Saddam Could Be Executed After First Trial [View All]

[sintax]

Saddam Could Be Executed After First Trial


Thursday August 11, 2005 8:16 PM

By BASSEM MROUE

Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Saddam Hussein could be executed after his first trial if he is convicted and sentenced to death for his alleged role in a 1982 Shiite massacre, even though he faces other charges, an official close to the proceedings said Thursday.

The first trial, which involves the deposed Iraqi ruler's alleged role in the 1982 massacre of an estimated 150 Shiites in Dujail, north of Baghdad, is expected to begin by the fall, said the official. He briefed reporters on condition that his name would not be used for reasons of security and the sensitivity of the case.

Iraqi authorities also are building about a dozen other cases against Saddam that they intend to try separately. Those cases include the killing of rival politicians over 30 years, the 1987-88 Anfal campaign that left tens of thousands of Kurds dead or displaced and the crushing of a 1991 uprising by Shiites following the Gulf War.

If Saddam is sentenced to death in the Dujail case, authorities could ``theoretically'' carry out the sentence without waiting for the other trials to begin, the official said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5204183,00.html