The wheels of justice go round and round......

More often than not, they end up right back where they started. I had the chance to sit through a trial today. The Iraqi court system is not quite what you would expect. A country full of terrorists and murderers would lead you to believe the new court system would be harsh on the guilty. In my personal opinion, you have a better chance of committing a crime and getting away with it. Suppose one is arrested. He is taken to jail where he may sit for 6 months. Once he finally makes it to a court room, the defense or prosecuted have no say inside the court room. The judge makes all decisions and questions the witnesses (two of which are required for a conviction) and questions the accused. Attorneys are just there for a show I suppose. If this judge decides the person should be tried, he is them moved to a 3 judge panel trial that will never last more than an hour and you can expect a decision within 30 minutes on a tough case. Sentences rage from 1 year to life which is only 15 years. I guess it's a way to keep the jails from being overcrowded.

The violence is starting to pick up again. A British helicopter was shot down in a relatively quiet area of Iraq. All personnel on board were killed. When British ground forces moved in to recover the down aircraft, they were met with serious resistance from area residents.

As of today, 2,416 US Soldiers have died in Iraq and 224 have died in Afghanistan. Three died Friday afternoon when their vehicle hit a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) a few miles south of Baghdad. I still hope we are making progress. The Pentagon must think so. They just made public, a decision to delay the deployment of the 1st Infantry Division (1 ID). This is being called a reduction in force. Makes you wonder if it is a reduction of total force, or just moving the Army out to make room for the Navy.....

A picture of the Central Criminal Court of Iraq is seen here.