[Nasional-e] Many Shiite opponents of regime are freed

[Ambon]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_013D_01C278AA.D9DB5A40
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="Windows-1252"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Decreeing broad amnesty, Saddam empties the jails =20
   Rajiv Chandrasekaran The Washington Post  Monday, October 21, 2002=20


Many Shiite opponents of regime are freed
=20
BAGHDAD President Saddam Hussein announced Sunday an amnesty for most of =
the country's prisoners, setting free tens of thousands of convicts, =
including political dissidents, in an effort to bolster domestic and =
international support in his confrontation with the United States.
.
Moments after the amnesty decree was read on state television Sunday =
morning, the authorities threw open the gates of the country's most =
notorious prison, the high-security Abu Gharib complex on the outskirts =
of Baghdad, allowing several thousand dazed and scruffy men to walk out =
of their cramped cells and into a throng of cheering and wailing =
relatives who had surrounded the vast penitentiary.
.
Among those released from Abu Gharib were scores of young Shiite Muslim =
men, several of whom said they had been imprisoned on charges of =
opposing Saddam's government. "We were political prisoners," whispered a =
man who gave his name as Walid and said he was a carpenter from the =
Shiite-dominated southern city of Najaf. "There were many like us in =
there - people who talked bad about the government."
.
More than a dozen other Shiites interviewed outside the presence of =
government officials on the dusty road leading away from Abu Gharib also =
said they had been held on what they called "political" charges.
.
Saddam's government, which is dominated by Sunni Muslims, has long been =
concerned about dissent among Shiites, who comprise more than 55 percent =
of the country's population but enjoy comparatively little political =
clout. Thousands of Shiites participated in a 1991 revolt against Saddam =
in southern Iraq, a rebellion which Iraq claims was instigated by =
neighboring Iran.
.
Iraqi political observers said Sunday that the government's decision to =
include Shiite dissidents in the amnesty might reflect confidence in =
security measures installed over the past decade to prevent another =
insurrection. They said it also quite likely was an overture to Iran, =
whose government is dominated by Shiites and has long been critical of =
Iraq's treatment of its Shiite population.
.
Iraqi officials have been trying to ensure that Iran, a country with =
which Baghdad fought an eight-year war in the 1980s, will crack down on =
Shiite opposition groups that operate along the border and will refuse =
to provide assistance to the United States in the event of a military =
attack.
.
"Saddam seems to be trying to send an olive branch to the Iranians," a =
diplomat here said.
.
Iraq also took a step Sunday toward trying to mend relations with =
Kuwait, a country that Iraq's army invaded in 1990, sparking the Gulf =
War. Fulfilling a promise it made earlier in the year, Iraq began =
handing over 2 tons of official documents it had seized from Kuwait's =
national archives during the invasion. The transfer of the documents =
took place at a demilitarized border zone and was supervised by the =
United Nations.
.
Iraqi officials said the amnesty applied to every person in the =
country's prisons except those convicted of spying for the United States =
or Israel. A judge supervising the events at Abu Gharib said the amnesty =
also applied "without exception" to foreigners being held in Iraqi =
prisons.
.
Officials did not mention whether Kuwaitis allegedly imprisoned in Iraq =
were among those released. The U.S. and Kuwaiti governments accuse Iraq =
of failing to account for more than 600 people, most of them Kuwaitis, =
who disappeared after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Iraq maintains =
that it has released all its prisoners of war.
.
"Just handing over documents will not be sufficient," a senior Kuwaiti =
official said in an interview this month. "For us, the prisoners of war =
are the most important thing."
.
Although Kuwait has said it opposes any unilateral U.S. military action =
against Iraq, the Kuwaiti government has allowed the U.S. military to =
build up its forces in preparation for a possible attack. Privately, =
Kuwaiti officials said they support Saddam's ouster and would not =
interfere with a U.S. invasion, which they said they cannot prevent =
under the terms of their defense treaty with the United States.
.
Iraqi officials did not reveal the number of prisoners freed under the =
decree, but the flow of people out of Abu Gharib witnessed by this =
correspondent and television footage of other releases suggested that =
the total figure was in the tens of thousands.
.
