IRAQ. HUSSEIN JUDGES DELAY VERDICT

judges postponed their verdict in Saddam Hussein's trial.
The verdict had been expected on October 16 but was delayed until at least the end of the month while judges took extra time to review the evidence and make sure their case was airtight. But no matter how well crafted, the verdict could worsen violence that is claiming dozens of lives daily. A death sentence for the former leader could enrage his Sunni Muslim supporters, while anything less is sure to infuriate Shi'ites who were oppressed under Hussein's regime. Shi'ites had made clear they would only accept execution for the leader whose regime persecuted their majority community and the Kurds.
``Anything less than a death sentence will be a neglect of justice," Hassan al-Suneid, a Shi'ite lawmaker. ``I think it could be a disaster."