Posted November 5, 2006 Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has been convicted of crimes against humanity by a Baghdad court and sentenced to death by hanging. He was found guilty over his role in the killing of 148 people in the mainly Shia town of Dujail in 1982. His half brother Barzan al-Tikriti was also sentenced to death, as was Iraq's former chief judge Awad Hamed al-Bander Former vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan got life in jail and three others received 15 year prison terms. Another co-defendant, Baath party official Mohammed Azawi Ali, was acquitted. When called to court, Saddam Hussein, dressed in his usual dark suit and white shirt and carrying a Koran, walked to his customary seat and sat down. Long live Iraq! Long live the Iraqi people! Down with the traitors! Saddam Hussein, reacting to verdict John Simpson on Saddam Hussein's performance Judge Rauf Abdel Rahman ordered Saddam Hussein to stand while he read out the verdict, but the former president defiantly refused to do so and had to be moved from his seat by court attendants. As the judge began reading the death sentence Saddam Hussein shouted out "Allahu Akbar!" (God is Greatest) and "Long live Iraq! Long live the Iraqi people! Down with the traitors!" The former leader looked shocked and furious as the sentence was passed, and continued to shout, denouncing the court, the judge and the US-led occupation force in Iraq. But the BBC's world affairs editor John Simpson said that after his tirade, as he was led away from the courtroom, Saddam Hussein seemed to have a small smile on his face. "It was as if he was thinking 'I've come here and done what I intended to do'," our correspondent said. Celebratory gunfire Shortly after the verdict was announced celebratory gunfire could be heard across Baghdad. The whole city of six million people has been placed under a 12-hour daytime curfew that bans all vehicle and pedestrian traffic amid fears of violence from Saddam Hussein's Sunni Arab supporters. THE SENTENCES Saddam Hussein, former Iraqi president: death by hanging Awad Hamed al-Bander, Chief Judge of Revolutionary Court: death by hanging Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Saddam Hussein's half-brother: death by hanging Taha Yasin Ramadan, Iraqi vice-president: life sentence Abdullah Kadhem Ruaid Senior Baath official: 15 years Abdullah Rawed Mizher, Senior Baath official: 15 years Ali Daeem Ali, Senior Baath official: 15 years The government cancelled all army leave and the city's civilian airport has been closed. Three nearby provinces, including Salahuddin, which contains Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, are also under curfew. Almost three years since Saddam Hussein was captured, soaring sectarian violence has brought Iraq to the brink of civil war. Few Iraqis think the trial verdict will ease conflict, the BBC's Andrew North in Baghdad says. Even those Iraqis who want to see their former leader dead do not believe his execution would make things any better, our correspondent says. 'Victors' justice' Many critics have dismissed the trial as a form of victors' justice, given the close attention the US has paid to it. Lawyers for Saddam Hussein have also accused the government of interfering in the proceedings - a complaint backed by US group Human Rights Watch. And the former leader's lawyers have attacked the timing of the planned verdict, which comes days before the US votes in mid-term elections. US President George W Bush's Republican Party is at risk of losing control of Congress in part because of voter dissatisfaction over its handling of the Iraq conflict. In a televised speech on Saturday, Nouri Maliki, Iraq's Shia Arab prime minister, said he hoped Saddam Hussein would get "what he deserves" for "crimes against the Iraqi people". Ahead of the verdict Mr Maliki called for calm, saying that Iraqis should mark it in a way that "does not risk their lives" http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6117910.stm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 Gosh, that took a while. Sounds like justice to me. Although some people might think death is an easy way out. And 'lol' at Jordan's deleted post (I can read it, you can't). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 No real surprises here. It's going to take some time before he'll be hanged because there's still many procedures to follow. It's kind of sad how America shows of their 'far better' system of freedom and democracy as they like to call it with something brutal and uncivilized as the death penalty. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 No real surprises here. It's going to take some time before he'll be hanged because there's still many procedures to follow. It's kind of sad how America shows of their 'far better' system of freedom and democracy as they like to call it with something brutal and uncivilized as the death penalty. He was sentenced by a Baghdad court- America weren't involved. Plus they don't hang people in America any more... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 And 'lol' at Jordan's deleted post (I can read it, you can't). Tehehehe :P Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 I lol'd at Jordan's post too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 A firing squad was denied as Hanging is perceived as a more gruesome death in the west. He was always going to be sentenced to death whether for these charges or future ones that were to be brought against him. But how can the death of this man be retribution for the thousands he massacred.....? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 He got a shitty trial. Too m any of his lawyers and witnesses were murdered because the CIA denied them the proper protection an American citizen would get in a similar position. Justice for all my ass. Irrespective of that.. Saddam was a dictator, whether it is for us to decide what is right for a country's way of life is a tough one. I find it very hypocritical that people say they were against the war because there were no WMD's but they justify it because Saddam was a dictator.. He did some fucked up shit, but it's not our place to comment on a world that is so alien to us. Personally I was against the war on the grounds it was originally based upon (45 minute worldwide nuclear attacks) but Saddam should have been removed from power solely for human right's abuse. It sets a bad example for a generation of Iraqis. