Vietnamese State President Nguyen Minh Triet’s recently concluded trip to the US is continuing to receive prominent coverage from the world's media outlets.Japanese media in particular ran stories calling talks between Vietnamese President Triet and US President George W.Bush at the White House on June 22 a new step in the countries relationship, as both sides look to the future and brush aside any residual bitterness from the Viet Nam War. The “Yomiuri” daily said that during the meeting, President Bush welcomed increasingly warming relations with Viet Nam, and spoke highly of Viet Nam’s transformation into one of the world's fastest growing economies.Hong Kong’s respected “Tai Yang” newspaper also published an article on June 24 stating that the Viet Nam-US relations have been on the rise and are expected to be cemented further as Viet Nam is striving to speed up its "open policy" in order to gain higher growth rate.Thailand’s “The Nation” wrote an editorial piece on the vastly changed landscape of political relations between the two countries stating that talks are now held in an atmosphere of openness that was reflected by Viet Nam's willingness to discuss and hold future dialogue with the US on human rights issues.Entitled “Welcome Viet Nam,” a commentary on Italy’s “IPS” news agency said that the signing of the Viet Nam-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) between the two would usher in a new era of increased US investment into the Southeast Asian country.-Enditem
Copyright, Vietnam News Agency (VNA)
Monday, June 25, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
'Chemical Ali' sentenced to hang
An Iraqi court on Sunday sentenced Saddam Hussein's cousin known as "Chemical Ali" and two other former regime officials to death by hanging for their roles in a 1980s scorched-earth campaign that led to the deaths of 180,000 Kurds.
Ali Hassan al-Majid, Saddam's cousin and the former head of the Baath Party's Northern Bureau Command, earned his nickname for his use of chemical weapons against the ethnic minority during efforts to crush a rebellion in the north.
The judge, Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa, said al-Majid was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes for ordering army and security services to use chemical weapons in a large-scale offensive that killed or maimed thousands.
Former defense minister Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai also was sent to the gallows after the judge ruled that he had ordered a large-scale attack against civilians and used chemical weapons and deportation against the Kurds.
Al-Tai, who was wearing a traditional Arab robe and a white headdress, stood in silence as the verdict was read but insisted he was innocent afterward.
"I will not say anything new, but I will leave you to God. I'm innocent," al-Tai said as a guard escorted him out of the room after the verdict.
The former deputy director of operations for the Iraqi Armed Forces, Hussein Rashid Mohammed, also was sentenced to death after he was convicted of drawing up military plans and other allegations against the Kurds.
Two other former regime officials -- Farhan Mutlaq Saleh, former head of military intelligence's eastern regional office, and former director of military intelligence under Saddam Hussein, Sabir al-Douri, were sentenced to life in prison.
The judge said the charges were dropped against Taher Tawfiq al-Ani, the former governor of Mosul and head of the Northern Affairs Committee, because of insufficient evidence. That decision had been expected as the prosecutor had requested that al-Ani be released.
Ali Hassan al-Majid, Saddam's cousin and the former head of the Baath Party's Northern Bureau Command, earned his nickname for his use of chemical weapons against the ethnic minority during efforts to crush a rebellion in the north.
The judge, Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa, said al-Majid was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes for ordering army and security services to use chemical weapons in a large-scale offensive that killed or maimed thousands.
Former defense minister Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai also was sent to the gallows after the judge ruled that he had ordered a large-scale attack against civilians and used chemical weapons and deportation against the Kurds.
Al-Tai, who was wearing a traditional Arab robe and a white headdress, stood in silence as the verdict was read but insisted he was innocent afterward.
"I will not say anything new, but I will leave you to God. I'm innocent," al-Tai said as a guard escorted him out of the room after the verdict.
The former deputy director of operations for the Iraqi Armed Forces, Hussein Rashid Mohammed, also was sentenced to death after he was convicted of drawing up military plans and other allegations against the Kurds.
Two other former regime officials -- Farhan Mutlaq Saleh, former head of military intelligence's eastern regional office, and former director of military intelligence under Saddam Hussein, Sabir al-Douri, were sentenced to life in prison.
The judge said the charges were dropped against Taher Tawfiq al-Ani, the former governor of Mosul and head of the Northern Affairs Committee, because of insufficient evidence. That decision had been expected as the prosecutor had requested that al-Ani be released.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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