BAGHDAD, July 30 A new self-contained heavily fortified court community has been built in Baghdad to protect judges and lawyers from terror attacks.
The Rule of Law Complex was built with living accommodations for judges and U.S.-provided criminal investigators, lawyers and witnesses, a New York Times correspondent reported.
The 55-member U.S. team includes Justice Department and military personnel as well as contractors and just four Iraqi investigators.
The first trial at the complex was last month when Syrian militant Ramsi Ahmed Ismael Muhammed was convicted and sentenced to death for kidnapping and killing his hostages, the report said.
The Iraqi government has approved spending $49 million to take over the cost of protecting and operating the complex next month.
Sectarian fighting between Sunni and Shiite Muslims has often targeted members of the Iraqi judiciary.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