Officials said all pardoned prisoners would be released within two days.
.
Secretary of State Colin Powell dismissed the amnesty as a political =
ploy.
.
"This is typical of this man's use of human beings for these political =
purposes of his," Powell said on ABC Television. "This is the kind of =
manipulation he uses to try and paint himself as something other than =
what he is: a brutal dictator."
.
International human-rights groups accuse Iraq of holding tens of =
thousands of political prisoners. Many are tortured and executed, the =
groups contend. The British government last week accused Iraq of having =
"probably the worst human-rights situation anywhere in the world."
.
The Iraqi government invited journalists to cover the release at Abu =
Gharib, which usually is off-limits to foreigners. The event initially =
was cloaked in secrecy, with officials telling journalists to assemble =
at the Information Ministry building for a news conference. Then they =
told the journalists to get in their vehicles and follow a government =
car, which resulted in a high-speed chase through the streets of Baghdad =
and on two highways leading out of the city.
.
The first wave of prisoners to leave Abu Gharib appeared to have been =
well scrubbed - and well rehearsed. Carrying their belongings in metal =
trunks and plastic sacks, they shouted: "We sacrifice our souls for =
Saddam." Others said they were ready to "defend our great leader."
.
Saddam said the amnesty was a gesture of thanks for the support he =
received in a referendum last week giving him another seven-year term as =
president.
.
In light of the result, he said in a statement read on television by =
Information Minister Mohammed Saeed Sahaf, "we show mercy rather than =
punishment."
.
As news of the release spread, thousands of people descended on the =
low-slung Abu Gharib complex. Family members, many of them crying, =
rushed to the front gates, some waving photos of their incarcerated =
relatives. =20
=20
< < Back to Start of Article Many Shiite opponents of regime are freed
=20
BAGHDAD President Saddam Hussein announced Sunday an amnesty for most of =
the country's prisoners, setting free tens of thousands of convicts, =
including political dissidents, in an effort to bolster domestic and =
international support in his confrontation with the United States.
.
Moments after the amnesty decree was read on state television Sunday =
morning, the authorities threw open the gates of the country's most =
notorious prison, the high-security Abu Gharib complex on the outskirts =
of Baghdad, allowing several thousand dazed and scruffy men to walk out =
of their cramped cells and into a throng of cheering and wailing =
relatives who had surrounded the vast penitentiary.
.
Among those released from Abu Gharib were scores of young Shiite Muslim =
men, several of whom said they had been imprisoned on charges of =
opposing Saddam's government. "We were political prisoners," whispered a =
man who gave his name as Walid and said he was a carpenter from the =
Shiite-dominated southern city of Najaf. "There were many like us in =
there - people who talked bad about the government."
.
More than a dozen other Shiites interviewed outside the presence of =
government officials on the dusty road leading away from Abu Gharib also =
said they had been held on what they called "political" charges.
.
Saddam's government, which is dominated by Sunni Muslims, has long been =
concerned about dissent among Shiites, who comprise more than 55 percent =
of the country's population but enjoy comparatively little political =
clout. Thousands of Shiites participated in a 1991 revolt against Saddam =
in southern Iraq, a rebellion which Iraq claims was instigated by =
neighboring Iran.
.
Iraqi political observers said Sunday that the government's decision to =
include Shiite dissidents in the amnesty might reflect confidence in =
security measures installed over the past decade to prevent another =
insurrection. They said it also quite likely was an overture to Iran, =
whose government is dominated by Shiites and has long been critical of =
Iraq's treatment of its Shiite population.
.
Iraqi officials have been trying to ensure that Iran, a country with =
which Baghdad fought an eight-year war in the 1980s, will crack down on =
Shiite opposition groups that operate along the border and will refuse =
to provide assistance to the United States in the event of a military =
attack.
.
"Saddam seems to be trying to send an olive branch to the Iranians," a =
diplomat here said.
.
Iraq also took a step Sunday toward trying to mend relations with =
Kuwait, a country that Iraq's army invaded in 1990, sparking the Gulf =
War. Fulfilling a promise it made earlier in the year, Iraq began =
handing over 2 tons of official documents it had seized from Kuwait's =
national archives during the invasion. The transfer of the documents =
took place at a demilitarized border zone and was supervised by the =
United Nations.
