NBC: Saddam to be hanged by Sunday
Ex-dictator’s execution expected to be carried out by start of Eid holiday
NBC News and news services
Updated: 6:17 p.m. PT Dec 28, 2006
Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, sentenced to death for his role in 148 killings in 1982, will have his sentence carried out by Sunday, NBC News reported Thursday. According to a U.S. military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, Saddam will be hanged before the start of the Eid religious holiday, which begins at sundown Saturday.
The hanging could take place as early as Friday, NBC’s Richard Engel reported.
The U.S. military received a formal request from the Iraqi government to transfer Saddam to Iraqi authorities, NBC reported on Thursday, which is one of the final steps required before his execution. His sentence, handed down last month, ordered that he be hanged within 30 days.
Earlier Thursday, Saddam’s chief lawyer implored world leaders to prevent the United States from handing over the ousted leader to Iraqi authorities for execution, saying the former dictator should enjoy protection from his enemies as a “prisoner of war.”
“According to the international conventions, it is forbidden to hand a prisoner of war to his adversary,” Saddam’s lawyer, Khalil al-Dulaimi, said in Amman, Jordan.
“I urge all the international and legal organizations, the United Nations secretary-general, the Arab League and all the leaders of the world to rapidly prevent the American administration from handing the president to the Iraqi authorities,” he told The Associated Press.
Meets with half-brothers
Saddam met with two of his half-brothers on Thursday and passed on personal messages to his family, a lawyer said.
Badie Aref, one of Saddam's lawyers, said the rare meeting with maternal half-brothers Sabawi and Watban Ibrahim Hassanal-Tikriti, who are in U.S. custody, was at the request of the ousted Iraqi leader and took place inside his heavily guarded prison cell in Baghdad.
Aref said Saddam was in very high spirits and had sensed “something was happening relating to the sentence” when prison guards took away a small radio he had been given several months ago.
“He met Sabawi and Watban and gave them letters to his family in anticipation.... He is clearly unaware of the details of what is happening around him and prepared to give his life as a martyr to his country,” Aref told Reuters by telephone.
.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16384738/
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Time for Saddam to pay the price...
Hope the hanging goes through with no violence.
Saddam to be Hanged by Sunday (NBC)
Moderator: Super Moderators
“According to the international conventions, it is forbidden to hand a prisoner of war to his adversary,” Saddam’s lawyer, Khalil al-Dulaimi, said in Amman, Jordan.
Since when did international conventions be part of this war? The dilemma here seems to be do they have a public hanging so the Iraqi’s know he’s dead if they don’t not many will believe he has gone. Also a public hanging of Saddam will cause uproar across the Arab states believe it or not. Hang on tight the real shiites is abut to hit the fan in the region.
Re: Saddam to be Hanged by Sunday (NBC)
Um... ? A "peaceful hanging" perhaps?Starbuck wrote: Hope the hanging goes through with no violence.
Re: Re: Saddam to be Hanged by Sunday (NBC)
For my money i don't think so, just more fuel on the fire the nonexistent civil war will rage up to boiling point and some. well for a few days anyway.dotcosm wrote: Um... ? A "peaceful hanging" perhaps?
Check this Dotcosm
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan says Iraq is gripped by civil war and admits that Iraqis were better off under Saddam Hussein.
Re: Re: Saddam to be Hanged by Sunday (NBC)
dotcosm wrote: Um... ? A "peaceful hanging" perhaps?
One can still hope that there will be no violance between Iraqis (directed toward themselves and our soldiers), no matter how unlikely.
Reactions from Iraqis in Orange County, Calif:
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Local Iraqis await Saddam's execution
Here’s what some local Iraqis had to say about the impending execution of Saddam Hussein. (All responses came via e-mail and below are edited excerpts):
“This is a great victory for the freedom, democracy and judiciary system process in Iraq. This will give a closure to many families where they lost a loved one during Saddam's days of ruling the Iraqis by iron fist.
“Many Iraqis believe if they hang Saddam the terrorist activities of Baathist followers will die down.
“The Kurdish people believe that Saddam must not hang until his court days in the Anfal operations are completed. This is very important that the court find Saddam and his gang ordered and carried out the Anfal operations (genocide) against the Kurdish people (in which) more than 182,000 children, women and elderly died.”
- Saman Shali, who runs a communications company in Lake Forest and is president of the Kurdish National Congress of North America.
“Saddam represents the dictatorship era that caused all the atrocities and destruction that was inflicted on Iraq. We are still seeing the remnants of that era. His execution will end that era without return.
“What I believe all Iraqis want to see is his execution for all what he did and not for the Dujail case (On Nov. 5, Saddam was convicted by an Iraqi tribunal for ordering the killings of scores of Shiite Muslims in the city of Dujail in 1982). This case represent very little compared to all the destruction that he brought upon the Iraqi people.
“Although most Iraqis want him to be executed as soon as possible, I think his execution should not be carried out for the Dujail case, it should be carried out for the (Anfal) case as well. So his execution will not be marked as a political one.”
- Salem Aljawad, a Mission Viejo businessman
“I am sorry for witnessing another death, but this one is long overdue. Saddam and his thugs caused many suffering throughout Iraq and the region. This is one bad Iraqi story on its way to be forgotten, but Iraqis are looking forward to the elimination of Saddam's effect (manifested in the current violence.)
“I can easily say that 99% of Iraqis applaud the ruling, however, Saddam's lovers are strong and well organized to create destruction much larger than their actual size and number. I personally don't like to see him dying; however, I would like to see his dead body on the TV. Saddam's era will be remembered as one of the darkest period in recent history. Saddam is hated by many of government officials, but they cannot show it.”
