Mubarak urges Saddam be spared
Egypt’s president came out strongly against hanging Saddam Hussein, saying in remarks published Thursday that it could make Iraq explode into more violence.
The statement from President Hosni Mubarak broke an uneasy silence among Arab leaders over Sunday’s verdict by an Iraqi court, which convicted Saddam for the killings of some 150 Shiite Muslims after an assassination attempt against him in 1982.
Mubarak, a regional heavyweight and a top U.S. ally, appeared to speak for many in the region who are uneasy about seeing a former Arab president tried and sentenced – no matter how much they disliked Saddam’s regime. Analysts suggested Arab leaders are worried about the precedent an execution would set, and said Arab publics often identify with their leaders.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Warrants issued for ex-Iranian officials
An Argentine judge handed down international arrest warrants Thursday for ex-Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani and eight other former Iranian officials in connection with the 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 and injured more than 200.
An Argentine investigation blamed the bombing on Hezbollah guerrillas acting on orders from Iran, and last month a pair of special prosecutors here asked federal judge Rodolfo Canicoba Corral to order the arrests. The judge said Thursday that “sufficient proof”’ had been provided to issue the warrants.
Patna, India
Eunuchs will help collect back taxes
One cash-strapped Indian city has launched a unique collection service to dislodge payment from tax deadbeats: Door-to-door eunuchs.
Eunuchs – a term used in India to describe transvestites, postoperative transsexuals and hermaphrodites – traditionally make a living on tips for dancing at weddings or for blessing newborns. They frequently refuse to leave until they are given money.
Patna, the capital of Bihar state in eastern India, hired scores of them Wednesday to compel shop owners to pay their back taxes.