THE WEEK THAT WAS

by MONITOR
THE result of the referendum on the Iraqi constitution was still awaited one week after it took place; votes of more than 90 per cent in favour in some areas led to investigations of possible fraud. The trial of Saddam Hussein and several of his associates opened in Baghdad under tight security; Saddam refused to recognise the authority of the court, claiming he was still “President of Iraq”. The Associated Press news agency reported that 1'978 members of the United States armed forces had lost their lives since the Iraq war began in March 2003. President Bush's approval rating fell to 39 per cent, the lowest since he came to power in 2001. Rumours in Washington suggested that Mr Bush's closest aide, Karl Rove, might be prosecuted for revealing the name of a CIA agent to a journalist. The President's nominee to the Supreme Court, Harriet Miers, was facing a hostile Senate approval hearing because of her lack of judicial experience. In Britain David Cameron and David Davis were chosen by Conservative MPs to fight a six-week constituency contest for the leadership of the Party. A Bill to enable the introduction of identity cards was approved by the House of Commons but with a much-reduced government majority. Ms Patricia Hewitt, the Health Minister predicted that if avian influenza communicable between human beings were established in Britain up to one-quarter of the population might be infected and 50'000 might die. In Northern Ireland a complete ban on smoking in bars and enclosed public places was introduced. In a speech to to a United Nations meeting in Rome, President Mugabe of Zimbabwe likened President Bush and Prime Minister Blair to Hitler and Mussolini.