- Ali Altai, a construction engineer from Foothill Ranch
“I think this is good news and more than 90% of the Iraqi people will be happy to see him executed.
“This will take of the rumor in Baghdad (and there is no shortage in rumors) that the Americans will put Saddam back in power before they leave.
“Many of the Iraqis who lost their family members during and after Saddam's rule will be relieved to see him executed on TV. I prefer to see him getting shot by the firing squads. This way a soldier from each ethnic group - specially soldiers who lost family members - will participate in the execution. However, I think he will be hanged based on the Iraqi law.
“I think a new page in Iraq’s history will start after his death. I also think that his death will weaken the insurgency since many people in the Rumadi province still carry his pictures during demonstrations. Large numbers of the insurgents are old Baathists who hope to come back to power under his leadership.
“This will be truly a Happy New Year!”
– Sam Ali, an Irvine water-resources engineer
Vik Jolly, Orange County Register
http://blogs.ocregister.com/ocworld/200 ... exe_1.html
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Local Iraqis await Saddam's execution
Here’s what some local Iraqis had to say about the impending execution of Saddam Hussein. (All responses came via e-mail and below are edited excerpts):
“This is a great victory for the freedom, democracy and judiciary system process in Iraq. This will give a closure to many families where they lost a loved one during Saddam's days of ruling the Iraqis by iron fist.
“Many Iraqis believe if they hang Saddam the terrorist activities of Baathist followers will die down.
“The Kurdish people believe that Saddam must not hang until his court days in the Anfal operations are completed. This is very important that the court find Saddam and his gang ordered and carried out the Anfal operations (genocide) against the Kurdish people (in which) more than 182,000 children, women and elderly died.”
- Saman Shali, who runs a communications company in Lake Forest and is president of the Kurdish National Congress of North America.
“Saddam represents the dictatorship era that caused all the atrocities and destruction that was inflicted on Iraq. We are still seeing the remnants of that era. His execution will end that era without return.
“What I believe all Iraqis want to see is his execution for all what he did and not for the Dujail case (On Nov. 5, Saddam was convicted by an Iraqi tribunal for ordering the killings of scores of Shiite Muslims in the city of Dujail in 1982). This case represent very little compared to all the destruction that he brought upon the Iraqi people.
“Although most Iraqis want him to be executed as soon as possible, I think his execution should not be carried out for the Dujail case, it should be carried out for the (Anfal) case as well. So his execution will not be marked as a political one.”
- Salem Aljawad, a Mission Viejo businessman
“I am sorry for witnessing another death, but this one is long overdue. Saddam and his thugs caused many suffering throughout Iraq and the region. This is one bad Iraqi story on its way to be forgotten, but Iraqis are looking forward to the elimination of Saddam's effect (manifested in the current violence.)
“I can easily say that 99% of Iraqis applaud the ruling, however, Saddam's lovers are strong and well organized to create destruction much larger than their actual size and number. I personally don't like to see him dying; however, I would like to see his dead body on the TV. Saddam's era will be remembered as one of the darkest period in recent history. Saddam is hated by many of government officials, but they cannot show it.”
- Ali Altai, a construction engineer from Foothill Ranch
“I think this is good news and more than 90% of the Iraqi people will be happy to see him executed.
“This will take of the rumor in Baghdad (and there is no shortage in rumors) that the Americans will put Saddam back in power before they leave.
“Many of the Iraqis who lost their family members during and after Saddam's rule will be relieved to see him executed on TV. I prefer to see him getting shot by the firing squads. This way a soldier from each ethnic group - specially soldiers who lost family members - will participate in the execution. However, I think he will be hanged based on the Iraqi law.
“I think a new page in Iraq’s history will start after his death. I also think that his death will weaken the insurgency since many people in the Rumadi province still carry his pictures during demonstrations. Large numbers of the insurgents are old Baathists who hope to come back to power under his leadership.
“This will be truly a Happy New Year!”
– Sam Ali, an Irvine water-resources engineer
Vik Jolly, Orange County Register
http://blogs.ocregister.com/ocworld/200 ... exe_1.html
Re: Re: Re: Saddam to be Hanged by Sunday (NBC)
Oh ok, none of you guys get the irony, that's ok. It's truly gallows humor.Starbuck wrote: One can still hope that there will be no violance between Iraqis (directed toward themselves and our soldiers), no matter how unlikely.
My point was: how the hell can ANY hanging be non-violent? I'm not talking about in Iraq or around the world or anywhere but at the gallows itself. ::sigh::
Re: Re: Re: Re: Saddam to be Hanged by Sunday (NBC)
dotcosm wrote: My point was: how the hell can ANY hanging be non-violent? I'm not talking about in Iraq or around the world or anywhere but at the gallows itself. ::sigh::
The hanging itself is violent act, but I was referring to violence that might start as a result of the hanging.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Saddam to be Hanged by Sunday (NBC)
I know. I was just being ironic.Starbuck wrote: The hanging itself is violent act, but I was referring to violence that might start as a result of the hanging.
If Saddam Hussein is to be hanged for crimes against the Iraqis - Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld must be quaking in their boots.
Not a popular opinion here, I'm sure. From a perspective devoid of propaganda, looking at the majority of inhabitants of Iraq - the common people - and not the lies and trappings of war - there is plain truth in this view.
The entire charade is morally repugnant.
Not a popular opinion here, I'm sure. From a perspective devoid of propaganda, looking at the majority of inhabitants of Iraq - the common people - and not the lies and trappings of war - there is plain truth in this view.
The entire charade is morally repugnant.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Saddam to be Hanged by Sunday (NBC)
dotcosm wrote: I know. I was just being ironic.
Ha we brit's got a different humour:D
