IRAQ. ARMY DESERTERS TO BE EXECUTED

Iraqi soldiers who desert their units now face execution, according to a decree by the country’s Presidential Council. The harsh penalties come following reports of large-scale desertion from army ranks in the wake of the latest surge in rebel attacks against US and Iraqi forces.
The penalties are also applicable to the cadets of military academies in the country. Turning desertion into an offense punishable by death comes amid mounting criticism from human rights groups that Iraq has become one of the world’s highest users of death penalty.