fayfreethinkers.com

Curfew Planned as Saddam Verdict Nears
By Michael Howard
The Gurardian UK

Saturday 04 November 2006

All army leave cancelled as fear of violence grows. Death sentence could spark attacks, officials say.

Irbil - Iraqi authorities plan to impose a curfew in Baghdad and all army leave has been cancelled as tensions grow ahead of tomorrow's expected verdict in the trial of Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants for crimes against humanity in the town of Dujail 24 years ago.

With violence raging in the capital and across swaths of central Iraq, a senior Iraqi security official told the Guardian last night that they were "prepared to take every precaution and measure to stop insurgents and terrorists from undermining the rule of law".

...SNIP...

In a further twist, Saddam's chief defence lawyer, Khalil al-Dulaimi, said yesterday he had written to the tribunal requesting a two-month adjournment to allow the defence to complete its presentations. He told Reuters in Amman that the tribunal was being unduly pressured by the US to deliver a verdict tomorrow to aid the US Republican party ahead of the midterm elections.
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DAR
Gee, ya think?

I think this is supposed to goose the R votes enough so they can steal the election again. A Chinese professor (as in from China, not just of Chinese heritage) commented about the timing when he came in this morning. Probably doesn't surprise the rest of the world either. Whether or not that point gets through to the "faithful" remains to be seen. (You'd think the recent reports of religious right betrayal might raise a few questions in the minds of the RW "patriots")