Saddam's daughter facing terrorism charges
August 17, 2007
BAGHDAD, -- Interpol issued an arrest warrant
against Raghad, former Iraqi president and dictator
Saddam Hussein's daughter, upon a request from the
Iraqi government.
"Raghad Saddam Hussein al-Majid, 38, is wanted by
the Iraqi government on several charges of terrorism
and crimes against innocent people," according to a
statement published on Interpol's official web site.
The site called on anyone who has information about
Raghad's whereabouts to report to the local police
station in their city.
Raghad lives in exile outside Iraq, with her
children in the Jordanian capital Amman, hosted by
the Hashemite royal family. |
Raghad Saddam Hussein, wanted in Iraq and by
Interpol |
|
The last time she was seen publicly was during a
popular rally at the professional syndicates
compound in Amman to protest the execution of her
father on December 31, 2006.
- Less than a year after her father was sent to the
gallows, Saddam Hussein's daughter is facing charges
that also could lead to her execution.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Interior said Friday
that Raghad Hussein , 38, has been charged with
financing the insurgents who have bedeviled this
country since shortly after her father's regime was
toppled in 2003.
Hussein is believed to be living in Amman, Jordan ,
as a guest of King Abdullah II.
The spokesman, Abdul Kereem Khalaf , said the Iraqi
Judicial Authority issued an arrest warrant for
Hussein a year ago, but that it was only being made
public now after Interpol, the international police
agency, issued a worldwide notice that Iraq was
seeking her.
"We have a whole file of evidence against her,"
Khalaf said. "It is with the court. If you have the
right connections you can see it. But basically she
is accused of mass killings of Iraqis by funding
terrorist groups."
Khalaf wouldn't specify which terrorist groups
Hussein is accused of funding. He also wouldn't say
what charges other than financing terrorism she
faces.
Hussein, like her father, is a Sunni Muslim. Both
Sunni and Shiite groups have been battling each
other and coalition forces for control of Iraq since
late 2003.
If found guilty, Khalaf said, Hussein would be
punished with either life in prison or death. In
Iraq , defendants given the death penalty are
executed by hanging.
In February, Hussein made a rare public appearance
when she led a ceremony in Yemen shortly after her
father's Dec. 30 execution. She praised the deposed
dictator and called him a hero and the true leader
of the Arabs.
Saddam was tried by the Iraqi High Tribunal , a
special court established to bring justice to those
who committed crimes during the former regime. If
arrested, Hussein likely would be tried by the
Central Criminal Court, where politically sensitive
cases and charges against suspected insurgents are
handled.
Interpol's "red notice" for Hussein's arrest doesn't
amount to an international warrant, but is intended
to alert its member countries of a person's fugitive
status and adds credibility to the charges brought
by the Iraqi government. Jordan is a member of
Interpol. Efforts to reach Jordan authorities were
unsuccessful.
Khalaf said the Iraqi government's national security
adviser has been in Jordan for the last week trying
to arrange Hussein's arrest. He brushed aside
questions about whether the Jordanian government
will cooperate.
"It doesn't matter at this stage," Khalaf said. "As
long as Interpol has issued an arrest warrant, the
opportunity will come and she will be handed over to
the Iraqi government."
Mohammed Hamoudi , a Shiite and an electrician, said
he would welcome a trial for Hussein.
"I hope that they capture her as soon as possible—
not only her, but everyone like her that are proven
guilty of such actions," he said.
Others doubted that Iraqi judges would be able to
weigh evidence against her objectively.
"I don't believe she will have a fair trial here,"
said Jassim Ali , an accountant who is Sunni.
Interpol website
McClatchy |
VOI
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