JessiccaIraq: Saddam to hang
November 6th 2006 09:02
I have just read this news from the Internet, perhaps everyone else might have gotten the news.
Saddam to hang
BAGHDAD: A visibly shaken Saddam Hussein was found guilty of crimes against humanity yesterday and sentenced to hang at a lightning session of the US-sponsored court that has been trying him in the Iraqi capital for the past year.
Two other senior aides, including his half-brother Barzan al-Tikriti, will also hang if their automatic appeals fail. His former vice-president was sentenced to life in prison and three minor Baath party officials received long jail sentences.
Shortly after the verdict was read in a heavily-fortified courtroom here, clashes broke out between gunmen and US and Iraqi troops in two Sunni Muslim neighbourhoods of the capital.
By contrast Shi'ites, the majority now dominating Iraq, swarmed into the streets, yelling in joy that the secular Sunni Arab who oppressed them for three decades is now likely to be executed.
The reactions underscored the deep sectarian divisions in Iraq more than three years after the US-led invasion.
Saddam's counsel said the verdict was timed to help President George W. Bush's Republican congressional elections, and had urged a delay to prevent the sentence triggering bloodshed “for generations to come”.
The US ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, said “closing the book on Saddam and his regime” was a chance for Iraqis to unite. The court was set up by US-occupying officials who resisted calls for an international tribunal, saying Iraqis should run it.
However, the descent into sectarian violence has dented hopes that the trial would be a force for unity.
“This is the least Saddam deserved,” said Ali al-Dabbagh, spokesman for the Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
At first the 69-year-old ousted president, who has defiantly justified killing and torturing Shi'ite opponents, refused to stand before the judge. Eventually he rose shakily to his feet in the dock to hear the verdict and sentence read out.
As chief judge Raouf Abdul Rahman spoke, Saddam, hands clenched behind his back, almost succeeded in drowning him out, yelling the Muslim battle cry of “Allahu Akbar!” (God is Great) and “Long Live Iraq!”.
“The court has decided to sentence Saddam Hussein al-Majid to be hanged until he is dead for crimes against humanity,” the judge said, ignoring a plea made by Saddam earlier in the trial that he should face a military firing squad, not the noose.
After more than a year of proceedings in the case, which concerns the deaths of more than 148 Shi'ite men from the town of Dujail, there was little left to be said. Like his co-accused, Saddam was led away by guards after hearing his sentence.
After just 45 minutes, Abdul Rahman wound up proceedings.
Saddam's defence team, which had dismissed the court as a sham, called the verdict a “mockery of justice”.
Maliki had called for calm in rejoicing but also said Saddam should get “what he deserves”.
Maliki's government has been criticised for interfering in the case – notably by the first chief judge, who quit.
Abdul Rahman's first act in court yesterday was to eject former US attorney-general Ramsey Clark after the veteran legal campaigner sent him a note describing the trial as a “mockery of justice”.
The Iraqi High Tribunal also handed down death sentences to Awad Hamed al-Bander, former chief judge in Saddam's Revolutionary Court, and to Saddam's half-brother and former intelligence chief, Barzan. Former Iraqi vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan was sentenced to life in prison.
The fourth minor Baath party official from Dujail was acquitted at the prosecutor's request for lack of evidence.
The charges stemmed from retaliations against hundreds of people from Dujail after an assassination attempt against Saddam in the town in 1982.
Malcolm Smart of the human rights watchdog Amnesty International said: “We don't consider it was a fair process.” – Reuters
Question:
So, what would the faith of Iraq will be after the death sentence of Saddam?
Would there be more chaos, or finally there is some peace?
Perhaps yes... perhaps not... time will tell.
Saddam to hang
BAGHDAD: A visibly shaken Saddam Hussein was found guilty of crimes against humanity yesterday and sentenced to hang at a lightning session of the US-sponsored court that has been trying him in the Iraqi capital for the past year.
