Report: Saddam hanged; Update: Last word — “Muqtada” (Update: Video added)
posted at 10:09 pm on December 29, 2006 by see-dubya
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Word just in from al-Arabiya that Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti is dead.
Sic Semper Tyrannis. Watch this space for more details.
Update (AP): Al-Hurra is reporting it too. I’m monitoring Al Jazeera in the expectation that they’ll have the video before American media does.
Al-Hurra’s the American-backed Arab station, FYI, so their sources here are probably trustworthy.
Update (AP): HuffPo “celebrates.”
Update (AP): Al-Arabiya (via Fox) says photographers and cameramen were on the scene.
Update (AP): “‘Peace,’ he said, grinning and laughing. ‘Now there will be peace for my family.’”
Update (AP): Human Rights Watch sticks to their wormy script: “The execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein following a deeply flawed trial for crimes against humanity marks a significant step away from respect for human rights and the rule of law in Iraq, Human Rights Watch said today.”
Update (AP): An excellent, unsparing obituary from the Times of London.
Update (AP): Here’s a twist — Fox says Al-Arabiya is claiming that, contrary to earlier reports, it happened outside the Green Zone. Nice head fake.
Update (AP): What to do with the body? There’s “wide disagreement” among U.S. and Iraqi officials, says the Times:
The most discussed options include sending his body out of the country to his family in Jordan, where two of his daughters live; burying him in a secret location never to be made public; burying him in a secret location but, after a period of time, having him disinterred and sent to his family or tribe; or sending him immediately to his hometown of Tikrit to be buried with members of his tribe.
In fact, a top Sunni politician even raised the prospect of holding a state funeral for Mr. Hussein. That idea, a Western official said, had very little chance of becoming reality.
Update (AP): “State-run Iraqiya television said: ‘Criminal Saddam was hanged to death’, and played patriotic music, while showing images of national monuments and other landmarks.”
Update (AP): Who said it? “Just in time for Eid, the Iraqis decided Saddam Hussein was one old acquaintance who really should be forgot.” Who else?
Update (AP): Here’s the graphic FoxNews.com is using. Heh.
Update (AP): The first bucket of cold water from the Times splashes down.
Update (AP): CNN says al-Iraqiya will air photos of Saddam on the way to his execution. And now Fox is saying they’ll show the video, too. I don’t get al-Iraqiya, but I do get Al Jazeera. If the video makes its way onto the air there, it’ll be here soon after.
Update (AP): CNN is quoting Iraq’s NSA as saying Saddam had “fear on his face.” We’ll see.
Update (AP): This is going to be some video: “What the images might also show, according to one eyewitness to the event: observers chanting and dancing around the body.”
Update (AP): Bush’s reponse is low key. According to Fox, he was, er, asleep when it all went down.
Update (AP): More on reaction at the scene, plus your quote of the year:
Witnesses to the execution told NBC News’ Richard Engel that they were cheering around the body of Saddam after the execution.
NBC could hear cheers and celebrations in the background while talking to an official in the prime minister’s office.
“This son of a bitch is lying under my feet.… I can’t talk now because of all the cheers!” a witness said.
Update (AP): It’s not clear yet whether Saddam’s half-brother and his former chief justice were hanged with him or whether their executions were postponed until after Eid. Iraq’s NSA says it’s the latter.
Update (AP): Iraq’s NSA is on the phone with Anderson Cooper right now and says Saddam carried a Koran, refused a hood to cover his face, and tried to look brave but was clearly “broken” by what was happening. He died “very quickly.”
Update (AP): His last words, according to one witness quoted by Fox? “Allahu Akbar,” of course.
