Saddam Hussein given Death Penalty

[DBAHO]

About time;

 

OUSTED Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and two of his senior allies were today sentenced to death by hanging after an Iraqi court found them guilty of crimes against humanity.

 

If an automatic review of the death sentence fails, the former strongman will hang within 30 days.

 

Judge Rauf Rasheed Abdel Rahman ordered bailiffs at the Iraqi High Tribunal to force Saddam to stand before the court as, visibly trembling, the former strongman attempted to shout down the verdict.

 

“Make him stand,” barked Judge Rahman, as Saddam begged the guards: “Don't bend my arms. Don't bend my arms.”

 

A court official held Saddam's hands behind his back as Judge Rahman, shouting to be heard over the defendant's protests, declared: “The highest penalty should be implemented.”

 

Saddam was sentenced to death for his role in ordering the killing of 148 Shiites in the village of Dujail, north of Baghdad.

 

As he was led away, his arms still pinioned, Saddam declared: “Long live Iraq. Long live the Iraqi people. God is greater than the occupier.”

 

Saddam's half-brother and intelligence chief Barzan al-Tikriti was also sentenced to death, as was Awad Ahmed al-Bandar, who was convicted as the president of the kangaroo court which ordered the Shiites executed.

 

The former vice president Taha Yassin Ramadan received a life sentence, while three Baath party officials from Dujail received 15 years each and a fourth, more junior figure, was cleared.

 

Saddam will have his sentence automatically reviewed by an appeals panel.

 

If the appeal judges find grounds to question the judgment, Saddam will face another trial.

 

If not, the sentence imposed today will stand and will be carried out within 30 days.

 

Under the statutes establishing the tribunal in December 2003, both the defence and the prosecution have the right to appeal the verdict.

 

Saddam's lawyers would have to show there was an error in procedure or non-respect for the law.

 

“If Saddam is condemned to death, the defence will appeal,” Lebanese lawyer Bushra Khalil of Saddam's defence team said earlier this week.

 

If the original sentence is upheld, however, the tribunal statutes say that the sentence must be carried out within 30 days, a fact confirmed by public prosecutor Jaafar al-Mussawi.

 

Saddam has also been on trial since August 21 charged with ordering the Anfal Campaign in the Kurdish heartland of northern Iraq in 1987 and 1988 which resulted in the deaths of more than 180,000 people, prosecutors say.

 

“As for the other trials, the tribunal will judge those defendants still living, since those who have been executed can no longer be prosecuted,” Mr Mussawi said in June.

 

The statutes state that no authority, not even the president, can pardon anyone convicted by the tribunal or commute their sentences.

 

Iraq's beleaguered military was on a war footing for the sentencing and a total curfew was in force in three flashpoint provinces; the war-torn capital Baghdad, the sectarian battlefields of Diyala and Saddam's home region of Salaheddin.

Iraq's current government is far from a neutral observer in the case – indeed, many experts have accused it of heavy-handed intervention in the case.

 

“We hope the sentence matches what this man deserves for what he has done against the Iraqi people. The Iraqi people will express happiness in the way they find appropriate,” Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said yesterday.

 

“We call upon the Iraqi people to be calm, to be disciplined and to express themselves in ways that take into consideration the security challenge and the need to protect the lives of citizens.”

 

Saddam and his fellow defendants were accused of ordering the village of Dujail to suffer savage collective punishment after agents of Mr Maliki's Dawa party tried to kill the then Iraqi leader there in 1982.

 

The community's orchards were ripped up and 148 Shiite civilians were dragged before a Baath Party kangaroo court and sentenced to death.

 

Such an accusation still carries a potent political charge more than three and a half years after Saddam was driven from power by a US-led invasion, amid ongoing sectarian bloodshed and effective occupation by US forces.

 

Iraq's Shiite majority seized upon the fall of the Sunni dictator and the old elite to seize power and seek vengeance for crimes such as the destruction of Dujail, while the country has slipped into sectarian war.

 

Many of the Sunni insurgents fighting the US-backed regime remain loyal to Saddam's memory. Last month, for example, tribal sheikhs paraded outside Kirkuk brandishing portraits of their deposed leader and demanding his restoration.

