http://www.smh.com.au/world/president-to-protect-saddam-deputy-20101117-17xt8.html
President to protect Saddam deputy November 18, 2010 PARIS: The Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani, said he will never sign the execution order for the former deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz, despite his being sentenced to death last month over the persecution of Shiite groups after the first Gulf War. ''No. I will not sign this kind of order because I am a socialist,'' Mr Talabani, a Kurd, told France 24 television during an interview. ''I feel for Tariq Aziz, because he's an Iraqi Christian, and he's also an elderly person over 70 years old. That's why I will never sign this execution order.'' Mr Talabani's statement comes after calls from both Russia and the Vatican for Iraq to not carry out the death sentence on humanitarian grounds, noting his age and recent health problems. The 74-year-old has reportedly suffered two heart attacks since the Saddam regime fell. Aziz, who had been a former deputy to the dictator Saddam Hussein, turned himself in to US forces in April 2003. He was jailed for 15 years in 2009 for the 1992 execution of 42 Baghdad wholesalers. He was also given a seven-year term in August 2009 for his role in expelling Kurds from Iraq's north. As Saddam's principal spokesman, the bespectacled Aziz - the only Christian in the now executed dictator's inner circle - was a recognisable figure internationally whose rise was attributed to unswerving loyalty to his master. His family, now in Jordan, has repeatedly called for his release from custody, saying he was in poor health, suffering from heart and respiratory problems, high blood pressure and diabetes. But in an interview earlier this year, Aziz remained defiant. ''Wars are wars, and there are reasons for them,'' he said. ''Saddam did not lie. He did not change the facts. ''He is someone for whom I have a great respect and love. He is a man who history will show served his country.'' Named foreign minister in 1983 and then deputy prime minister in 1991, Aziz was believed to have wielded little real power in decision-making. But he became one of the regime's best-known figures abroad as his master's voice who matched his US peers in debate. In early 2003, Aziz embarked on a high-profile tour of European capitals in a failed bid to prevent the US-led invasion. His strong command of English, learnt at university, not only ensured that the anglophone media turned out to listen, but also gave him a platform to deliver fierce tongue-lashings guaranteed to make diplomats squirm. With his defiant tone and ever-present Cuban cigar, Aziz gave the impression he would defend Saddam to the end. Agence France-Presse [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: prole...@egroups.com Subscribe : proletar-subscr...@egroups.com Unsubscribe : proletar-unsubscr...@egroups.com List owner : proletar-ow...@egroups.com Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: proletar-dig...@yahoogroups.com proletar-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: proletar-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
