Saddam Hussein executed for war crimes

[pablo]

BAGHDAD, Iraq -
Saddam Hussein struggled briefly after American military guards handed him over to Iraqi executioners. But as his final moments approached, he grew calm. He clutched a Quran as he was led to the gallows, and in one final moment of defiance, refused to have a hood pulled over his head before facing the same fate he was accused of inflicting on countless thousands during a quarter-century of ruthless power.

A man whose testimony helped lead to Saddam's conviction and execution before sunrise said he was shown the body because "everybody wanted to make sure that he was really executed."

"Now, he is in the garbage of history," said Jawad Abdul-Aziz, who lost his father, three brothers and 22 cousins in the reprisal killings that followed a botched 1982 assassination attempt against Saddam in the Shiite town of Dujail.

Iraqi television showed what it said was Saddam's body, his head uncovered and the neck twisted at a sharp angle.

The footage showed the man identified as Saddam lying on a stretcher, covered in a white shroud. His neck and part of the shroud have what appear to be bloodstains. His eyes are closed.

In Baghdad's Shiite enclave of Sadr City, hundreds of people danced in the streets while others fired guns in the air to celebrate. The government did not impose a round-the-clock curfew as it did last month when Saddam was convicted to thwart any surge in retaliatory violence.

Full Story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061230/ap_ ... _ea/saddam

[mfat_man]

Good. At least I won't have this story rammed down my throat every day I turn on my TV

[AndyG321]

still seems like he got off easy...not that death is easy!!! I mean I'd rather have seen him rot in prison!
Surely that's more of a punishment? seeing him becoming somone's b*tch? hehe

[AJtothemax]

It's really great

Well, death is never great but this guy was a murderer and in 1990-1991 he could have beomce a tyrant for the entire middle east, challenged Israel and threaterned our way of life (with the oil and all).

Can't say he didn't deserve it. God will have already judged him.

[Chateau Lafite]

He was obviously a murderous tyrant and death was long overdue for him. The world's gene pool is better off without scum like him.

However, there's a lot of inconvenient truth that's been silenced with him for the benefit of Bush and bLiar. He was accused of many crimes, but executed after only the first verdict came back guilty. At least two of the alleged crimes would have been very embarrassing for the Americans and I believe that the Coalition wanted Saddam out of the way quickly before these issues arose in the trial.

Firstly it means that he won't be tried on the horrific murder of thousands at Halabja where, as you all know, Iraqi Kurds were gassed with Sarin, Mustard Gas, Tabun and VX. America was complicit because;

1) America, and other western countries (including the UK) sold Iraq chemical weapons technology during the Iran-Iraq war. They turned a blind eye when these weapons were used against Iran contrary to International Law .
2) America covertly and overtly supported Saddam throughout the Iran-Iraq war
3) When Halabja happened Reagan laid the blame squarely with Iran and not his old pal that nice Mr Hussein. This has been conveniently forgotten.

To quote the International Herald Tribune:
"The American public should demand a full accounting for the support its leadership provided Iraq in the past, including its green light to chemical weapons use — weapons that Washington is belatedly claiming should be destroyed."

Secondly, after GW1 the George Bush Snr was hoping that a popular uprising would dispose of Saddam. This is why Coalition forces stopped at the Kuwaiti border instead of finishing the job by motoring on to Baghdad.

To facilitate this CIA in essence said to the Shia around Basra, "If you organise a revolution / uprising, we will back you up with all we've got." The Shia heroically did so, only to be let down by the feral dogs of Langley. Saddam slaughtered them in their thousands.

I doubt the Americans wanted either of these unsavoury episodes to be dragged out into the light again - hence a quick death, on Ede of all days, for Mr Hussein.

It kind of reminds me of another US foriegn policy blunder - supporting the Afgan Mujahadeen against the Soviets. One of the main beneficiaries of this support and training? A certain Mr Osama Bin Laden.

Well done America! Keep up the good work!

[mfat_man]

CL

I've no doubt that if anyone put a weapon in our hand and asked to pull the trigger they would do, and you can count me in on that one.

OK he was supported by the west before GW1 but he also committed some awful crimes the world knows about so why should he be allowed to live? Come to think of it why were Amin and Pinochet allowed freedom at all..... Mugabe? When will that one get sorted.

I suppose you will get the normal PC whingers with nothing better to do with their time moaning about human rights and at the same time defending the right of Saddam to live! Funny old world we live in these days

[AJtothemax]

Basically the whole point of what you just put - we fight to protect our interests. Thats all really.

[mancuniankid]

I got the full video on my phone