The prosecution in Saddam Hussein's trial today demanded the death penalty for the former Iraqi dictator and two of his co-defendants as closing arguments in the eight-month trial began.Saddam, his half-brother and former intelligence chief, Barzan Ibrahim, and Taha Yassin Ramadan, another former senior regime member, should all be executed, the chief prosecutor, Jaafar al-Moussawi, said."They were spreading corruption on earth ... and even the trees were not safe from their oppression," he said, prompting Saddam to mutter a sarcastic: "Well done."The trial, which has now entered its final phase, is adjourned until July 10, when the defence will make its closing arguments before the five-judge panel retires to consider a verdict... http://www.guardian.co.uk censor News |
Editor - 09:03:00 06-19-06 |
Arizona wildfires force hundreds from homes |
wildfire threatening hundreds of homes and businesses spread to 3,000 acres early Monday in and around northern Arizona's scenic Oak Creek Canyon.The fire started Sunday and spread quickly through the parched region, forcing the evacuation of about 400 homes and businesses in Oak Creek Canyon and about 100 homes in five subdivisions on the north side of Sedona.With the temperature Monday expected to near 100 degrees with 10 to 20 mph wind, fire crews were positioned to protect homes and businesses in the area. "It's going to be quite a fight not to lose them," said Kristy Bryner, a fire information officer.Oak Creek Canyon, more than 90 miles north of Phoenix, is home to hotels, resorts, stores and houses scattered across the area. By Monday morning, the fire had burned to within a mile of some of the buildings.... http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/19/arizona.fire.ap/index.html?section=cnn_us
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Editor - 09:02:00 06-19-06 |
Al Qaeda-linked group claims it kidnapped 2 U.S. soldiers |
An al Qaeda-affiliated group on Monday claimed it kidnapped two U.S. soldiers south of Baghdad, although the captives were not named.The group -- Mujahedeen Shura Council -- made the unverified claim in a statement posted on a Web site. It did not post images or video of the soldiers as it has in the past.The statement said, "the strongest army in the world is turned around, ashamed of their failure [to find the soldiers] and we will give you more information on the incident in the following days." (Watch how witnesses saw soldiers taken away -- 2:54)On Sunday night, the Army identified two soldiers who went missing after an attack on an area checkpoint Friday as Pfc. Thomas Lowell Tucker, 25, of Madras, Oregon, and Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston, Texas.... http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/06/19/soldiers.missing/index.html?section=cnn_world
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Editor - 08:59:00 06-19-06 |
Letter urges Bush to join House bill |
Top conservative leaders have written President Bush telling him to drop his insistence on a guest-worker program and a path to citizenship for illegal aliens and instead support the 85 percent of congressional Republicans who want to tighten law enforcement first. Signers include William J. Bennett, Robert H. Bork, Ward Connerly, David A. Keene, Phyllis Schlafly and a number of think-tank academics and pundits. The immigration debate is the first major issue on which Mr. Bush finds himself opposing a majority of Republicans in Congress and depending on Democrats to deliver a victory. In their letter, the conservatives tell Mr. Bush to side with his fellow Republicans in Congress or risk repeating the 1986 immigration law that promised enforcement and amnesty but delivered only the amnesty. "Border and interior enforcement must be funded, operational, implemented and ... http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060619-014021-3845r.htm
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Editor - 08:57:00 06-19-06 |
Murtha claims support for Iraq pullout plan |
Rep. John P. Murtha says Democrats are uniting around his call to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq. The Pennsylvania Democrat's plan was echoed yesterday by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, widely considered one of her party's leading voices on national security. "Two-thirds of the Democrats agree with my position now," Mr. Murtha told NBC's "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert. "Every place I go, people understand what I'm saying. The public has been way ahead." Mrs. Feinstein, appearing on CNN's "Late Edition," said the Iraq mission has taken too long. "I don't know why we are so afraid to stand up and say, look, we want to see an end to this thing. ... Three years and three months into a mission that was supposed to take 30 or 40 days -- that isn't cutting and running," she said. Although the House passed a resolution in support of the Iraq war last week, Mr. Murtha said the 150 Democratic and three Republican votes against the resolution were evidence of a change. ... http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060619-014036-3259r.htm
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Editor - 08:54:00 06-19-06 |
African mask takes record $7.5 million at Paris auction |
A celebrated 19th century mask by the West African Fang tribe fetched more than $7.5 million at auction in Paris, a record for a work of primitive art, organizers said Sunday. The mask, which is said to have inspired artist Pablo Picasso, brought in four times its estimated price of $1.9 million on Saturday, organizers of the sale at the Drouot auction house said. The buyer's identity was not disclosed. The mask was part of one of France's premier private collections of primitive art, which was on the block at Drouot this weekend. Started by Pierre Verite and his son Claude in the 1920s, the collection features works mostly from France's former colonies in West and Central Africa. Though it was kept out of public view for most of the 20th century, the collection made a big impression on celebrated artists such as Picasso, Henri Matisse and surrealist Andre Breton, who saw it in the 1930s. ... http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-06-18-african-mask_x.htm?csp=34
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Editor - 19:33:00 06-18-06 |
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