Saddam sentenced

Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has received a death sentence. What are the charges against him?

The principal one, for this trial, seems to be his reprisal against Shiite Muslims in Dujail for a 1982 assassination attempt. According to the Chicago Tribune, "entire families from Dujail were detained. Death sentences against many were issued after perfunctory one-day trials. Nearly four dozen victims died in captivity--often during interrogation." The death count: 148.

While the sentence seems final, it may not be. "There are appeals and more trials," the Tribune wrote. Hussein is scheduled for another trial for charges of genocide. The basis: killing around 180,000 Kurds in 1987-88. The Tribune: "All told, Hussein's regime is believed to have killed at least 300,000 Iraqis."

Some Sunnis have reacted violently to the death sentence. Even after his sentencing, it seems, the dictator can still cause trouble in Iraq.