 

Such armed groups – including the Islamic Army of Iraq, which is made up of former Baath Party cadres and veterans of Saddam's armed forces – have been at the forefront of attacks on US and government forces.

 

Whether they have reserves of fury yet to unleash may become evident in the aftermath of the verdict.

 

The Associated Press reported that as the court proceedings finished, clashes broke out between police and gunmen in north Baghdad's Azamiyah district. The district is dominated by hardliners from among Saddam's fellow Sunni sect.

 

By contrast, celebratory gunfire rang out in many other parts of the city.

 

The verdict was immediately condemned by the head of the second largest Sunni bloc in parliament, who predicted it would spark even greater bloodshed between Sunnis and the country's majority Shi'ites.

 

Shiites were heavily persecuted under Saddam's more-than two decades of authoritarian rule but now largely control the government and security forces.

 

“It was not wise and the Government, not the court, has gone to the extreme with issuing this sentence, even in advance,” Salih al-Mutlaq told the al-Arabiya satellite television station.

 

“This Government will be responsible for the consequences, with the deaths of hundreds, thousands or even hundreds of thousands, whose blood will be shed.”

[aboz56]

Don't wait 30 days, do it today.

[The Critic]

Is it possible for Iraq to go any more batsh*t crazy than it already is over this ruling?

Or has his support dried up enough that this won't make a difference until Hanging Day itself?

[Rex Kickass]

There are plenty of people who are willing to use something like this as an excuse.

[southsider2k5]

I just love the fact that they captured, convicted, and sentenced the guy and all of the news shows were talking about this being purposefully arranged as a Republician plot to fall right before the election... Yup, that's the conservative media at work all right.

[FlaSoxxJim]

I just love the fact that they captured, convicted, and sentenced the guy and all of the news shows were talking about this being purposefully arranged as a Republician plot to fall right before the election... Yup, that's the conservative media at work all right.

 

Tony Snow conceded that the timing of the announcement had some political timing to it, but I agree this is a culmination to a logical progression of events. Doesn't particularly bother me.

 

What does bother me, apart from the rise in sectarian violence that will probably occer with te hanging, is that Saddam's execution over the 1982 Dujail revenge killings will ultimately leave him unprosecuted for the larger Kurdish civilian massacre. If this is about bringing him to justice for all of his crimes then I'd like to see the other trial be brought to conclusion as well, rather than see the court ina position where it is legally prohibited from posthumous conviction.

[3 BeWareTheNewSox 5]

I wonder if they'll televise it

[Texsox]

I just love the fact that they captured, convicted, and sentenced the guy and all of the news shows were talking about this being purposefully arranged as a Republician plot to fall right before the election... Yup, that's the conservative media at work all right.

 

They've reported everywhere the verdict, making the President look good. The only reason they would report that is because they have a conservative bias.

[Kid Gleason]

I wonder if they'll televise it

 

I'm sure FOX has rights to it, and the DVD will be out in time for Christmas. It should make a fine stocking stuffer.

[EvilMonkey]

They've reported everywhere the verdict, making the President look good. The only reason they would report that is because they have a conservative bias.

I believe that it was reported because it was news. Its relevance to GWB had no bearing on the reporting of it. If he was aquitted, do you think they would be silent?

[Rex Kickass]

If you don't think pressuring leaders of Iraq to issue a verdict before Tuesday didn't happen, you're incredibly naive.

[EvilMonkey]

If you don't think pressuring leaders of Iraq to issue a verdict before Tuesday didn't happen, you're incredibly naive.

And just where did I say that? I said they REPORTED it because it was news, and that eitherway the verdict went, it would be reported. Youknow, if Saddam wouldn't have been so 'defiant' during his trial, this verdict would have been handed down months ago. Thanks, Saddam! Oh, and thank you, too, Ramsey Clark. I am sure you coached your client well. Too bad youl ost, and got thrown out of court!

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/i...ddam-clark.html

The judge, Raouf Abdul Rahman, ejected Clark because he had sent a memo to Abdul Rahman including the accusation that the tribunal was making 'a mockery of justice'.

The judge told him in Arabic: 'No, you are the mockery ... get him out, out.'

