Saddam Execution Countdown

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Fri Dec 29, 2006 at 08:55:00 PM EST
Tags: Saddam Hussein (all tags)

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11:50 pm MT: Witnesses say it was quick.

"It was very quick. He died right away," one of the official Iraqi witnesses said. The former president's face was uncovered, he appeared calm and said a brief prayer as Iraqi policemen walked him to the gallows and put the noose round him, the witness said.

10:00 pm MT: Saddam has been hanged.

8:00 pm MT: Saddam has arrived at execution site. The hanging will take place within minutes.

7:51 pm: Final arrangements are in place.

Saddam Hussein will be hooded with hands tied behind his back. Government and religious officials, a lawyer and a doctor will act as witnesses. The execution will be filmed to provide proof of his death.

7:05 pm. A federal judge in DC has denied Saddam's request for stay. You heard it here first. Here's the order.

7:00 pm MT: CNN reports Iraqi officials say he will hang within the hour.

6:33 pm MT: AP is reporting (incorrectly) Saddam's request for stay has been denied. It's not showing on the court docket sheet yet, I'll upload the order when it appears. CNN just confirms the AP was wrong, there has been no ruling.

6:25 pm MT: Not much mention has been made of it, but Saddam won't be the only one hung in a few hours.

Also to be hanged at that time were Saddam's half-brother Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court, the adviser said.

The time was agreed upon during a meeting Friday between U.S. and Iraqi officials, said the adviser, who declined to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

The reason for the late turnover: To avoid the chance he will be abused before the hanging, for which America might be blamed. The Administration wants a "respectful" hanging. An oxymoron if there ever was one. It also makes me wonder if they are afraid one of the Iraqis would let him commit suicide.

6:00 MT: No ruling yet in Saddam's request in federal court for stay. Execution is still expected before 6am Baghdad time, 10 pm.

3:38 pm MT: The New York Times has an excellent editorial on why Saddam's death won't accomplish anything, noting the unfair trial he received. Jesse Jackson weighs in:

Jackson says that to allow the former Iraqi leader to be hanged as what he calls "a war trophy" would be a "barbarity" that would only inflame tensions.

Jackson says making Saddam spend the rest of his life in prison would be a better way to "break the cycle of violence in Iraq."

3:23 pm MT: Iraqi Official says execution will occur before 6:00 am Baghdad Time (10 pm ET.)

2:57 pm MT: Saddam lawyers file motion to stay execution in US Court.

2:09 pm MT: Saddam lawyer says execution will occur before dawn.

10:35 am MT: Iraqi Judge says Saddam's execution will take place today or tomorrow.

< On the Unfairness of Saddam's Trial | Saddam is Dead >

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Saddam Execution Countdown | 13 comments (13 topical)

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Mr. Zimmerman called it... (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by aahpat on Fri Dec 29, 2006 at 05:22:13 PM EST

We Americans are still 'selling postcards of the hanging'

The more things change.......

We should start a body count going forward for the dead attributed to retaliation.

'The circus is in town...'

I agree with Rev. Jackson (none / 0) (#1)
by Edger on Fri Dec 29, 2006 at 05:00:42 PM EST

making Saddam spend the rest of his life in prison would be a better way to "break the cycle of violence in Iraq"

I also agree with river's speculations:

Has the situation gone so beyond America that it is now irretrievable? Or was this a part of the plan all along? My head aches just posing the questions.

I think that it has become more than obvious that What we see in Iraq is exactly what was intended by Bush/Cheney all along.

Lawyers generally refer to it as "premeditation", no?

This is an insult to.... the human heart.

Who created the precedent for (none / 0) (#4)
by bx58 on Fri Dec 29, 2006 at 05:37:47 PM EST

offing the leadership of a vanquished enemy?

I know it didn't happen after WW1...

Maybe it was Nuremberg. Where the Russian,American and British judges toasted the verdicts before deliberations.

Is it a bad precedent?

: Unkosher to reply to yourself? (none / 0) (#10)
by bx58 on Fri Dec 29, 2006 at 08:55:39 PM EST

Is it a bad precedent?
In a few years or a few weeks,when we have presidents and vice-presidents who are insane and the country is going down in nuclear flames; what would any insane president do if he knows he faces the gallows when it's all over?
He'll be one of the last men standing.

Saddam (none / 0) (#5)
by forestgirlfriend on Fri Dec 29, 2006 at 06:11:11 PM EST

This is just wrong and making a martyr.
Please stop this.
Saddam must not die.
It is wrong, he is entitled to a life in prison. Why is no one prepared to speak out against this? A martyr will just make things worse. Keeping him alive might make us understand the situation.

CNN is reporting (none / 0) (#8)
by Che's Lounge on Fri Dec 29, 2006 at 08:15:39 PM EST

that the US judge has denied the motion for a stay of execution.

: I just posted the order (none / 0) (#9)
by Jeralyn on Fri Dec 29, 2006 at 08:18:01 PM EST

here

Bye Bye Saddam (none / 0) (#11)
by ProgressiveRick on Fri Dec 29, 2006 at 09:01:27 PM EST

Go to Google, Images and type Iraqi Gas Victims.

He dies for that. Bye Bye Saddam.

From Raed Jarrar & Jennifer Hicks at HuffPo: (none / 0) (#12)
by Edger on Fri Dec 29, 2006 at 09:22:37 PM EST

There Is No Victory in Saddam's Execution

...the one and only victory [from the entire Iraq invasion/debacle] that the Bush administration can claim is hanging the former dictator.
The U.S. administration will use Saddam to distract public opinion from the atrocities going on by parading this fake "victory." It will then also bury the executed body of Saddam along with all the secrets we're not supposed to know, continuing to leave us in the dark.
...
Saddam indeed was a brutal dictator.
The fact that atrocities worse than those caused by him are now going on during the occupation, should make the Bush administration feel ashamed that they have made Saddam's brutal dictatorship look like a walk in the park.

Exporting freedom and democracy my a$$...

Patriotic sociopaths (none / 0) (#13)
by aahpat on Fri Dec 29, 2006 at 09:43:42 PM EST

TO: ProgressiveRick on Fri Dec 29, 2006 at 09:01:27 PM EST

You sure sound like a good American Christian.

Homicidal vengeance is for sociopaths like Saddam. (And American Christians.)

: Aahpat, you talkin to me? (1.00 / 2) (#14)
by bx58 on Fri Dec 29, 2006 at 09:53:54 PM EST

I'm an American Christian who thought it was a bad idea to kill this sob.
Can I make an assumption? You probably think you're a real "progressive" liberal who can get away with stuff like that. And you can.

: American Christian? (1.00 / 2) (#15)
by ProgressiveRick on Fri Dec 29, 2006 at 10:01:26 PM EST

Huh?
1) What makes you think I'm Christian and 2) What makes you think I'm American?
I think you should consider the foundation of your moral belief system. You seem to be confused.

i really enjoy your comments... (none / 0) (#16)
by Bill Arnett on Sat Dec 30, 2006 at 01:52:13 PM EST

...but so that Talkleft isn't picked up and banned by law office censorship software, please watch the profanity.

Believe me if you write $hit, sh*t, @$$, or whatever the crowd here will get your meaning without jeopardizing the site's status.

Truly excellent posts, however; if I wore a hat I would tip it to you.

Thank you.