BAGHDAD--This is getting interesting. Someone is the Iraqi government is getting cold-feet, which is good. As of this writing, AP was reporting Saddam was in custody at a US Military prison in Iraq. Just moments ago, however, I noticed Reuters is reporting the opposite. You have three-stories: the American authorities saying the execution is still a month-away, Iraqi justice authorities saying it was to be moved-up before a month, and Hussein's lawyers are saying it was within a week. Now they're saying Hussein is in Iraqi-custody, and may be executed within hours.
The confusion is likely covering a scuffle over who has custody of Hussein and when, with international law issues being considered by all-parties. I think there was a physical-scuffle where Iraqi justice-authorities refused to take-custody of Saddam Hussein earlier than was publicly-stated. They might even be reconsidering doing the execution under their authority, demurring, and handing-it-back to American military authorities. They have every reason not to want to do it, it could mean their own lives and legacies--and region-wide.
Reuters:
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=newsOne&storyID=2006-12-29T132840Z_01_IBO034602_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ.xml&WTmodLoc=Home-C1-TopStories-newsOne-2
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-12-29T165412Z_01_L29722269_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-SADDAM-HANDOVER.xml
AP:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061229/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
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