Update (AP): Actually, not quite:
Sami al-Askari, the political adviser of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, told The Associated Press that Saddam struggled when he was taken from his cell in an American military prison but was composed in his last moments…
“Saddam later was taken to the gallows and refused to have his head covered with a hood,” al-Askari said. “Before the rope was put around his neck, Saddam shouted: ‘God is great. The nation will be victorious and Palestine is Arab.’“
Update (AP): Al Jazeera English says the hanging took place at a Justice Ministry in northern Baghdad. Meawnhile, the reprisals have begun — a car bomb went off this morning in a crowd of people in the Shiite holy city of Kufa. Witnesses report “dozens” of casualties. And Fox is just now reporting at 2:35 that the Fallujah courthouse has burned down.
Update (AP): 30 dead at Kufa.
Update (AP): The LA Times has the fullest account so far of the execution scene, courtesy of Iraqi judge Munir Haddad. Cycle of life, cycle of savages:
A defiant Saddam Hussein was hanged at dawn today in a secret concrete death chamber here as the Muslim call to prayer echoed over the capital.
Hussein and 14 Iraqi government representatives were flown by helicopter to the site, according to Iraqi High Tribunal Judge Munir Haddad. Guards escorted Hussein into the room, where he denounced the West and Iran.
Hussein then climbed the high ladder to the gallows.
As his executioners placed a noose around his neck, Hussein blanched but betrayed no emotion, Haddad said.
Hussein refused to wear a hood.
The charged silence that settled over the execution chamber was broken by an exchange between Hussein and four guards, who were apparently followers of Muqtada Sadr, the militant Shiite cleric whose father was killed by Hussein.
“Muqtada Sadr!” they cried out.
Hussein scoffed in reply.
His last word was a sarcastic “Muqtada,” Haddad said. “And then he was hanged.”
Update (AP): The cameraman speaks.
Ali Al Massedy was 3 feet away from Saddam Hussein when he died. The 38 year old, normally Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s official videographer, was the man responsible for filming the late dictator’s execution at dawn on Saturday. “I saw fear, he was afraid,” Ali told NEWSWEEK minutes after returning from the execution. Wearing a rumpled green suit and holding a Sony HDTV video camera in his right hand, Ali recalled the dictator’s last moments. “He was saying things about injustice, about resistance, about how these guys are terrorists,” he says. On the way to the gallows, according to Ali, “Saddam said, ‘Iraq without me is nothing.’”
Ali says he followed Saddam up the gallows steps, escorted by two guards. He stood over the hole and filmed from close quarters as Saddam dropped through—from “me to you,” he said, crouching down to show how he shot the scene. The distance, he said, was “about one meter,” he said. “He died absolutely, he died instantly.” Ali said Saddam’s body twitched, “shaking, very shaking,” but “no blood,” he said, and “no spit.”
Update (Ian @ 4:29am): Video of Saddam being prepared for death:
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OK Tell me which one
Duality
Before I forget
webdemon on December 30, 2006 at 2:59 AM
crosspatch… Why is it only republicans that remember that little fact? This is a republic not a democracy… Is it just that liberals want a democracy so bad they refuse to accept the fact, or do the simply not know the difference?
webdemon on December 30, 2006 at 3:12 AM
Ugh, they’re re-running Greta on FNC. I thought there might be some actual news about what’s going on in Kufa and Falluja. I guess they’re all regrouping to see what bent they should take on the stories prior to reporting. I don’t trust any news coming from the boob tube these days.
NTWR on December 30, 2006 at 3:19 AM
Nice of him to pay respects to our host at such a stressful moment…
LagunaDave on December 30, 2006 at 3:21 AM
I did not know Muqtada al Sadr and Saddam were enemies…
NTWR on December 30, 2006 at 3:22 AM
A democracy is very dangerous because all you need to do is offer 51% of the population free money at the expense of the other 49% and you are guaranteed to stay in power forever.
I believe the Senate should return to being appointed by state legislatures too, as it was for the first 100 years of this country but I suppose that makes me some kind of a wacko. But if the states had a say in the federal government, you would see a lot fewer unfunded mandates passed by Congress and you would see people appointed who are good deliberators and not simply able to win a marketing campaign to win votes.
