Thirty six were killed in a number of suicide attacks in Baghdad today in the continuing violence [BBC]. Most were Iraqi police recruits and students according to reports. At least another 11 were killed in shootings throughout the country and another American was reported kidnapped according to reports on CNN. And as the War on Terror continues, Condoleezza Rice was in Germany where she met the new chancellor Angela Merkel. Rice defended the US policy of ‘rendition’, a term used to describe the abduction of suspects who are taken to countries outside the protection of US law for ‘interrogation’. Yesterday she lambasted critics saying that US operations had prevented attacks in Europe and the UK. However many individuals have been mistakenly abducted. The Washington Post cited at least three dozen cases where individuals had been incarcerated in ‘black sites’. One of them was a German citizen who had the misfortune of having the same name as a terror suspect. Khaled Masri was taken from the streets of Macedonia and taken to Afghanistan in December 2003. He was held for five months before US authorities realised their ‘mistake’. Meanwhile the Saddam Hussein trial continues, but little Live coverage is provided and only a brief description of proceedings is given by many news outlets. BBC’s John Simpson gave the most interesting account as he described moments not covered by the cameras. Moments such as Saddam’s encouragement to the insurgency, and his rambling rhetoric and sometimes skilled cross examination of witnesses. Most reports tended to highlight his statement in which he said he did not mind being executed. [CNN]
[16:33 GMT 06/12/2005]
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