.
Iraqi officials said the amnesty applied to every person in the =
country's prisons except those convicted of spying for the United States =
or Israel. A judge supervising the events at Abu Gharib said the amnesty =
also applied "without exception" to foreigners being held in Iraqi =
prisons.
.
Officials did not mention whether Kuwaitis allegedly imprisoned in Iraq =
were among those released. The U.S. and Kuwaiti governments accuse Iraq =
of failing to account for more than 600 people, most of them Kuwaitis, =
who disappeared after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Iraq maintains =
that it has released all its prisoners of war.
.
"Just handing over documents will not be sufficient," a senior Kuwaiti =
official said in an interview this month. "For us, the prisoners of war =
are the most important thing."
.
Although Kuwait has said it opposes any unilateral U.S. military action =
against Iraq, the Kuwaiti government has allowed the U.S. military to =
build up its forces in preparation for a possible attack. Privately, =
Kuwaiti officials said they support Saddam's ouster and would not =
interfere with a U.S. invasion, which they said they cannot prevent =
under the terms of their defense treaty with the United States.
.
Iraqi officials did not reveal the number of prisoners freed under the =
decree, but the flow of people out of Abu Gharib witnessed by this =
correspondent and television footage of other releases suggested that =
the total figure was in the tens of thousands.
.
Officials said all pardoned prisoners would be released within two days.
.
Secretary of State Colin Powell dismissed the amnesty as a political =
ploy.
.
"This is typical of this man's use of human beings for these political =
purposes of his," Powell said on ABC Television. "This is the kind of =
manipulation he uses to try and paint himself as something other than =
what he is: a brutal dictator."
.
International human-rights groups accuse Iraq of holding tens of =
thousands of political prisoners. Many are tortured and executed, the =
groups contend. The British government last week accused Iraq of having =
"probably the worst human-rights situation anywhere in the world."
.
The Iraqi government invited journalists to cover the release at Abu =
Gharib, which usually is off-limits to foreigners. The event initially =
was cloaked in secrecy, with officials telling journalists to assemble =
at the Information Ministry building for a news conference. Then they =
told the journalists to get in their vehicles and follow a government =
car, which resulted in a high-speed chase through the streets of Baghdad =
and on two highways leading out of the city.
.
The first wave of prisoners to leave Abu Gharib appeared to have been =
well scrubbed - and well rehearsed. Carrying their belongings in metal =
trunks and plastic sacks, they shouted: "We sacrifice our souls for =
Saddam." Others said they were ready to "defend our great leader."
.
Saddam said the amnesty was a gesture of thanks for the support he =
received in a referendum last week giving him another seven-year term as =
president.
.
In light of the result, he said in a statement read on television by =
Information Minister Mohammed Saeed Sahaf, "we show mercy rather than =
punishment."
.
As news of the release spread, thousands of people descended on the =
low-slung Abu Gharib complex. Family members, many of them crying, =
rushed to the front gates, some waving photos of their incarcerated =
relatives. Many Shiite opponents of regime are freed
=20


------=_NextPart_000_013D_01C278AA.D9DB5A40
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="Windows-1252"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Dwindows-1252">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Trebuchet MS" size=3D2>
<DIV>Decreeing broad amnesty, Saddam empties the jails&nbsp; =
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
Rajiv Chandrasekaran The Washington Post&nbsp; Monday, October 21, 2002=20
<BR></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Many Shiite opponents of regime are freed<BR>&nbsp;<BR>BAGHDAD =
President=20
Saddam Hussein announced Sunday an amnesty for most of the country's =
prisoners,=20
setting free tens of thousands of convicts, including political =
dissidents, in=20
an effort to bolster domestic and international support in his =
confrontation=20
with the United States.<BR>.<BR>Moments after the amnesty decree was =
read on=20