I understand why they changed that, but the conditions that caused that change to come about have passed and it would not be safe to return the Senate to the states where it belongs. As it is now, the states have no say at all in the federal government yet are subject to federal regulations. That should change.
crosspatch on December 30, 2006 at 3:23 AM
NTWR: Fox reruns the same 3 or 4 shows all night long. They have no nighttime shows, just repeats of the evening shows over and over until the morning business shows.
crosspatch on December 30, 2006 at 3:25 AM
That’s why I stick mainly to the radio, and the net… Sometimes to get the whole story I have to watch TV, listen to the radio, and surf the net all at the same time… It’s information overload sometimes… Add reading a book on top of that, and my brain shuts down.
webdemon on December 30, 2006 at 3:25 AM
But, HOW MANY TIMES DID HE KICK?
This is important! There’s money and fine wine on the line here.
georgej on December 30, 2006 at 3:28 AM
Having read the Martin Lewis Huffpost piece and the comments, I only wish that a few of his liberal-traitor ilk could join Saddam on the gallows.
georgej on December 30, 2006 at 3:31 AM
Oops, ment to say:
crosspatch on December 30, 2006 at 3:32 AM
georgej: I don’t care how many times he kicked, I just want to see if I can fit the video to the theme from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
crosspatch on December 30, 2006 at 3:33 AM
crosspatch I agree 100%.
NTWR on December 30, 2006 at 3:36 AM
The Muqtada al Sadr’s claim to fame is his lineage, not anything he has done. For example:
Also he is a Sayyid, or direct decendant of Mohammad
So he commands a lot of respect simply because he is sort of like Shiite royalty. Not because of anything he has done in his lifetime.
crosspatch on December 30, 2006 at 3:42 AM
A true democracy doesn’t last long. When the people of a democracy figure out that they can vote themselves money the democracy dies… Sounds a lot like the plans the democrats have. Give the people free stuff and they’re happy until we don’t have a country left. Make the senate representitives of the states rather than allowing people to vote them in, like it used to be, and you take power away from senators… They would like that none too much. They have a sweet job now making people think that they are acting in their best intrest, why would they want to change that?
webdemon on December 30, 2006 at 3:48 AM
Also from the Wikipedia entry for al Sadr:
So the problem is that killing al Sadr causes more problems that killing the average troublemaker. It would be to the Shiites like killing a member of the royal family would be to the British … sortof. In other words, he would be much bigger in death than he actually is alive so it is better to simply pick off his henchmen and damage his support structure unless he can be caught red handed engaged in criminal activity. Even then he probably wouldn’t be killed.
crosspatch on December 30, 2006 at 3:48 AM
Interesting. Is that why we’re (sort of) working with him? I think part of the reason so many Americans are not invested in winning this war is that it’s difficult to follow the Shia, Sunni, Kurd relationship-especially when the media does nothing to help.
Drudge has a developing headline about an explosion at the Madrid airport. Hopefully it’s just fluke.
NTWR on December 30, 2006 at 3:48 AM
“Sounds a lot like the plans the democrats have.”
Yeah, every time I hear them wanting to allow prisoners to vote I remember that.
crosspatch on December 30, 2006 at 3:49 AM
Oh, and it gets worse too. If they had government medical you effectively have politicians deciding who can and who can’t get care. So a Republican might be put on a waiting list for a medical procedure only to discover that his records have been “lost” when it comes time for the appointment and he needs to get back in line or something.
The *last* thing I want to see is politicians in charge of our medical care.
crosspatch on December 30, 2006 at 3:51 AM
Fox showing video
crosspatch on December 30, 2006 at 3:55 AM
Has anyone questioned the timing?
I know that phrase is worn and tired, but I realy mean it. It takes 20+ years in America to execute a killer after his conviction but Iraq does it in less than 30 days?
