FNC -- Saddam Hussein Sentenced to Die by Hanging
It's official! Finally! Will DNC Chairman Howard Dean and Senator Jay Rockefeller celebrate with the Iraqis today? They both think Iraq would be better off with Saddam still in power. CNN's Ted Turner said this past Monday that Iraq was no better off now than under Saddam. Somehow the Iraqis do not seem to agree.
AP--A bailiff pulls down Saddam Hussein's arm as the convicted killer objects to his death sentence.
Video: Former Iraqi dictator launches tirade upon hearing death sentence
Death penalty for Saddam Hussein
Saddam trial verdictIraqis hit the streets in celebration, despite curfew.
Shi'ite residents chant anti-Saddam slogans in a street in Najaf, 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad (Reuters)
Iraqis burn Saddam in effigy. (Reuters)
Saddam Hussein sentenced to death
US-sponsored Iraqi tribunal sentences former dictator to death by hanging Sunday for crimes against humanity. Court also hands down death sentences to two of Saddam's senior aides
Associated Press
Published: 11.05.06, 11:04
Iraq's High Tribunal on Sunday found Saddam Hussein guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to hang, as the visibly shaken former leader shouted "God is great!"
His half brother and former intelligence chief Barzan Ibrahim, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, head of the former Revolutionary Court, were sentenced to join Saddam on the gallows.
Saddam Hussein at court Sunday (Photo: AP)
After the verdict was read, a trembling Saddam yelled out, "Life for the glorious nation, and death to its enemies!" He initially refused Chief Judge Raouf Adbul-Rahman's order to rise. Two bailiffs lifted Saddam to his feet and he remained standing through the sentencing.
As the proceedings finished, clashes broke out between police and gunmen in north Baghdad's Azamiyah district, which is dominated by hardliners from among Saddam's fellow Sunni sect. In contrast, celebratory gunfire rang out in many other parts of the city.
Sunnis condemn verdict
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 Shiites, who 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," Al-Mutlaq said.
Saddam and his seven co-defendants had been tried by the Iraqi High Tribunal over a wave of revenge killings carried out in the city of Dujail following a 1982 assassination attempt on the former dictator.
Saddam faces additional charges in a separate case over an alleged massacre of Kurdish civilians. It wasn't clear when a verdict would be announced in that other case, or when Saddam's sentence would be carried out. Before the trial began, one of Saddam's lawyers, former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, was ejected from the courtroom after handing the judge a memorandum in which he called the Saddam trial a travesty.
Judge Raouf Abdul-Rahman pointed to Clark and said in English, "Get out."
Curfew in Baghdad
Guarding against violence, Baghdad was placed under a total curfew, with shops shuttered and pedestrians and vehicles almost completely absent from the streets of the city of six million people. Iraqi security forces and US troops mounted additional patrols, but no major incidents had been reported."There is close cooperation between Iraqi and coalition forces in maintaining the curfew," Said police Maj. Mahir Hamad Mousa of the al-Khansa station in Baghdad's Jadeeda district ."We have fully prepared for this duty," he said.
The guilty verdict for Saddam is expected to enrage hard-liners among Saddam's fellow Sunnis, who made up the bulk of the former ruling class. The country's majority Shiites, who were persecuted under the former leader but now largely control the government, will likely view the outcome as a cause of celebration.
Even with the verdict imminent, Saddam's lawyers and some Sunni politicians had called for the court proceedings to be suspended.
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• U.S. envoy says Saddam verdict "important milestone"
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HOT AIR
Death For Saddam! (Stop the ACLU) Looks like the ol’ rope and tree justice.
Pajamas Media is reporting out of the Tel Aviv bureau, with live blogging, blog reaction, and Establishment Media roundup as well.
Omar at Iraq the Model writes: "Now, Saddam is officially going down the toilet!"
Pajamas Media Baghdad editors Mohammed and Omar Fadhil, of Iraq The Model, write their first impressions after Saddam Hussein’s death sentence was delivered.I was overwhelmed with joy and relief as I watched the criminals being read their verdicts. For the first time in our region tyrants are being punished for their crimes through a court of law.
Until this moment and while I’m typing these words I’m still receiving words of congratulations in emails, phone calls and text messages from friends inside and outside the country. These were our only means to share our happiness because of the curfew that limits our movement.
This is the day for Saddam’s lovers to weep and I expect their shock and grieve to be huge. They had always thought their master was immortal so let them live in their disappointment while we live for our future.
This is a day not only for Iraqis but a historic day for the whole region; today new basis for dealing between rulers and peoples are found.
No one is above the law anymore.
I was particularly pleased by the way Judge Raouf Rasheed handled the session; he was reading the court’s decision and at the same time chastising members of the current government for their misbehavior and threatened to throw them in custody regardless of their ranks!
We are living a new era where there’s much hope despite the difficulties…our sacrifices have a noble cause, that is to build a new model that obviously terrifies other tyrants.
