The downfall of Saddam Hussein

I thought that I would explain what the background of my book Don't Take Care Take Risks is about. According to Wikipedia, it says "Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity. The charges relate to the killing of 148 Shiites in the village of Dujail in 1982. The trial heard that he ordered the slaughter in revenge for an assassination attempt. Later on in their information, it reads "However, to complicate things further, Saddam is currently being prosecuted in a second trial, which began in August. The second trial alleges acts of genocide involving the killing of more than 50,000 Iraqi Kurds in 1987-88." "On March 13th, 1988 chemical bombs were dropped on Halabja by the Iraqi military. Although the Pasdaran, Iranian & Peshmerga people were in control of the city at the time, none of them were killed. When the bombs hit, about 8,000 citizens of Halabja died immediately" According to Wikipedia, it says "Judge Rauf Rashid Abd al-Rahman (born c. 1941) is the replacement chief judge of the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal's Al-Dujail trial of Saddam Hussein in 2006 when he sentenced Saddam and some of his top aides to death by hanging. Abd al-Rahman is an ethnic Kurd from Halabja, the site of the 1988 Halabja poison gas attack Profile: Judge Raouf Abdul Rahman Judge Rahman" BBC News Middle East said "Judge Rahman has a reputation for precise adherence to the law Raouf Abdul Rahman, the judge who has taken over at the trial of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, was born in the Iraqi Kurdish town of Halabja. Halabja became famous as a symbol of Saddam Hussein's repression after his forces launched a chemical gas attack on the town in 1988, killing about 5,000 Kurds in a single day. Judge Rahman lost some of his relatives in the attack, although not immediate family members. But if he had any trepidation at facing the man responsible for mass killing in his home town for the first time it did not show. At the opening of his first session in charge, Judge Rahman said he was not prepared to tolerate interruptions or speeches from the defendants. He shortly after proved he was a man of his word - swiftly ejecting Barzan al-Tikriti from the court for doing just that. This was a sharp contrast with his predecessor Rizgar Amin, whose careful handling of Saddam and his co-defendants was sometimes criticised as being too lenient. Lawyer Tariq Harab, who worked with Judge Rahman in the 1980s, said this was a deliberate tactic: 'Serious and honest' "Today, he is trying to correct the faults that accompanied the previous sessions. His seriousness shows that he is an efficient and controlling judge who refuses to turn the court into a field to exchange slanders," the Associated Press quoted him as saying. "I can say that he is an honest and balanced person," Mr Harab said of his former colleague. Omar Abdel-Rahman, a lawyer who worked with Judge Rahman when he first became a judge in Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdish north in the 1970s, was of a similar opinion: "He is a serious and honest person," Mr Abdel-Rahman said, adding "He is a man of principles, but sometimes he gets nervous quickly." The 64-year-old judge trained at Baghdad University's law school, from where he graduated in 1963. He worked as a lawyer in the capital Baghdad, then in the city of Sulaymaniyah. He was appointed as the chief judge of the Kurdistan Appeals Court in 1996." To get the facts correct I have copied this from Wikipedia and BBC News Middle East. So as you can see the high profile people I was mixing within Iraq. I just couldn't believe what was happening but God had a plan and a reason why Canon White asked me to look after Mr Raouf and his family and why I went to Erbil Baghdad and Halabja. Taken from Wikipedia concerning Canon Andrew white "Director of International Ministry In 1998, at the age of 33 years, White was appointed a canon at Coventry Cathedral. He became the Director of International Ministry there, heading up the International Centre for Reconciliation, promoting reconciliation in conflicts (mainly religious) across the globe. He was sent by the Archbishop as the political envoy to the Middle East after the return of Terry Waite. Canon White played a key role in the Bethlehem Siege, finding methods of conflict resolution to the hostage situation at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in 2002. He concentrated on the Middle East because he thought that the church needed to be involved there and knew that this was where he would serve. He remained in this post until 2005 when he moved to Baghdad to become Anglican Chaplain to Iraq. Mediation Canon White mediated in the release of the late Jaweed Al-Ghussein elected Chairman of the Palestine National fund and CEO of Cordoba Group. Al-Ghussein, a strong and vocal advocate of the rule of law, was kidnapped from Abu Dhabi with the compliance of Sheik Hamadan Bin Zayed and Sheik Seif Bin Zayed. Al-Ghussein's abductions were the subject of a UN determination that placed his case in category 1, the highest and appointed a rapporteur on Special Torture. Denied access to the Red Cross in Gaza, Canon White was able to visit him and eventually through his position as Special Envoy mediated Jaweed Al-Ghussein's release back to the UK. "Vicar of Baghdad" In Iraq, Canon White lived in Baghdad until November 2014, serving as the vicar of St George's Church just outside the Green Zone.[4] He formerly lived in the Green Zone. He has been dubbed "Vicar of Baghdad", because his church is the only remaining Anglican church in Iraq. His people (the congregation of St George's) refer to him as their "Abouna" (Father).[4] Here, he has continued the reconciliation that he promoted during his time as Director of International Ministry at Coventry Cathedral. The Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East was established in 2005 as part of his reconciliation work in Iraq and the Middle East as a whole. Canon White's main aim has been to try to maintain communication between Shia and Sunni leaders, and to "gain trust of key religious leaders on both sides in various conflict areas". He sees his role as trying to mediate and re-establish the dialogue between conflicting groups. In November 2014 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, ordered his departure due to the increased security risks and the Church of England's no hostage policy. White was aware of the fear that the Iraqi people had of Saddam Hussein's regime, and he often talks of how he supported the invasion of Iraq but had not foreseen the horrific aftermath. Canon White has stated that his work is unique largely because of the long-term relationships he has in the Middle East and his religion. Through his work, he has become unaccustomed to a normal civilian life, and has said that he would find life in London 'boring'.[2] In 2014, Canon White's daily efforts and challenges were documented by Vice Media as part of a three-part series named 'The Vicar of Baghdad'.[9] Also during 2014 Canon White was voted UK's top Christian of the year on the 'Cranmer list'[10] Canon White continues to maintain his popularity as a major global trans-denominational voice on peace and reconciliation and the persecuted church. He is a regular voice on national and international radio and TV and continues to travel globally, speaking at churches, Bible Schools, universities and political/religious conferences around the world. As well as engaging in national and international public speaking and lecturing, he continues to fulfil his pastoral duties to his displaced Iraqi congregation, many of whom currently reside in Jordan. As well as appearing on various secular TV channels and radio shows nationally and internationally, Canon White has had regular weekly series and shows with TBN UK, GOD TV who recently created a popular documentary on his life, 'Christianity Under Fire'. He remains one of the key global voices concerning the plight of the persecuted church and is dedicated to raising awareness of this issue in all of his work." So you can see I took risks. Had I been kidnapped and tortured in Baghdad can you imagine the international uproar there would have been? But God was in control for such a time as this. Why not buy a copy of my book' Don't Take Care, Take Risks.' published by Austin Macauley £13.99 or £3.99 on ebook. Amazon, WH Smith and Waterstones Uk also sold in USA etc

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