Who says Muslims are patient.
iNeXuS on December 30, 2006 at 3:57 AM
They freeze the video just as they get the noose on him.
crosspatch on December 30, 2006 at 3:57 AM
Exactly- next we’d have government calorie logs and be required to check in at government exercise centers for prescribed amounts of time- sort of like the trans fat/foie gras legislation… hmm.
There was a telephone warning prior to the Madrid explosion- maybe not a fluke after all.
NTWR on December 30, 2006 at 3:57 AM
crosspatch on December 30, 2006 at 4:00 AM
Sounds like Ted Kennedy to me. And who’d miss him? As Tom Clancy pointed out - I forget which book - the really great thing about martyrs is that they’re dead.
Laura on December 30, 2006 at 4:00 AM
Man, WHY do I feel sorry for this turd?? I guess that’s why I’m not a dictator. I’m sure he felt no empathy for the Kurds he gassed.
NTWR on December 30, 2006 at 4:01 AM
I’m a libertarian… Does that mean I only get 15% of the healthcare I need, or do the republicans get the entire shaft… I thought it was interesting, Not to change the subject or anything, but UC Boulder has a question on the application (or did have when I saw the report)asking for a political affiliation. People that are republican don’t get hired there.
webdemon on December 30, 2006 at 4:06 AM
the crap media won’t show the whole video, here in the free world, they always censor videos. For our own good!
retired on December 30, 2006 at 4:07 AM
I guess Ted Kennedy might be the closest thing we have here but it isn’t the same. Imagine someone killing a direct descendant of Jesus, if there was such a thing in our culture, and you have something a little closer to the reality.
It is really more like killing a member of the Japanese royal family would be to the Japanese. Lets say we had been occupying Japan and half the Japanese liked us and half didn’t. Then for some reason we killed the Emperor’s son. At that point ALL of them would hate us no matter what. Not because they agree with what the son was doing, but because we killed the emporer’s son. In other words, this is a case where it is better to contain him than to off him. But imprisonment might be an option if he were caught red handed in some criminal thingy. If he could be taken alive that is.
crosspatch on December 30, 2006 at 4:08 AM
they have a really good picture of Saddam on Drudge. That is a good profile. The noose is a good accessery look for him… Oops… Was!
webdemon on December 30, 2006 at 4:13 AM
Thanks for explaining, crosspatch.
Laura on December 30, 2006 at 4:14 AM
The other two executions have been postponed indefinetly?
NTWR on December 30, 2006 at 4:19 AM
Until after the Eid holiday. They wanted Saddam to have his own execution day, or something.
crosspatch on December 30, 2006 at 4:20 AM
That’s from Al Jazeera It’s going to see how this is reported from bothe sides.
webdemon on December 30, 2006 at 4:24 AM
sorry… it’s going to be “interesting” to see how this is going to be reported from both sides… It’s 4 in the morning what do you expect?
webdemon on December 30, 2006 at 4:26 AM
the news channels like CN and Foxnews censor the video because they feel they know whats good for us in the USA. So, they wil not show the full video. They feel that the free world can’t handle the video.
retired on December 30, 2006 at 4:26 AM
They are apparently simply showing what is being shown on Iraqi TV. It looks like the Iraqis are simply showing a repeat of the same segment.
crosspatch on December 30, 2006 at 4:28 AM
It isn’t like CNN and Fox had cameras on scene. The only video went to the Iraqi government and what we are seeing is, I believe, the only video that has been released so far.
crosspatch on December 30, 2006 at 4:29 AM
Wheee..the wicked witch is dead!
Highrise on December 30, 2006 at 5:21 AM
Ahhh, I wanted to see the snap of the neck… Buh bye you worthless sack of amphibian crap.
x95b10 on December 30, 2006 at 5:35 AM
retired,
Although CNN has no problem showing the full video of jihadis shooting American soldiers. Because that’s…you know…news.
crosspatch, it sounds as if they have the whole clip. Gregg Jarrett has been saying “We’ll stop it right here so you won’t see the actual moment of his death.”
