In other news from Iraq, Syria has handed over 30 Baathists to Iraq including Saddam Hussein’s half-brother. The men are believed to have been arrested in Syria and connected to the Iraqi resistance. Hussein half-brother, Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hassan, once headed some of Iraq’s most powerful security agencies including the Mukhabarat and the General Security Directorate. Hassan is also believed to be a leader among the Iraqi Sunnis fighting the U.S. presence in Iraq. Syria’s move comes at a time that the country is under increasing pressure from the U.S. and Israel.