News for 1/20 to 1/26

• Iraq: Former Iraqi Official Hanged after Halabja Ruling/3 Suicide Bomb Attacks in Baghdad
• Known as “Chemical Ali,” was sentenced to death for genocide and crimes against humanity
• Calls for his sentencing resulted from numerous different occasions, such as the military campaign against ethnic Kurds in 1988, crushing the Shia revolt in 1991, and the killing of Shia Muslims in Sadr City in 1999
• Shortly before the announcement of his hanging, 3 suicide bombers struck central Baghdad (a connection between the two has not yet been established)
• Northern Ireland: Brown and Cowen Meet for Emergency Justice Talks
• There is currently a growing fear of a collapse in the political institutions at Stormont
• NI’s two biggest political parties, the DUP and Sinn Fein have been arguing over the transfer of policing and justice powers from Westminster to Stormont
• In general, the government in this area is extremely fragile at this time
• Somalia: EU Agrees to Train Somali Troops
• Eu will send a team to help train 2,000 Somali troops who are battling Islamist militants
• EU wants to contribute to the training of Somali security forces in order to enhance stability and hopefully put an end to the offshore piracy
• Thus far, the fighting in Somalia has claimed nearly 20,000 lives
• Sri Lanka: Country Prepares to Choose its Next President
• Election is the first since the Tamil Tigers were defeated (after 25 years of war)
• President Mahinda Rajapaksa faces tough reelection against his former army chief, Gen. sarath Fonseka
• Afghanistan: NATO forces to launch Helman Operation
• Goal is to assert the control of the Afghan government in parts of Helmand under the Taliban
• Helmand is a significantly populous region, with about 250,000 people
• Haiti: Devastated Country to ask for $3 Billion at Donors Conference
• The international conference meeting on Monday will be held in Montreal
• Haiti’s tourism minister estimates that they would use $2 billion to build housing for the 200,000 left homeless, and the rest would be used to rebuilt government ministries and national infrastructure