Iraqi state television said former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was executed at 0300 GMT Saturday in an unspecified location. Saddam was sentenced to death by an Iraqi court on November 5, 2006, after a year-long trial over the killings of 148 Shias from the village of Dujail in the 1980s. The former Iraqi leader was captured by US armed forces on the December 13, 2005, from a cellar in a farmhouse, close to his hometown of Tikrit, following a tip-off. The deposed leader had his final appeal turned down on Tuesday. Earlier, on Friday, Saddam’s lawyers said they were informed that the former leader had been transferred to Iraqi custody, a statement which was later denied by the Iraqi Justice Ministry. The US defense department also stated that troops in Iraq were prepared for the backlash expected to follow the execution.
The execution was carried out hours before the start of the Islamic holiday of Eid, which is scheduled to commence at 0900 GMT, Saturday. Government and religious officials, a doctor and a lawyer were present at the execution, which was also filmed to provide proof of death. Though the former leader was also on trial in connection with a military campaign against Kurdish communities in the 1980s, the Iraqi law required he be executed within 30 days regardless of the outcome of the second trial.
Also sentenced to death were Saddam’s half brother, Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, and former Chief Judge of Revolutionary Court, Awad Hamed al-Bandar. Former Iraqi vice president, Taha Yasin Ramadan, was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison while, senior Baath officials, Abdullah Kadhem Ruaid, Abdullah Rawed Mizher, and Ali Daeem Ali, were sentenced to a comparatively lenient sentence of 15 years in prison.
In a letter written from his cell during his last few days, Saddam Hussein accused the US and Iran of instigating the violence and the blood shed tearing the country apart. He called for unity among Iraqis, to save the country from “falling into servitude”. Saddam proclaimed his death a sacrifice and said his death would make him a “true martyr”.
Earlier, the Baath party issued warnings, threatening retaliation, if and when the execution was carried out. Issued in a website known to represent the party, the statement said “The Baath and the resistance are determined to retaliate, with all means and everywhere, to harm America and its interests if it commits this crime.” The website in question, was disbanded in 2003, after US troops overthrew Saddam, and is believed to be run from Yemen, where a number of exiled members of the party are based.
The former president who was the self proclaimed “builder of modern Iraq”, lead a reign of terror for over two decades. He led his people to into the disastrous 1980-88 war with Iraq, and also the invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Under Saddam, imprisonment or summary execution of political foes was common. Political parties, unions and civic groups not controlled by Baathists were banned. Traditional bonds were reshaped to support a one-party state. However, the decline of oil prices marked the beginning of the end for the head strong leader. With the economy stagnating, funds for development were slashed and desperately in need of cash, Saddam demanded that Kuwait and Saudi Arabia write-off debts incurred in the long war with Iran.
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