I believe it wasn’t Saddam alone who was shaking and shouting in hysteria when the verdict was read; I can see hysteria takes over all of Saddam’s followers and apologists.
Today we had turned a page that was full of pain and ugly crimes that were committed by the same criminals who were shaking in the hands of Iraq’s new justice.
We are so happy for you too Omar and Mohammed. The whole country celebrates with you.
Remember this? Saddam hauled out of his rat hole -- (H/T: Atlas Shrugs)
UGH, talk about ruining a moment. Dan Rathergate is running his mouth on FOX. Talking trash about it "just being a verdict." That Saddam is not dead yet. "He is not yet dead. He'll find a way out of this yet." "Saddam is a survivor" He is rooting for that shit head.
"He 'll make a deal. "He's cunning, he's very, very smart.He's not a madman." (uh Dan, you would know about madnss eh?)
"The last time I talked to Saddam Hussein, he denied he had WMD. You Americans can't take the blood." Wait, wait it gets better (or worse I should say.)
Which is the bigger putz? Hard one to answer, Dan Rather or Saddam Hussein?
Iraqis Roar as Officials Drag Ramsey Clark From Court!KOFI, KERRY, THE EU AND SADDAM'S DEATH SENTENCE"No, Ramsey... You are the mockery! Get him out!!"
Judge Abdul Rahman to Democrat Ramsey Clark
Saddam Hussein Trial Verdict
November 5, 2006Democrat Ramsey Clark is dragged from the courtroom today...
Iraqis Cheer!
Iraqis applaud as one of Saddam's lawyers, former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, seen on the screen is ejected from the courtroom after handing the judge a memorandum in which he called the Saddam trial a travesty during sentencing session to former leader Saddam Hussein. (AP)
By reliapundit
It's a good day when evil scum like Saddam find out they shall be justly executed. And this good day has arrived courtesy of the courageous and INTELLIGENT and WELL-EDUCATED and EXPERTLY TRAINED TROOPS IN TGHE US ARMED FORCES. God Bless Them All. And may God continue to grant us a government that will not kow-tow to genocidal tyrants or Euroweenies and Europhiles or appeasing Leftists useless international debating clubs like the UN. IOW: may we NEVER elect a majority of Democrats to either body of Congress.
Saddam Death Verdict Sign of Iraq’s Progress
Saddam Hussein, formerly known as the “Butcher of Baghdad”, was convicted for “crimes against humanity” and genocide and sentenced to death by hanging. Look for US liberal news outlets to join with Al Jazeera in questioning the timing and the legitimacy of the trial.
This death sentence for Saddam Hussein is reminiscent of every other milestone in Iraq since the 2003 liberation of that country by coalition forces. Each event, particularly the elections, was downplayed by critics. They cautioned us against believing the event was significant, warned of massive violent attacks that never came and most importantly underestimated the strength and resolve with which Iraqis want Democracy in their country. Iraq has an independent judiciary that has pulled itself together and sustained itself very quickly. It is simply wishful thinking for anyone to believe that either the judiciary or any part of the Iraqi government is a puppet of George W. Bush.
Saddam’s case will automatically be sent to the Court of Appeals and this defendant will go through a process of appeals that could take as long as a year to resolve. Once the final appeal is exhausted, the death sentence, assuming it is not overturned, will take place within 30 days.
This is another reason the United States needs to remain in Iraq. Aside from the fact that Iraq will dissolve into the kind of quagmire Democrats are currently pimping it to be, Iraq is far more vulnerable with Saddam sitting in a jail cell with a deteriorated Iraq and no US forces to back up the Iraqi security, police and military forces.
Meanwhile Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said of the verdict:
“He is facing the punishment he deserves. The verdict placed on the heads of the former regime does not represent a verdict for any one person. It is a verdict on a whole dark era that has was unmatched in Iraq’s history.”
And this is too much. The looney left responds. People this is who you are electing when you elect a Democrat. Do you really want to be associated with the likes of these crazies? This is only a sampling, LGF has more.
A sampling of the comments at Huffington Post about Saddam’s death sentence. (Hat tip: Right Brain.)
Behold, the Democrats’ base.
Saddam is a far better man than George W. Bush ever thought about being.
By: shrike on November 05, 2006 at 07:58am
[...]
wow are bush, cheney, rumsfield and rice next?seems to me the killed about as many innocent iraqis as saddam did, and about as many innocent , trusting troops as civilians we lost on 9/11
By: stamper on November 05, 2006 at 07:35am
[...]
Now how about going after George Bush.
By: waxxx on November 05, 2006 at 07:36am
Great Blog!! How do I get my blog listed on your blog list?
Posted by: Chuck Jines | 05 November 2006 at 07:50 PM
I now have a rss feed. Could you include me on the blog list?
Posted by: CHUCK JINES | 14 November 2006 at 11:42 AM