UN and EU leaders alike have criticized the executions of Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar.
Barzan was Iraqs former intelligence chief and Saddam Hussein's half-brother, and al-Bandar was the former head of the Revolutionary Court. Both men were hanged for crimes against humanity.
UN spokesperson Michele Montas said that SG Ban Ki-moon "regrets that despite pleas from himself and the high commissioner for human rights to spare the lives of the two co-defendants, they were both executed."
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour released a statement saying, "The imposition of the death penalty after a trial and appeal proceedings that do not respect the principles of due process amounts to a violation of the right to life."
EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said that the executions were "detrimental also to the question of national reconciliation" in Iraq and other European leaders restated their objections to the death penalty. More
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will meet with U.S. President George Bush next Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
Michele Montas, spokesperson for Ban, said "I can confirm that the visit will take place next Tuesday, the 16th of January. In addition to meeting with the President, the Secretary-General will also meet with leaders of the US Congress." More
Claudia Rosett, who has already declared Ban Ki-moon's "half-life of integrity" to be "less than a week," is trying to gin up controversy about the appointment of the new Deputy Secretary General from Tanzania, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro.
The UN refugee agency reported yesterday that more than 20,000 people have been displaced over the last three weeks due to fighting between the Sri Lankan Government and Tamil separatists.
Yoko Akasaka, head of the UNHCR field office in Batticaloa, said "Sites are hosting people at twice their actual capacity, the district is facing a potential food shortage and many families have been separated in flight or during transport to emergency sites." More