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 I personally think that there is a punishment worse than death... What should have been done is that Saddam should have been locked away, with a straight jacket, in a padded room without windows or no human communication, and just enough food to keep him alive for the rest of his life, that, in my opinion, would be the worst punishment possible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 I personally think that there is a punishment worse than death... What should have been done is that Saddam should have been locked away, with a straight jacket, in a padded room without windows or no human communication, and just enough food to keep him alive for the rest of his life, that, in my opinion, would be the worst punishment possible. I think they should go one step further and give him a fate worse than a fate worse than death... Teaching young girls home economics! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 I personally think that there is a punishment worse than death... What should have been done is that Saddam should have been locked away, with a straight jacket, in a padded room without windows or no human communication, and just enough food to keep him alive for the rest of his life, that, in my opinion, would be the worst punishment possible. Human rights and disputed cost to the tax payer, also Christians love the idea of forgiveness. I am against the death sentence.. but sometimes it's the most workable solution. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 Also if he was just in solitary confinement, there's always the chance he could escape. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 I personally think that there is a punishment worse than death... What should have been done is that Saddam should have been locked away, with a straight jacket, in a padded room without windows or no human communication, and just enough food to keep him alive for the rest of his life, that, in my opinion, would be the worst punishment possible. Or just sending him to France. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 A firing squad was denied as Hanging is perceived as a more gruesome death in the west. He was always going to be sentenced to death whether for these charges or future ones that were to be brought against him. But how can the death of this man be retribution for the thousands he massacred.....? A firing squad was denied because Saddam was tried as a civilian and that's the way civilian death penalties are carried out in Baghdad. He requested firing squad as that would be the method of execution for the leader of the armed forces. The judge pointed out that he was no longer leader of the armed forces. You can't kill a man more than once, so one death is all you can get for the thousands he massacred. The death sentence is wrong, he should have been tried in an international court. The death sentence is wrong. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 Compulsory appeal will follow, in their legal system, it automatically goes to appeal, so its going to take quite some time before his life ends. Then he'll just become another statistic and revised addition in Wikipedia. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 I sort of agree that the death sentence is not fitting for what Hussien has done, but at least he was brought to trial first to face his crimes against humanity, unlike some members of Al-Queda, or even other wanted members from his regime. Also, this sentence was given just two days before the U.S. mid-term elections. Fantastic timing, isn't it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 Gosh, that took a while. Sounds like justice to me. Although some people might think death is an easy way out. And 'lol' at Jordan's deleted post (I can read it, you can't). you're not going to tell us are you? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 Well, that's depressing. The guy's a total ****, but an execution's not really the best way to kick off a new and shiny democracy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 That sure took a while. Usually I'm not for death sentences, but if it's about Saddam it doesn't really bother me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 Also if he was just in solitary confinement, there's always the chance he could escape.When I said solitary, I meant in a maximum security prison, or better still, on one of these prison ships in the middle of the ocean.Or just sending him to France.Best ever! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 I think they should go one step further and give him a fate worse than a fate worse than death... Teaching young girls home economics! LMAO! Say thank you Baldrick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 Well, that's depressing. The guy's a total ****, but an execution's not really the best way to kick off a new and shiny democracy. Word to that. He'll take years to hang mind, appeals and the like. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 Won't he be portrayed as a martyr now? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 5, 2006 Won't he be portrayed as a martyr now? He surely will. That trial was a farce and nothing more. A livetime in jail would have been appropriate but now the judges become the henchmen they tried to punish. Saddam may have killed or massacred hundreds of people but as far as I know those disgusting actions fall under war crimes - so the firing squad would have been the right method to kill him. I don't want to cause to much trouble since this is a UK board mostly but when I look at the cruel actions of former UK prime ministers in WW2 I don't see anyone of those guys hanging... As usual the victorious party in a conflict decides what has been wrong and what was okay to do so. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