Two other senior aides, including his half-brother Barzan al-Tikriti, will also hang if their automatic appeals fail. His former vice-president was sentenced to life in prison and three minor Baath party officials received long jail sentences.
Shortly after the verdict was read in a heavily-fortified courtroom here, clashes broke out between gunmen and US and Iraqi troops in two Sunni Muslim neighbourhoods of the capital.
By contrast Shi'ites, the majority now dominating Iraq, swarmed into the streets, yelling in joy that the secular Sunni Arab who oppressed them for three decades is now likely to be executed.
The reactions underscored the deep sectarian divisions in Iraq more than three years after the US-led invasion.
Saddam's counsel said the verdict was timed to help President George W. Bush's Republican congressional elections, and had urged a delay to prevent the sentence triggering bloodshed “for generations to come”.
The US ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, said “closing the book on Saddam and his regime” was a chance for Iraqis to unite. The court was set up by US-occupying officials who resisted calls for an international tribunal, saying Iraqis should run it.
However, the descent into sectarian violence has dented hopes that the trial would be a force for unity.
“This is the least Saddam deserved,” said Ali al-Dabbagh, spokesman for the Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
At first the 69-year-old ousted president, who has defiantly justified killing and torturing Shi'ite opponents, refused to stand before the judge. Eventually he rose shakily to his feet in the dock to hear the verdict and sentence read out.
As chief judge Raouf Abdul Rahman spoke, Saddam, hands clenched behind his back, almost succeeded in drowning him out, yelling the Muslim battle cry of “Allahu Akbar!” (God is Great) and “Long Live Iraq!”.
“The court has decided to sentence Saddam Hussein al-Majid to be hanged until he is dead for crimes against humanity,” the judge said, ignoring a plea made by Saddam earlier in the trial that he should face a military firing squad, not the noose.
After more than a year of proceedings in the case, which concerns the deaths of more than 148 Shi'ite men from the town of Dujail, there was little left to be said. Like his co-accused, Saddam was led away by guards after hearing his sentence.
After just 45 minutes, Abdul Rahman wound up proceedings.
Saddam's defence team, which had dismissed the court as a sham, called the verdict a “mockery of justice”.
Maliki had called for calm in rejoicing but also said Saddam should get “what he deserves”.
Maliki's government has been criticised for interfering in the case – notably by the first chief judge, who quit.
Abdul Rahman's first act in court yesterday was to eject former US attorney-general Ramsey Clark after the veteran legal campaigner sent him a note describing the trial as a “mockery of justice”.
The Iraqi High Tribunal also handed down death sentences to Awad Hamed al-Bander, former chief judge in Saddam's Revolutionary Court, and to Saddam's half-brother and former intelligence chief, Barzan. Former Iraqi vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan was sentenced to life in prison.
The fourth minor Baath party official from Dujail was acquitted at the prosecutor's request for lack of evidence.
The charges stemmed from retaliations against hundreds of people from Dujail after an assassination attempt against Saddam in the town in 1982.
Malcolm Smart of the human rights watchdog Amnesty International said: “We don't consider it was a fair process.” – Reuters
Question:
So, what would the faith of Iraq will be after the death sentence of Saddam?
Would there be more chaos, or finally there is some peace?
Perhaps yes... perhaps not... time will tell.
What do you think?
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Comment by Emile
A Lesson A Day
It's a real mess out there, and I think everyone wishes deep down in their secret hearts that it would just stop.
Comment by Jessicca
Health 2 Know
Learning Something Everyday
Daily History
Malaysia Found
When I commented this about peace, I was quite agitated when my housemate commented, "peace? who wants peace?" When I asked, "why would you say that? Don't you want any peace?"
Then the reply was, "War is good. It stimulates economy."
See how money got into the world's mind these days? See how deep it has rooted in man's soul?
I believe that there are always other ways to progress, just whether the world wants to "follow the trend" or "revolution".