state television Sunday morning, the authorities threw open the gates of =
the=20
country's most notorious prison, the high-security Abu Gharib complex on =
the=20
outskirts of Baghdad, allowing several thousand dazed and scruffy men to =
walk=20
out of their cramped cells and into a throng of cheering and wailing =
relatives=20
who had surrounded the vast penitentiary.<BR>.<BR>Among those released =
from Abu=20
Gharib were scores of young Shiite Muslim men, several of whom said they =
had=20
been imprisoned on charges of opposing Saddam's government. "We were =
political=20
prisoners," whispered a man who gave his name as Walid and said he was a =

carpenter from the Shiite-dominated southern city of Najaf. "There were =
many=20
like us in there - people who talked bad about the =
government."<BR>.<BR>More=20
than a dozen other Shiites interviewed outside the presence of =
government=20
officials on the dusty road leading away from Abu Gharib also said they =
had been=20
held on what they called "political" charges.<BR>.<BR>Saddam's =
government, which=20
is dominated by Sunni Muslims, has long been concerned about dissent =
among=20
Shiites, who comprise more than 55 percent of the country's population =
but enjoy=20
comparatively little political clout. Thousands of Shiites participated =
in a=20
1991 revolt against Saddam in southern Iraq, a rebellion which Iraq =
claims was=20
instigated by neighboring Iran.<BR>.<BR>Iraqi political observers said =
Sunday=20
that the government's decision to include Shiite dissidents in the =
amnesty might=20
reflect confidence in security measures installed over the past decade =
to=20
prevent another insurrection. They said it also quite likely was an =
overture to=20
Iran, whose government is dominated by Shiites and has long been =
critical of=20
Iraq's treatment of its Shiite population.<BR>.<BR>Iraqi officials have =
been=20
trying to ensure that Iran, a country with which Baghdad fought an =
eight-year=20
war in the 1980s, will crack down on Shiite opposition groups that =
operate along=20
the border and will refuse to provide assistance to the United States in =
the=20
event of a military attack.<BR>.<BR>"Saddam seems to be trying to send =
an olive=20
branch to the Iranians," a diplomat here said.<BR>.<BR>Iraq also took a =
step=20
Sunday toward trying to mend relations with Kuwait, a country that =
Iraq's army=20
invaded in 1990, sparking the Gulf War. Fulfilling a promise it made =
earlier in=20
the year, Iraq began handing over 2 tons of official documents it had =
seized=20
from Kuwait's national archives during the invasion. The transfer of the =

documents took place at a demilitarized border zone and was supervised =
by the=20
United Nations.<BR>.<BR>Iraqi officials said the amnesty applied to =
every person=20
in the country's prisons except those convicted of spying for the United =
States=20
or Israel. A judge supervising the events at Abu Gharib said the amnesty =
also=20
applied "without exception" to foreigners being held in Iraqi=20
prisons.<BR>.<BR>Officials did not mention whether Kuwaitis allegedly =
imprisoned=20
in Iraq were among those released. The U.S. and Kuwaiti governments =
accuse Iraq=20
of failing to account for more than 600 people, most of them Kuwaitis, =
who=20
disappeared after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Iraq maintains that it =
has=20
released all its prisoners of war.<BR>.<BR>"Just handing over documents =
will not=20
be sufficient," a senior Kuwaiti official said in an interview this =
month. "For=20
us, the prisoners of war are the most important thing."<BR>.<BR>Although =
Kuwait=20
has said it opposes any unilateral U.S. military action against Iraq, =
the=20
Kuwaiti government has allowed the U.S. military to build up its forces =
in=20
preparation for a possible attack. Privately, Kuwaiti officials said =
they=20
support Saddam's ouster and would not interfere with a U.S. invasion, =
which they=20
said they cannot prevent under the terms of their defense treaty with =
the United=20
States.<BR>.<BR>Iraqi officials did not reveal the number of prisoners =
freed=20
under the decree, but the flow of people out of Abu Gharib witnessed by =
this=20
correspondent and television footage of other releases suggested that =
the total=20
figure was in the tens of thousands.<BR>.<BR>Officials said all pardoned =

prisoners would be released within two days.<BR>.<BR>Secretary of State =
Colin=20
Powell dismissed the amnesty as a political ploy.<BR>.<BR>"This is =
