Coalition forces turn over al-Qaida in Iraq leader

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces announce they’ve turned over to the Iraqi government an al-Qaida in Iraq leader that has admitted to conducting terrorist activity since 2004. The terrorist will now be prosecuted by the Iraqi government under the Iraqi justice system.

The terrorist leader held multiple leadership positions within al-Qaida and was appointed by Abu Mus’ab al Zarqawi and Abu Ayyub al Masri to two of the positions he held. At one time, he coordinated and oversaw the operations of five different terrorist cells at one time.

The Iraqi admitted to coordinating over ten death squad attacks, personally participating in several of them, while he was a member of one terrorist cell. The cell targeted several innocent Iraqis including grocery store and butcher store owners. Another of the groups he led coordinated kidnappings and large scale bombings throughout Baghdad.

He was captured in a raid in western Baghdad that resulted from intelligence gathered during the successful targeting of former al-Qaida in Iraq leader Zarqawi in early June.

Iraqi and Coalition officials will continue to work closely to ensure the terrorist receives due process through the Iraqi justice system.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER at: cpicpressdesk@iraq.centcom.milThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

I'm not aware of any "executions" of any "Saddam Klan" members.
Those family members killed were killed in a fire fight..

You MAY be right about some executions, a few months ago.

I Googled this up.
This is the ONLY reference to insurgent executions I could find - but unfortunately - its Aljazeera - and highly unreliable.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/7AF5009B-163F-44F3-93EA-3E42DA5E5585.htm

Iraq executes 13 insurgents

Friday 10 March 2006, 14:12 Makka Time, 11:12 GMT

Iraqi authorities are struggling to enforce law and order

The Iraqi government says it has hanged 13 insurgents, the first executions of militants since the toppling of Saddam Hussein.

The announcement on Thursday listed the name of only one of those hanged, Shukair Farid, a former policeman in the northern city of Mosul.

Farid allegedly confessed that he had worked with Syrian foreign fighters to enlist fellow Iraqis to kill police and civilians.

"The competent authorities have today carried out the death sentences of 13 terrorists," the cabinet announcement said.

Farid had "confessed that foreigners recruited him to spread the fear through killings and abductions", the government said.

A judicial official said the death sentences were handed down in separate trials and were carried out in Baghdad.

"The 13 terrorists were tried in different courts and their trials began in 2005 and ended earlier this year," an official of the Supreme Judiciary Council said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he feared reprisal from insurgents.

Death penalty

"The competent authorities have today carried out the death sentences of 13 terrorists"

Iraqi cabinet announcement

Iraq reintroduced the death penalty in June 2004.

In September 2005, Iraq hanged three convicted murderers, the first executions of convicts since Saddam's overthrow in April 2003. The men, considered common criminals rather than insurgents, were convicted of killing three police officers, kidnapping and rape.

The three men's case took place in court in the Shia city of Kut.

Capital punishment was suspended during the formal US occupation, which ended in June 2004, and the Iraqis reinstated the death penalty two months later for those found guilty of murder, endangering national security and distributing drugs, saying it was necessary to help put down the persistent insurgency.

Saddam option

Saddam could face the death
penalty if found guilty

The authorities also wanted to have the option of executing Saddam if he is convicted of crimes committed by his regime. During Saddam's rule, 114 offences were punishable by death.

Saddam and seven co-defendants are on trial for allegedly massacring more than 140 people in Dujail, north of Baghdad, after an assassination attempt against him there in 1982.

In October, Iraqi lawmakers passed a tough new anti-terrorism law that called for the execution of "those who commit ... terror acts" as well as "those who provoke, plan, finance and all those who enable terrorists to commit these crimes".

Life imprisonment was listed as the punishment for "whoever intentionally conceals terrorist activity or gives shelter to a terrorist for the purpose of hiding him".

Death sentences must be approved by the three-member presidential council headed by President Jalal Talabani, who opposes executions.

In the September hangings and again in the Thursday executions, Talabani refused to sign the authorisation himself but gave his two vice-presidents the authority.

Semper Fi

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