Iraq - Execution of Saddam co-defendants postponed until Sunday

AFP via translation | January 4, 2006

[HAL9000]

The execution of the two co-defendants of Saddam Hussein deferred to Sunday

BAGHDAD - the execution envisaged Thursday of the two co-defendants of Saddam Hussein, his half-brother Barzan Al-Tikriti, former chief of the Iraqi secret service and the former president of the revolutionary tribunal Awad Al-Bandar, was deferred to Sunday, according to a close relation of Iraqi the Prime Minister.

"It is deferred to Sunday", indicated to AFP Baha Al-Araji, appointed Shiite close to the Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki.

"Because of the international pressures and within the Arab world, the execution of Barzan Al-Tikriti and Awad Al-Bandar were deferred of a few days", indicated to the AFP and under cover of anonymity another source close to Mr. Maliki, who however did not give of precise date.

The two men were to be hung this Thursday at dawn by the Iraqi authorities, according to the entourage of Mr. Maliki.

Both, as well as former president Saddam Hussein, had been condemned to died by hanging on November 5, 2006 for the massacre of 148 villagers Shiites of Doujaïl, in the north of Baghdad, had been killed in reprisals after an attack missed against the presidential convoy in 1982.

The call of their judgment had been rejected on December 26 by the Court of Appeal of the High Iraqi penal court.

Saddam Hussein had been hung on December 30, in a barracks of the military information of Khadamiyah, northern district and mainly Shiite of Baghdad.

Envisaged the day-even, the executions of Barzan and Bandar had been deferred at the last time, for a reason which was not specified by the Iraqi authorities.

The adviser with national safety Moaffaq Al-Roubaïe had then announced that they would be hung "after the festivals of Aïd Al-Adha" (Moslem festival of the sacrifice) whose celebrations were completed Wednesday evening for the Shiites.

Former chief of the services of information, Barzan Ibrahim Al-Hassan Al-Tikriti, 55 years, was one of the three half-brothers of the deposed president and his presidential adviser. He had been captured on April 16, 2003 in Baghdad.

Awad Ahmed Al-Bandar, 60 years, had directed the Iraqi revolutionary tribunal which had condemned to died the 148 victims of Doujaïl.

The execution of Saddam Hussein on December 30 caused a wave of indignation, after the diffusion on Internet of a pirate video of the hanging of the ex-dictator.

These images show the execution in all its details and reveals that witnesses stressed the name of the radical chief Moqtada Sadr Shiite. Several of them also inveighed the torture victim at his last moments, whereas cries of revenge resounded immediately after its death. An Iraqi person in charge present even recognized that spectators had danced around the corpse.

An investigation was launched by the Prime Minister to determine the author of this video, was turned with a portable telephone, the persons in charge for its diffusion into Internet and the identity of the authors of the cries.

Questioned on this subject, Mr. Araji confirmed the arrest of a "guard" present at the time of the execution.

[freepersup]

Raising my glass of champagne ((( ping ))) to the next appointment with the executioner.

[Anti-Bubba182]

I don't much care what they do with the underlings. Saddam was the big deal.

[rlmorel]

Spot on cartoon.

Spot on cartoon.

Spot on cartoon.

Spot on cartoon.

Eric Allie, one of the greatest political cartoonists of the 21st Century.

[norwaypinesavage]

It makes one mighty glad that Iraq pulled off the big one, before all this help from the rest of the world caused interminable delays. Somebody there deserves kudos.