typical of=20
this man's use of human beings for these political purposes of his," =
Powell said=20
on ABC Television. "This is the kind of manipulation he uses to try and =
paint=20
himself as something other than what he is: a brutal=20
dictator."<BR>.<BR>International human-rights groups accuse Iraq of =
holding tens=20
of thousands of political prisoners. Many are tortured and executed, the =
groups=20
contend. The British government last week accused Iraq of having =
"probably the=20
worst human-rights situation anywhere in the world."<BR>.<BR>The Iraqi=20
government invited journalists to cover the release at Abu Gharib, which =
usually=20
is off-limits to foreigners. The event initially was cloaked in secrecy, =
with=20
officials telling journalists to assemble at the Information Ministry =
building=20
for a news conference. Then they told the journalists to get in their =
vehicles=20
and follow a government car, which resulted in a high-speed chase =
through the=20
streets of Baghdad and on two highways leading out of the =
city.<BR>.<BR>The=20
first wave of prisoners to leave Abu Gharib appeared to have been well =
scrubbed=20
- and well rehearsed. Carrying their belongings in metal trunks and =
plastic=20
sacks, they shouted: "We sacrifice our souls for Saddam." Others said =
they were=20
ready to "defend our great leader."<BR>.<BR>Saddam said the amnesty was =
a=20
gesture of thanks for the support he received in a referendum last week =
giving=20
him another seven-year term as president.<BR>.<BR>In light of the =
result, he=20
said in a statement read on television by Information Minister Mohammed =
Saeed=20
Sahaf, "we show mercy rather than punishment."<BR>.<BR>As news of the =
release=20
spread, thousands of people descended on the low-slung Abu Gharib =
complex.=20
Family members, many of them crying, rushed to the front gates, some =
waving=20
photos of their incarcerated relatives.&nbsp; <BR>&nbsp;<BR>&lt; &lt; =
Back to=20
Start of Article Many Shiite opponents of regime are =
freed<BR>&nbsp;<BR>BAGHDAD=20
President Saddam Hussein announced Sunday an amnesty for most of the =
country's=20
prisoners, setting free tens of thousands of convicts, including =
political=20
dissidents, in an effort to bolster domestic and international support =
in his=20
confrontation with the United States.<BR>.<BR>Moments after the amnesty =
decree=20
was read on state television Sunday morning, the authorities threw open =
the=20
gates of the country's most notorious prison, the high-security Abu =
Gharib=20
complex on the outskirts of Baghdad, allowing several thousand dazed and =
scruffy=20
men to walk out of their cramped cells and into a throng of cheering and =
wailing=20
relatives who had surrounded the vast penitentiary.<BR>.<BR>Among those =
released=20
from Abu Gharib were scores of young Shiite Muslim men, several of whom =
said=20
they had been imprisoned on charges of opposing Saddam's government. "We =
were=20
political prisoners," whispered a man who gave his name as Walid and =
said he was=20
a carpenter from the Shiite-dominated southern city of Najaf. "There =
were many=20
like us in there - people who talked bad about the =
government."<BR>.<BR>More=20
than a dozen other Shiites interviewed outside the presence of =
government=20
officials on the dusty road leading away from Abu Gharib also said they =
had been=20
held on what they called "political" charges.<BR>.<BR>Saddam's =
government, which=20
is dominated by Sunni Muslims, has long been concerned about dissent =
among=20
Shiites, who comprise more than 55 percent of the country's population =
but enjoy=20
comparatively little political clout. Thousands of Shiites participated =
in a=20
1991 revolt against Saddam in southern Iraq, a rebellion which Iraq =
claims was=20
instigated by neighboring Iran.<BR>.<BR>Iraqi political observers said =
Sunday=20
that the government's decision to include Shiite dissidents in the =
amnesty might=20
reflect confidence in security measures installed over the past decade =
to=20
prevent another insurrection. They said it also quite likely was an =
overture to=20
Iran, whose government is dominated by Shiites and has long been =
critical of=20
Iraq's treatment of its Shiite population.<BR>.<BR>Iraqi officials have =
been=20
trying to ensure that Iran, a country with which Baghdad fought an =
eight-year=20
war in the 1980s, will crack down on Shiite opposition groups that =
operate along=20
