In certain part of world, dictatorship better than democracy

[singveld]

Scores killed in Baghdad bombings
A series of car bombings has killed at least 127 people and wounded 448 in the centre of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

The first blast targeted a police patrol in the Dora district of the city. Four others occurred near official buildings within minutes.

Iraqi national security adviser Mowaffaq al-Rubaie blamed al-Qaeda militants for the attacks.

He told the BBC their aim was to destabilise the country ahead of general elections due in February.

"Al-Qaeda has been active in Baghdad recently," Mr Rubaie said.

"The aim is to show the government is unable to protect civilians and its own people and also to deter people from going to ballot boxes."


The explosions on Tuesday shook houses across the capital.

Official buildings located near the blasts include the interior ministry, the social affairs ministry, a university and the institute of fine arts.

There were civilian and security force personnel casualties, officials said.

Survivor Ahmed Jabbar, emerging from a damaged ministry building, told AP news agency: "What crime have we committed? Children and women were buried under debris."

Iraqi government figures have shown that violence generally has fallen over the past 18 months.



DEADLIEST ATTACKS SINCE 2003

Aug 2007: More than 500 killed in attacks on villages near Sinjar
Nov 2006: 202 killed in multiple blasts in Baghdad
Apr 2007: 191 killed in car bombings in Baghdad
Mar 2004: 171 killed in bombings in Baghdad and Karbala
Oct 2009: 155 killed in twin truck bomb attacks in Baghdad
Mar 2007: 152 killed in truck bombing in Talafar Source: News agencies, BBC

when saddam were around, no such thing happen.

if singapore will be in real democracy, will the indian, malay, chinese and FT kill each other with car bombs??

 

[TeeKee]

Why compare SGP to Iraq and not US or EU?

Killing of Iraq Kurds 'genocide'
A court in The Hague has ruled that the killing of thousands of Kurds in Iraq in the 1980s was an act of genocide.

The ruling came in the case of Dutch trader Frans van Anraat, who was given a 15-year sentence for selling chemicals to Saddam Hussein's regime.

He was found guilty of complicity in war crimes over a 1988 chemical attack that killed more than 5,000 people, but acquitted of genocide charges.

It is the first trial to deal with war crimes against Kurds in Iraq and Iran.



'Intent to destroy'

Dozens of ethnic Kurds gathered in the packed courtroom to hear the verdict.

“ The court has no other conclusion than that these attacks were committed with the intent to destroy the Kurdish population of Iraq ”
Court ruling

Before van Anraat could be convicted, the judges had to decide whether the 1988 attack on Iraqi Kurds in Halabja amounted to genocide.

According to the 1948 Geneva Convention, genocide is defined as "acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group".

The Dutch court said it considered "legally and convincingly proven that the Kurdish population meets requirement under Genocide Conventions as an ethnic group".

"The court has no other conclusion than that these attacks were committed with the intent to destroy the Kurdish population of Iraq," the ruling said.

However, observers say the Dutch court's decision may not have much influence on the Iraqi tribunal, which is hearing the trial of Saddam Hussein.

The court is believed to be preparing a case against him for the use of chemical weapons in Halabja in northern Iraq.

'Contribution'

Van Anraat was not in court to hear the verdict.

He was charged with supplying thousands of tons of raw materials for chemical weapons used in the 1980-1988 war against Iran, and against Iraqi Kurds.

The court found him guilty of aiding war crimes, as "his deliveries facilitated the attacks".

"He cannot counter with the argument that this would have happened even without his contribution," the presiding judge said.

However, the judges ruled that van Anraat was not aware of the genocidal intentions of the Iraqi regime when he sold the ingredients for poison gas.

Victims' relatives clapped when the sentence was read out, while dozens danced in a circle to drums outside the court.

Defence lawyers said they would appeal against the sentence, which was the maximum that could be imposed for the charge.

The 63-year-old was arrested in 1989 in Italy at the request of the US Government.

He was later released and fled to Iraq, where he remained until 2003.

He was arrested in December 2004 at his Amsterdam home.



This decision is historic because it recognizes at least one act of genocide against Kurds perpetrated in Iraq by the regime of Saddam Hussein. There are of course other genocidal campaigns in Iraq but this is justice for those innocent victims and a legal recognition of an act of genocide against Kurds. As a Kurd who has lost some dear relatives in the deadly attack of Halabja in 1988, I'm grateful for the Dutch court for its unbiased and conscientious verdict. The next step should be compensation of living relatives of Halabja victims.
Dr Nazhad Khasraw Hawramany, Basel, Switzerland

Perhaps a timely reminder to those who like taking a swipe at the American and British leaders. Maybe people should reflect on this when they start comparing freely elected Western leaders with Saddam or when considering whether he has a "fair" trial.
Peter, Provincia di Treviso, Italy

It's about time someone recognized at the world level that the Kurds have been persecuted and harassed ever since the UK artificially drew country lines in that region. I supported the Kurds during the first Iraq War to get them safely back to their homes in Kirkuk among others.
Tony Carey, Edgewater, USA

Well done the Dutch! This is a momentous day indeed. As a lawyer, and more particularly as a Kurd, the War Crimes' Court's finding of genocide today is a watershed. Hopefully it will be the first of many cases to try those "businessmen" suppliers of nefarious weaponry to Saddam's regime. This is only the beginning of course.
Azad, UK, Edinburgh

 

[Yoda.]

if singapore will be in real democracy, will the indian, malay, chinese and FT kill each other with car bombs??

mmmm....

roughened up, sinkies need to be.

pampered life they are leading.

and useless are your paper generals.

 

[shelltox]

why not compare us to US or UK , UK been our ex colonial master is in deep shit now.
both of them owes trillions in debts and counting. no countries with so much debt can climb back to being a super power.. US will go down fighting , there's going to be alot of blood shed becos the Alpha male is wounded and those in line are challenging the protocol

 

[hairylee]

The longevity of power of a leader is a curse on their respective country.
Power becomes so entrenched that future generations have problems charting their own destiny and directions.
We do not have to look far. Our neighbours like Malaysia and Indonesia are good examples.
Even LKY understands it and that's why he stated that after ten years anything goes in Sinkie land.

 

[jw5]

"We are different from others. We do what is right for Singapore, which may be different from other countries".

Translation:
"We do what benefits ourselves and our families. To hell with ordinary Singaporeans".

 

[TeeKee]

This is the most lamest attempt to justify the existence of PAP..

 

[singveld]

This is the most lamest attempt to justify the existence of PAP..

just a discussion, there were no such bombing when there was a dictator in iraq.
so just assuming that bombing will happen if dictator in singapore are gone.

which do you want, freedom of speech or car bombs?

no doubts , al qaeda will be willing to train the muslim in singapore, they want the whole stretch from south of thailand to indonesia to be fully sharia law.

without dictator to spill them up, pacify them with free education. iron hand on them, by censorship on their media, the al qaeda will be in muslim mass media, why would then they not attack for their god?

teekee i know you lack imagination, that why you sing song listen to cock every sunday.