[Seth1]

It shall not be permitted to possess, bear, buy, or sell arms except on licensure issued in accordance with the law.

Independence?

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

During a ceremony today in Baghdad, 25 council members signed the 25-page interim constitution that senior council member Adnan Pachachi called "a beacon of light and hope for future generations."

The document includes a 13-article bill of rights that guarantees basic rights to all Iraqis. This includes the rights to freedom of religion and worship, to free expression, to peacefully assemble and demonstrate, to organize political parties and to form and join unions. It also guarantees the right to equal treatment under the law and prohibits discrimination based on gender, nationality, religion or origin.

The interim constitution also offers important protections to a population subjected to decades of Saddam Hussein's brutality: protection from arbitrary arrest or detention and the guarantee of a fair, speedy and open trial. 

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YES, Seth1, Independence Day! Do you know what the Iraqi people suffered for 34 years under Hussein's 'leadership?'

This is a very big day for freedom-loving Iraqis, and for others who can only dream of such freedom for their own country one day.

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DoD version - last time for the ping list, I promise. It IS only the biggest day for our troops and the Iraqi people since Baghdad Liberation Day last April 9th! Hoo ah!