Iran and Iraq jointly accuse Hussein in preparation for trial News
Iran and Iraq jointly accuse Hussein in preparation for trial

[JURIST] Iraq and Iran issued a landmark joint statement Thursday blaming Saddam Hussein [Wikipedia profile] and his loyalists as the military aggressors in both the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war [Wikipedia entry] and the 1990 Iraq-Kuwait conflict [BBC timeline]. The statement came amidst an attempt by the two countries to forge better ties in the wake of Hussein's capture. According to the text, "The two sides confirm the necessity of trying the leaders of the former regime in Iraq in a fair trial because they committed war crimes and crimes against humanity and their military aggression against the Iraqi people, Iran and Kuwait." Hussein will stand trial before the Iraqi Special Tribunal [statute] at a date yet to be determined. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.