PASS Bed & Bath, Henckels, Electronic Gifts, Smal Bectrics, Vacuums. SenamitSgPiCarg 0a MEIER & FRANK ee ee Rw www ew eww eee ee eee VETa) S iY Rees eneig Peytoneee tot Peete Dooney & Bourke Mer’beer DOs Heeling Inplk eye combed Fossett pn peor CE en Beau peg SO) cpa RING MeL HS a as a Teh c OW LADIES’ SUITS, INTIMATE,wens TAILORED tlomuiwe & UNDERWEAR, SHOES EXTRA i 15%: OR CLEARANCE PURCHASE LAST DAY em rrr ALL DAY APPAREL & aaaBusy 2 Online Ores. OF Card purchas Downtown Sait Lake & University Mall clesed. tExcludes some designers. “Extra savings % applied to reduced prices. Not valid with any ofher offer or on previously purchased merchandise, service Contractsand protection plans. specials phone GtCARDSaA StonesneBUY SHOP ONLINE AT ; MEIERANDFRANK.com FivaTANYMACY'SSTOREMATONWIDE OR BY PHONE 1-800-633-1224 always something exciting! |