Pablo on December 30, 2006 at 5:37 AM
What will the Democrat Majority have to say about this on January 4th?
“We are glad Saddam is dead, but we wish the President would have sought a coalition or pursued sanctions.”
Black Adam on December 30, 2006 at 6:24 AM
Good morning everybody!
Oh what a beautiful mooooooorning! Oh what a beautiful daaaaaaaay! I’ve got this beautiful feeeeeeeling, everything’s goin’ our waaaaay!
“Iraq is nothing without me” - Saddam.
You hear that, Sunnis? He’s talking about YOU!
Best one liner goes to bdfaith for: Famous last words - “Allahu Ak-k-k”
Tony737 on December 30, 2006 at 7:39 AM
Figures Fox would have no gumballs. I want the rest of the video.
steveegg on December 30, 2006 at 7:53 AM
What a GYP!!!!! I want the whole damned thing. Why are Americans so squeeeeeeemish? Embarassing.
Where do we find THE NEWS, if not FOX. SOMEBODY has to have it…WHERE IS IT???
Come on Allah…if they shot it, it has to be there for the “getting”…..
seejanemom on December 30, 2006 at 8:46 AM
On the released video Saddam looks defiant untill they explain “we’re going to put this black scarf arround your neck to prevent the rope from tearing your head off.” As he listens he has a look on his face like, “uh huh-uh huh,
am I supposed to be grateful? This sucks.”
I’d like to nominate for the soundtrack Dirty deads done dirt cheap.
Buck Turgidson on December 30, 2006 at 9:44 AM
No, I think “NeckBreak Hotel” may be better.
rmgraha on December 30, 2006 at 9:58 AM
It’s over…Saddam is gone. good. To all the Iraqi men dancing in the streets of America, pack your bags and go fight for your beloved Iraq. I am all for the liberation of your country however, I’m getting a little tired of watching my beloved Americans sacrifice their lives while you stand and do nothing.
I apologise if this seems harsh, I’m war tired.
ekuspa40 on December 30, 2006 at 10:21 AM
Now all those dip-lomats at the UN will have to find a new benefactor!
stonemeister on December 30, 2006 at 11:02 AM
Aren’t we all…
E L Frederick (Sniper One) on December 30, 2006 at 11:02 AM
WOW - I just made the mistake of clicking on one of the the above links to the HUFPO site -
Now I am really worried about the state of our country -In the midst of their LSD induced rants I found one wack job with a link to a site that blames “H” for the Kennedy asassination. Time to build a bomb shelter.
iam7545 on December 30, 2006 at 11:03 AM
“WE’RE FREEZING IT HERE SO YOU DON’T ACTUALLY SEE HIS DEATH TAKE PLACE.”
FOX I like you but comeon’–cut the pc retard stuff. Like showing film by CNN of our soldiers being sniped-murdered is OK. Right? But “Oh, don’t show Sadaams hanging.” Hell I’d rather see all that bloody beheading. S**t the media disgusts me. F**k them all. Sadaam was a evil bastard and he should have been swung around a number of times on a polein the denter of Baghdad.
auspatriotman on December 30, 2006 at 11:07 AM
All those complaints about incompetent Iqaqi democracy. At least in the execution department they have it all over us. In the America Saddam would have died of old age before endless appeals were exhausted.
MaiDee on December 30, 2006 at 11:29 AM
In the dictionary, next to the word “OWNED”, there should be a picture of Saddam.
JG2K6 on December 30, 2006 at 11:46 AM
Now Saddam starts a real hunger strike.
eagles5 on December 30, 2006 at 11:49 AM
Where’s the money shot?
Drat.
Dan866 on December 30, 2006 at 11:53 AM
“Greta “the bulldog” Van Sustern needs to go back to CNN.” - R D.
I agree, and she can take Bill Hemmer back with her.
