Saddam Hussein's top aides hanged

Two of Saddam Hussein's key aides have been hanged in Baghdad, two weeks after the chaotic execution of the former Iraqi president.

There were "no violations" this time, officials said, but Saddam Hussein's half-brother, Barzan al-Tikriti, was decapitated as he was hanged.

He and Awad Hamad al-Bandar, a top judge under Saddam, were convicted over the killing of 148 Shias in the 1980s.

The country's president Jalal Talabani had urged their executions be delayed.

Government officials said the decapitation of Barzan was not abnormal, although it was rare for the head to be severed during hanging. One described it as "an act of God".

One of those present, public prosecutor Jaafar al-Moussawi, told the BBC that when the trap door opened, he could only see the rope dangling.

JUDICIAL HANGING Execution intended to break the neck, not strangle 'Long drop' method developed in late 19th century Length of rope calculated using prisoner's weight Drop is usually 4ft-10ft (1.3m-3m) Too long a drop leads to decapitation

"I thought the convict Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti had escaped the noose. I shouted that he's escaped the noose, go down and look for him. I went down a few steps ahead of the others to see: I found out that his head had separated from his body."

The executions took place at 0300 (0000 GMT), apparently in the same building where Saddam Hussein was put to death on 30 December after being convicted of the same crime.

The manner of his execution has sparked controversy around the world, after unofficial mobile phone footage was released showing him being taunted and insulted in his final moments.

Iraq's Shia-dominated government pledged a full investigation. Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said this time everyone present at the facility had signed a document pledging appropriate behaviour.

Correspondents say the gruesome detail about Barzan's decapitation was probably made public in order to avoid it being leaked later with accompanying allegations of mistreatment.

A member of their defence team, Issam al-Ghazzawi, told the Reuters news agency he was outraged by the execution.

"When a man is hanged, he does not lose his head," he said. "The way Barzan was executed is shameful."

The bodies of the men are to be handed over to their families within the next few days.

'Key target

Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti was the former Iraqi leader's half-brother and served as the head of his feared secret police, the Mukhabarat.

He was a senior figure in the Iraqi government at the time of the US-led invasion of 2003 and was a key target for capture.

During his captivity, it emerged he had cancer and a number of calls were made for his release for treatment on humanitarian grounds.

Awad Hamad al-Bandar was chief justice of the Iraqi Revolutionary Court. According to his indictment, he conducted show trials which often led to summary death sentences.

The court he headed issued death sentences against residents of the town of Dujail in the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt on the president on 8 July 1982.

His lawyers argued that he had simply been following the letter of Iraqi law, as it was written at the time, and also denied that he had ordered the execution of juveniles.

http://news.bbc.co.uk

What if Saddam and George Bush Shared a Room in College?

iLaugh hosts a great collection of original cartoons. It dubs itself “the second sweetest comedy portal on earth”. The site is well built, welcoming, and easy to navigate making it a fun place to visit. More importantly, they have some great original content. My favorite is “Becoming Georgie” an animated short about a scenario in which Saddam Hussein and George Bush are college room mates. (via TeevBlogger)

China to US: No meddling in our Iran biz

BEIJING –China warned the United States on Thursday not to meddle in its trade relations with Iran after Washington expressed concern about a Chinese oil company’s planned investment in an Iranian gas field.

“We think this kind of cooperation and relationship is legitimate. Normal cooperation should not be interfered (with),” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao.

Asked if that meant Beijing believed the United States was interfering in its dealings with Iran, Liu said, “This is our position.”

The U.S. government expressed concern to Beijing last month about a planned investment by state-owned Chinese oil company CNOOC Ltd. in Iran’s Northern Pars gas field. Washington said major business dealings with Tehran were inappropriate while Iran is defying U.N. resolutions on its nuclear program.

CNOOC spokesman Liu Junshan said Thursday the company was still in talks with the Iranian side to develop the gas field and to help build liquefied natural gas facilities. He said no agreement had yet been signed, and declined to estimate the project’s value.

The Iranian Mehr news agency reported last month that the deal was worth $16 billion.

Liu’s comments came as Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visited Beijing. Olmert is seeking a more proactive Chinese role in pressuring Iran to abandon its nuclear program.

Iran’s president has called for Israel to be wiped off the face of the earth, and Iran is widely believed to be trying to manufacture atomic bombs — a charge it denies.

In talks with Olmert Wednesday, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Beijing was firmly against nuclear weapons proliferation in Iran and wanted to see a diplomatic solution to the issue, Liu said at a press briefing.

But it is unlikely that Beijing will to bend to U.S. pressure to drop the gas deal, considering China’s growing thirst for oil and gas to fuel its economic boom.

China imported 980 million barrels of oil last year, making it the world’s third-biggest consumer of foreign oil. Its demand for natural gas is expected to rise 26 percent over the next five years.

China’s two major oil companies — China Petrochemical Corp. and China National Petroleum Corp. — are both either involved in gas projects in Iran or in talks to participate in developing gas resources.

Iran has seen the lure of its energy resources and other markets as a way to weaken the willl of U.N. Security Council members to exact harsh punishment over its nuclear program, which Tehran claims is for generating electricity.

The council, of which China is one of five permanent members, voted last month to impose sanctions on Iran for refusing to abandon uranium enrichment — a process that produces the material for either nuclear reactors or bombs.