Judge on tribunal that will try Saddam killed
Death toll from Hilla car bomb rises to 127
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 Saddam's half-brother and four others to face human rights trials.
 How Iraqi government is dealing with insurgent infiltrators.
 A suicide car bomber kills more than 100 in Hilla.
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A judge with the court that will hear charges against Saddam Hussein and members of his government was gunned down by insurgents Tuesday -- one of at least four Iraqis killed around Baghdad, sources said.
Judge Barwize Mohammed Mahmoud and his son were shot to death shortly before 8 a.m. in the Raghiba Khatoun neighborhood near the Al-Adhamiya district in northern Baghdad, considered one of the city's most dangerous areas.
Mahmoud was a judge with the Iraq Special Tribunal and was a leading Kurdish politician, the tribunal's press office said. It was not immediately clear what cases he was to hear.
On Monday, the tribunal announced that a half-brother of Saddam -- Barzan Ibrahim Hassan Al-Tikriti -- would likely be the first to face trial on human rights charges for crimes allegedly committed in 1982 in the village of Al-Dujail, where 150 families were killed and hundreds more deported.
Another half-brother of Saddam -- Sab'awi Ibrahim al-Hasan al-Tikriti -- was captured with information provided by Syria, Iraq's interim defense minister said on Tuesday. (Full story)
The tribunal was established to bring charges against members of Saddam's regime for crimes against humanity, including war crimes in connection with Iraq's wars against Iran and Kuwait.
The statute establishing the tribunal calls for it to have one or more five-judge panels to hear cases.
According to sources, Mahmoud was one of several people targeted around Baghdad.
Another judge, Moayad Hamed Al-Jader, and one of his guards were severely wounded in the neighborhood of Jadeeda. The 60-year-old investigative judge was riding with two guards when occupants of another vehicle began shooting at his automobile, the sources said.
Under Saddam's regime, Al-Jader was a judge in the general security court.
Meanwhile, two Iraqi police officers were killed in the Al-Dora neighborhood in southern Baghdad.
Officer Qosay Fayadh died near the Al-Dora police station when insurgents fired at his home as he was leaving for work. One of the two police officers who went to the scene was killed by a grenade.
'Fake stories'
Fliers threatening staffers of U.S.-backed Al-Iraqiya TV are being distributed in the Iraqi towns of Baiji and Samarra, police and eyewitnesses said.
Baghdad-based, state-run Al-Iraqiya has been airing video of people confessing to being involved in the Iraq insurgency and in acts such as beheadings and suicide bombings.
The fliers say "TV is showing fake stories" of people they call sell-outs.
"The plays that are being showed by Allawi TV are targeting the reputation of mujahedeen who gave lessons to the infidels -- the occupiers," the fliers say.
For weeks the confessions have been aired between ads calling for recruits to join Iraqi security forces.
A group called "Al-Jihad wa Al-Da'wa" signed the fliers, police and eyewitnesses said.
Worst single insurgent attack
Hilla's general hospital on Tuesday increased the death toll from the worst single insurgent attack of the Iraq war to 127.
"Those who had serious injuries passed away overnight," said hospital chief Dr. Mohammed Dhiaa. He said 124 people were wounded in Monday's blast, which hit a group of police recruits waiting for physicals outside a government office.
Earlier Tuesday, Iraq's Interior Ministry lowered the official casualty toll to 106 dead and 146 wounded, Col. Adnan Abdul Rahman said. Originally, the attack was blamed for at least 125 deaths and 150 people injured. No explanation was given for those revised figures.
The government office was near a busy market, and police weren't sure how many recruits were among the casualties. Hilla is about 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of Baghdad.
The office of interim prime minister Ayad Allawi declared Wednesday a national day of mourning for the Hilla victims, and announced that the families of the dead would receive about 1.5 million Iraqi dinar (approximately $1,025) each from an emergency relief fund. Families of the wounded would get 750,000 Iraqi dinar (about $512).
Insurgents frequently target police recruits and Iraqi security forces. A similar suicide attack on September 4, 2004, killed 47 recruits. Before Monday, the deadliest single attacks killed at least 84 people August 29, 2003, at the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, and at least 85 people March 2, 2004, in Karbala.
Political maneuvers
The Shiite politician regarded as the top candidate for prime minister and major Kurdish politicians started meeting Tuesday near Erbil in northern Iraq to discuss the new transitional government.
Ibrahim al-Jaafari -- the prime minister candidate of the Shiite-led United Iraqi Alliance -- is discussing with the Kurds the development of a new constitution, which is the major role of the government, according to a spokesman for al-Jaafari. He called the meetings "preliminary discussions."
On Tuesday, al-Jaafari met with Massoud Barzani, head of the Kurdish Democratic Party, and will meet Wednesday with Jalal Talabani, the head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.
A main point under discussion is the inclusion of groups that didn't participate in the January 30 election, particularly Sunni Arabs -- many of whom boycotted the polls.
Other developments
Ukraine will begin pulling its troops from Iraq March 15, when the first of 150 military personnel will leave, Ukrainian officials said Tuesday. Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk will travel to Washington March 10-11 to meet with top U.S. officials. Ukraine has 1,650 troops in Iraq, the sixth largest contingent. A French journalist -- missing since early January -- pleaded for help in a video obtained by news agencies in Iraq on Tuesday. In the video, Florence Aubenas, 43, is shown sitting with her arms around her knees in front of a plain red background. (Full story)A second U.S. soldier has died from injuries suffered Monday during a vehicle accident about 100 miles (62 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, according to a military statement released Tuesday. The death puts the U.S. death toll in the Iraq war to 1,498, according to the U.S. military.Iraq's interim government replaced the human rights abuses of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein with its own variety of offenses including torture, arbitrary arrests, bribery and death, according to an annual U.S. human rights report. (Full story)CNN's Kianne Sadeq, Zoran Stevanovic and Kianne Sadeq contributed to this report.