[3 BeWareTheNewSox 5]

So, how likely that it acutally happens, let alone in 30 days

 

If you don't think pressuring leaders of Iraq to issue a verdict before Tuesday didn't happen, you're incredibly naive.

 

Seriously though, who is dumb enough to let this sway their voting decision?

[Texsox]

I believe that it was reported because it was news. Its relevance to GWB had no bearing on the reporting of it. If he was aquitted, do you think they would be silent?

 

The media only reports stories that fit with their devious bias, they hold secret meetings to decide which stories to run with and how to report it to make Republicans look bad. Republican's on the other hand are perfect, so the media has to make stuff up.

 

I am so tired of any bad news for Republicans being portrayed as media bias. It is the most amazing political strategy of all time. Good news is the media finally getting it right and bad news is media bias.

[Soxy]

It is the most amazing political strategy of all time.

DING DING DING

 

Meanwhile, the US' bff (Britain) has said they oppose Saddam getting the death penalty.

[Texsox]

DING DING DING

 

It will destroy out country when politicians have free reign to do whatever they want, and the public will actually believe them over the fourth estate.

[southsider2k5]

The media only reports stories that fit with their devious bias, they hold secret meetings to decide which stories to run with and how to report it to make Republicans look bad. Republican's on the other hand are perfect, so the media has to make stuff up.

 

I am so tired of any bad news for Republicans being portrayed as media bias. It is the most amazing political strategy of all time. Good news is the media finally getting it right and bad news is media bias.

 

The funny part is that it wasn't bad news for the republicians. As a matter of a fact is wasn't bad news for anyone BUT the guy going to the gallows as far as the overwealming majority of the world is concerned. Even if the story line had stayed to just "Hussein Guilty, to be hung in 30 days" fine. But within a matter of seconds it went from the Iraqi justice system to being a sinister plot worked in the shadows by the evil Karl Rove and company forcing this trial to last the perfect amount of time so that it magically fell right before the American elections. Incredible. You know if the right wing was this completely powerful and omnipotent, they sure as hell wouldn't have all of the problems that they have had, because they could just manipulate them away. Bury your head in the sand if you like, but if you don't want to question why things are done and said by BOTH sides of the aisle, have fun getting fed what to think.

[EvilMonkey]

The media only reports stories that fit with their devious bias, they hold secret meetings to decide which stories to run with and how to report it to make Republicans look bad. Republican's on the other hand are perfect, so the media has to make stuff up.

 

I am so tired of any bad news for Republicans being portrayed as media bias. It is the most amazing political strategy of all time. Good news is the media finally getting it right and bad news is media bias.

Tex, I had said that it would have been reported either way. YOU said

The only reason they would report that is because they have a conservative bias.

[Balta1701]

If you don't think pressuring leaders of Iraq to issue a verdict before Tuesday didn't happen, you're incredibly naive.

So, if people really needed more proof as to whether or not there was a non-trivial element of "Get this out before the U.S. election" to the timing, Here ya go.

 

The final court session and verdict today were fast, direct and clear, but not clear at all.

 

In less than 10 minutes, Saddam Hussein was told he was guilty of crimes against humanity, but never exactly how or why.

 

Was it the witness testimony that proved Saddam's guilt?

 

Was it Saddam’s own acceptance in court of overall responsibility for the draconian punishment his regime carried out of the villagers of Dujail after a 1982 assassination attempt in the town? Was it documents the prosecution said Saddam signed ordering the deaths of Dujail residents that ultimately swayed the judges? We still do not know.

 

The full verdict, a document of several hundred pages, explaining how and why today’s judgment was reached was not released. U.S. officials said it should be ready by Thursday. So why issue the verdict today? U.S. court advisors told reporters today it was delayed mainly for technical reasons. All insist the verdict was not politically timed and that it was an Iraqi decision; there is no reason to doubt their word.

In other words, they weren't even actually ready to release the verdict, but it needed to be on the headlines today.

 

Anyway, not that it matters, it's still a good thing he's out of power, and the Iraq war has still been an absolute and total disaster, and just like all the other magic bullets that were supposed to Fix Iraq, we'll be lucky if all this does is leave that country with the current status quo instead of making things worse again.