And Shepard Smith, too.
doingwhatican on December 30, 2006 at 12:57 PM
So shall you reap…
More photos
Kilo Echo 4 on December 30, 2006 at 1:37 PM
Laura, perfect!
Entelechy on December 30, 2006 at 2:04 PM
The Saddam connection to 9/11 is this: If we had not had to send the US military to Saudi Arabia to liberate Kuwait, Bin Laden could not have claimed the “infidel on holy soil” argument as motivation for attacks against the US. UBL may have done it anyway, but who knows if the appeal to jihad would have succeded with motive #2 - because they hate.
I’ve been watching them jump around chanting, “death to America” going on 30 years. Well finally here’s a little death from America. We did not start this fight. Saddam had the option for full disclosure-he did’nt take it when he had the chance.
Buck Turgidson on December 30, 2006 at 2:17 PM
Agreed. Greta is boring, too redundant and dull.
Last night cnn (whom I never watch, but was hoping for ‘new news’ by switching around) with anderson cooper, his guest was interesting and condemning of saddam and the insurgents. It was the best coverage and pro USA news I saw last night. The guest was an Iraqi that told it true, applauding the US for what they had done. Even saying how much better off the entire country of Iraq is and will be with saddam dead, his horrible sons dead, and American forces doing all the right things. on CNN? yep, better than Fox for this night.
I didn’t know if I was pleased or disappointed with what cnn did ….kinda weird.
shooter on December 30, 2006 at 2:24 PM
Hmm, the execution lacks blood, a severed head, and cries of Allahpundit akhbar!. I’m satisfied, but only grimly.
:-)
Kralizec on December 30, 2006 at 2:42 PM
What a swinger. Really hung too.
rokemronnie on December 30, 2006 at 2:43 PM
hey seedub, anything yet?
shooter on December 30, 2006 at 2:43 PM
May he receive the justice he deserves.
spmat on December 30, 2006 at 2:52 PM
I agree, CNN was by far the best coverage of last nights events. The generals Greta had on were laughing at her, did anyone else catch that? Then there was MSNBC whose anchor almost choked to death on the news, poor girl.
Sammy316 on December 30, 2006 at 3:03 PM
As usual, Joseph Farrah and staff at WND (World Net Daily) are a bunch of lying bastards.
Their headline?
Speechless Hussein trembled, struggled
The details of Saddam’s non-heroic final hour
Michelle, how can you work for that insane nutbar?
I guess the question anwsers itself: a paycheck, which is fair enough. All that said, Farrah is a conspiration-theorist loon — a dishonest one.
CNN, Fox News, and Hot Air’s reporting were all much more balanced on this one. Not unsurprisingly.
I think Saddam Hussein died well enough, at least in the last two minutes. Let’s focus on his lifetime of horrible tyrranical violent crime with hundreds of thousands of victims… there’s no reason to just make sh*t up.
And if he had fear on his face, that’s normal. WND’s reporting is commonly hysterical.
Christoph on December 30, 2006 at 3:27 PM
Rejoicing at a fellow human being death is shameful. Do we think we are rendering justice–creating martyrs? I do not care about the impending violence? What I care about is the sense of hope? Look at Saddam early life. He was a mistreated child. He struggled to show his unpleasant environment that he is greater than it. To inspire the sense of hope that we can reach out who have plucked out our eyes and sliced our hands like carrots is greatest endeavor. We have just continued a vicious cycle–fighting fire with fire–that Jesus tried to prevent. Jesus fought every injustice with love. If you supported the hanging of Saddam and you are a Christian, an atheist who does good work is 2000% better than you. I have supported the war without question than most of you here. Today, my support ends. I saw Saddam as the finally hope to end the all-knowing mindset of a dictator. We have not shown mercy to dictators or converted any of them. We only seek to stick fire in their eyes. It confirm that their suspicion: they are always against you forever. Peace would to come Iraq, but another dictator will emerge. The same cycle will continue ad infinitum.
Ouabam on December 30, 2006 at 3:42 PM
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