27 are hanged at Abu Ghraib in first mass execution since Saddam's fall

[ECH1969]

The brutal excesses of Saddam Hussein's regime were relived yesterday as Iraq's new government announced that it had hanged 27 prisoners convicted of terror and criminal charges.

Mass executions at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison, which has several gallows erected in the execution chamber, were suspended after coalition-led troops overthrew Saddam three years ago. The death penalty was reinstituted in 2004, and yesterday's executions took place just days after control of Abu Ghraib was handed over to the Iraqi authorities.

An Iraqi Justice Ministry official said two of those hanged had been convicted of terrorism charges, and the other 25 – including a woman – were convicted of murder and kidnap.

"This is the message I have for the terrorists," he said of the hanged prisoners, "we will see that you get great punishment wherever you are. There is nothing for you but prison and punishment."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/09/08/wiraq08.xml

[tabasco]

1. Another lovely day in the 51st state.

Mass executions?

How is this better than Saddam, again? :shrug:

[Straight Shooter]

2. bush gets all giggly at the thought of doing the same in Gitmo.

Or here. x(

[Hissyspit]

3. I am ABSOLUTELY sure they are not hanging any innocent people.

After all, all the other infrastructure, including the justice system, is working to perfection in that country. /sarcasm

Death upon death upon death.

This "liberation" has been a f'ing joke.

[global1]

4. Unfortunately They Have Come To The Conclusion That Saddam Had....

come to many years ago. That the only way to control the people of Iraq is to use the iron fist. They are finding out that Saddam figured it out that this was the only way to have some semblence of order in the country. Remember - under Saddam's leadership - though the Iraqi people may have hated him - they had it better than they do today.

[Buzz Clik]

5. Holy shit. This makes being gnawed on by a dog look like child's play.

[walldude]

6. Meet the new boss.. Same as the old boss...

Gee I just bet that none of these people were hung on the word of someone else. I bet they were all tried, convicted and were able to face their accusers in court. I mean we are spreading Democracy and Freedom right? Oh wait... those rules don't apply here anymore either.. sorry that was pre-9/11 America. :eyes:

[Nikki Stone 1]

10. Yep

Especially when both bosses are backed by the same group of Nixon/Bush people.

[Pachamama]

13. New Management - Same Shit....

:puke:

Hey - Freedom is on the March! :eyes:

[wiggs]

7. Important. k n r. nt

[LostInAnomie]

8. How nice.

Iraq has adopted Texas's pro-death version of justice.

*'s influence is showing.

[Canuckistanian]

9. Hanging people in a war zone?

Sounds like "Southern Justice" to me.

I'm sure that no pressure was applied by any "coalition members".

[breakaleg]

11. They must be so thankful that the US decided to inflict their democracy

on Iraq. What an improvement over the previous regime.

[Disturbed]

12. Iraqi "Justice" can be brutal.

Iraqis are in a death spiral. I suspect that will last for at least 5 more years. I try to imagine what their situation would be like if this was occuring in America but can not do so.

[uppityperson]

14. Well, good thing the rape rooms are still closed

massive :sarcasm:

[McCamy Taylor]

15. Are they cleaning up the witnesses to US atrocity or purging Sunnis?

The US does not have the moral fiber to help the Iraqi people out of their own moral misery. Iraq will only plunge deeper into civil war as long as the Bush administration is there to nod approvingly as all the wrong things are done.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

16. Bush is dreaming that this is soon to come in America.... n/t

[magellan]

17. 2,664 American soldiers have died for this!!

We should have left Saddam alone, bad as he was, there were no terrorists in Iraq when he was in charge.

[radwriter0555]

18. Bush has brought genuine republican progress to the people of Iraq. They

should be so grateful for this wonderful, bush style democracy he's brought to their doorsteps.