BODIES ON GALLOWS
Background: A HUGE CROWD GAZED AT THE BODIES OF EIGHT IRAQIS HANGING FROM IMPROVISED GALLOWS IN BAGHDAD'S TAHRIR (LIBERATION) SQUARE YESTERDAY (THURSDAY). THE BODIES OF THE MEN, EXECUTED EARLIER FOR ALLEGEDLY SPYING FOR ISRAEL, WERE DISPLAYED FOR NEARLY SIX HOURS.

SEVEN OF THE MEN, ALL IRAQI ARABS, WERE MOSLEMS, AND ONE WAS A CHRISTIAN. FOUR OF THE MEN WERE SOLDIERS AND FOUR WERE CIVILIANS.

THE MEN HAD BEEN CONVICTED BY A REVOLUTIONARY COURT OF SAYING FOR ISRAEL. THEY INCLUDED THE ALL RING-LEADER, WARRANT OFFICER NAJAT KADHEM KHURSHEED. THEY WERE SAID TO HAVE BEEN PART OF A TEN-MAN SPY RING WHICH WAS BROKEN UP LAST DECEMBER.

THE MEN WERE SAID TO HAVE BEEN REPORTING ON THE STRENGTH OF ARMY UNITS IN IRAQ AND JORDAN. THEY WERE ALSO SAID TO HAVE BEEN INTENDING TO SPREAD RUMOURS ALLEGING DISPUTES BETWEEN THE DEFENCE MINISTER, GENERAL HARDAN LATIKRITI, AND THE INTERIOR MINISTER, GENERAL MEDI SALEM AMMASH.

ALTHOUGH SOME IRAQIS MARCHED IN PROCESSION TO THE SQUARE, THERE WERE NO MAJOR PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS YESTERDAY. THIS WAS IN CONTRAST TO LAST MONTH WHEN THE BODIES OF ELEVEN OTHER ALLEGED SPIES FOR ISRAEL - NINE OF THEM JEWS - WERE PUBLICLY DISPLAYED IN BAGHDAD.