the border and will refuse to provide assistance to the United States in =
the=20
event of a military attack.<BR>.<BR>"Saddam seems to be trying to send =
an olive=20
branch to the Iranians," a diplomat here said.<BR>.<BR>Iraq also took a =
step=20
Sunday toward trying to mend relations with Kuwait, a country that =
Iraq's army=20
invaded in 1990, sparking the Gulf War. Fulfilling a promise it made =
earlier in=20
the year, Iraq began handing over 2 tons of official documents it had =
seized=20
from Kuwait's national archives during the invasion. The transfer of the =

documents took place at a demilitarized border zone and was supervised =
by the=20
United Nations.<BR>.<BR>Iraqi officials said the amnesty applied to =
every person=20
in the country's prisons except those convicted of spying for the United =
States=20
or Israel. A judge supervising the events at Abu Gharib said the amnesty =
also=20
applied "without exception" to foreigners being held in Iraqi=20
prisons.<BR>.<BR>Officials did not mention whether Kuwaitis allegedly =
imprisoned=20
in Iraq were among those released. The U.S. and Kuwaiti governments =
accuse Iraq=20
of failing to account for more than 600 people, most of them Kuwaitis, =
who=20
disappeared after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Iraq maintains that it =
has=20
released all its prisoners of war.<BR>.<BR>"Just handing over documents =
will not=20
be sufficient," a senior Kuwaiti official said in an interview this =
month. "For=20
us, the prisoners of war are the most important thing."<BR>.<BR>Although =
Kuwait=20
has said it opposes any unilateral U.S. military action against Iraq, =
the=20
Kuwaiti government has allowed the U.S. military to build up its forces =
in=20
preparation for a possible attack. Privately, Kuwaiti officials said =
they=20
support Saddam's ouster and would not interfere with a U.S. invasion, =
which they=20
said they cannot prevent under the terms of their defense treaty with =
the United=20
States.<BR>.<BR>Iraqi officials did not reveal the number of prisoners =
freed=20
under the decree, but the flow of people out of Abu Gharib witnessed by =
this=20
correspondent and television footage of other releases suggested that =
the total=20
figure was in the tens of thousands.<BR>.<BR>Officials said all pardoned =

prisoners would be released within two days.<BR>.<BR>Secretary of State =
Colin=20
Powell dismissed the amnesty as a political ploy.<BR>.<BR>"This is =
typical of=20
this man's use of human beings for these political purposes of his," =
Powell said=20
on ABC Television. "This is the kind of manipulation he uses to try and =
paint=20
himself as something other than what he is: a brutal=20
dictator."<BR>.<BR>International human-rights groups accuse Iraq of =
holding tens=20
of thousands of political prisoners. Many are tortured and executed, the =
groups=20
contend. The British government last week accused Iraq of having =
"probably the=20
worst human-rights situation anywhere in the world."<BR>.<BR>The Iraqi=20
government invited journalists to cover the release at Abu Gharib, which =
usually=20
is off-limits to foreigners. The event initially was cloaked in secrecy, =
with=20
officials telling journalists to assemble at the Information Ministry =
building=20
for a news conference. Then they told the journalists to get in their =
vehicles=20
and follow a government car, which resulted in a high-speed chase =
through the=20
streets of Baghdad and on two highways leading out of the =
city.<BR>.<BR>The=20
first wave of prisoners to leave Abu Gharib appeared to have been well =
scrubbed=20
- and well rehearsed. Carrying their belongings in metal trunks and =
plastic=20
sacks, they shouted: "We sacrifice our souls for Saddam." Others said =
they were=20
ready to "defend our great leader."<BR>.<BR>Saddam said the amnesty was =
a=20
gesture of thanks for the support he received in a referendum last week =
giving=20
him another seven-year term as president.<BR>.<BR>In light of the =
result, he=20
said in a statement read on television by Information Minister Mohammed =
Saeed=20
Sahaf, "we show mercy rather than punishment."<BR>.<BR>As news of the =
release=20
spread, thousands of people descended on the low-slung Abu Gharib =
complex.=20
Family members, many of them crying, rushed to the front gates, some =
waving=20
photos of their incarcerated relatives. Many Shiite opponents of regime =
are=20
freed<BR>&nbsp;<BR></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_013D_01C278AA.D9DB5A40--