eclectica
2007-01-04, 20:53
Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging from a rope noose 2006-12-30 in Kazimiyah Iraq. The United States government had possession of him both before and after the execution. The United States government claims it has no responsibility for what happened during the actual execution and says that it was purely an Iraqi affair. The hasty execution followed after the trial of Hussein, which was controlled and staged by the Americans. There he was sentenced to death on November 5, two days before the American midterm election of 2006-11-07.
Originally what was released on Al Arabiya was a video lacking audio of Hussein on the gallows, with a cloth and noose being put on his neck. Later though an uproar occurred because a video including audio that was taken on a cell phone, was leaked showing the whole execution. The cell phone video is 2:38 in length. I found a good version of it 33 MB in size:
ED2K link (ed2k://|file|Saddam.Hussein.Execution.20061230.Kazimiyah.avi|34766336|AACE03C760D9FEDF860B865C584C9B7A|/)
In the cell phone video one sees the execution along with hearing the audio, in which Hussein is taunted. Shouts of "Moktada" and "got to hell" in Arabic were said to him. In the end Hussein himself was reciting the Muslim Shahada. in English: "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger." in Arabic: "La ilaha illa Allah wa-Muhammad rasul Allah.". But he fell through after saying "Muhammad" without finishing.
After watching the video I was reminded of the video of the execution of Nicholas Berg, in which much glee and pleasure was displayed towards the killing. I think Hussein must have felt somewhat victorious under such circumstances, because while he remained dignified his executioners lost their composure. And that would have led him to believe that their own end was not far in sight, for such undignified behavior does not bode well for the longevity of any government or organization.
The U. S. has distanced itself from the unprofessional and undignified events surrounding the execution of Hussein. U. S. officials say they would have handled it differently, and with tighter security they would have confiscated cell phones and video equipment of attendees, so that only an approved and censored version would be released to the public. Then there would be no leak, and for the public the perception of a dignified professional execution having taken place would instead be more prevalent.
The leaked cell phone video was an embarassment to the puppet Iraqi government, and it announced later that some people were arrested in connection with the unauthorized filming.
While the U. S. has avoided admitting responsibility for the execution of Hussein, it is the one responsible. To say that the execution was an Iraqi affair, and that they were respecting Iraqi sovereignty, is false because not all Iraqis speak with one voice. Some Iraqis wanted Hussein freed, some wanted him restored as its last rightful ruler before the American coup, some wanted him imprisoned for life, some wanted him to have a trial before the ICC, and some wanted him to be slowly tortured to death. Therefore the Americans are responsible for what happened by choosing which Iraqi faction to hand him over to. And considering that the Americans had possession of Hussein before the execution, and then again afterwards with his body flown by military helicopter to Tikrit, it stands to reason that they were responsible for him the entire time.
It is not really surprising anymore that the Americans would again display behavior that contradicts their professed values of freedom, human rights, and human decency. Such abuse has been going on for years and has been recently documented in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Cuba. The actual execution was similar to the practice of "extraordinary rendition", in which torture is outsourced to other governments or organizations. In this case, the nasty brutal execution of Hussein that the Americans wanted to have themselves, was simply outsourced to the puppet Iraqi government. Then the Americans would try to avoid responsibility by saying that it was purely an Iraqi affair.
Originally what was released on Al Arabiya was a video lacking audio of Hussein on the gallows, with a cloth and noose being put on his neck. Later though an uproar occurred because a video including audio that was taken on a cell phone, was leaked showing the whole execution. The cell phone video is 2:38 in length. I found a good version of it 33 MB in size:
ED2K link (ed2k://|file|Saddam.Hussein.Execution.20061230.Kazimiyah.avi|34766336|AACE03C760D9FEDF860B865C584C9B7A|/)
In the cell phone video one sees the execution along with hearing the audio, in which Hussein is taunted. Shouts of "Moktada" and "got to hell" in Arabic were said to him. In the end Hussein himself was reciting the Muslim Shahada. in English: "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger." in Arabic: "La ilaha illa Allah wa-Muhammad rasul Allah.". But he fell through after saying "Muhammad" without finishing.
After watching the video I was reminded of the video of the execution of Nicholas Berg, in which much glee and pleasure was displayed towards the killing. I think Hussein must have felt somewhat victorious under such circumstances, because while he remained dignified his executioners lost their composure. And that would have led him to believe that their own end was not far in sight, for such undignified behavior does not bode well for the longevity of any government or organization.
The U. S. has distanced itself from the unprofessional and undignified events surrounding the execution of Hussein. U. S. officials say they would have handled it differently, and with tighter security they would have confiscated cell phones and video equipment of attendees, so that only an approved and censored version would be released to the public. Then there would be no leak, and for the public the perception of a dignified professional execution having taken place would instead be more prevalent.
The leaked cell phone video was an embarassment to the puppet Iraqi government, and it announced later that some people were arrested in connection with the unauthorized filming.
While the U. S. has avoided admitting responsibility for the execution of Hussein, it is the one responsible. To say that the execution was an Iraqi affair, and that they were respecting Iraqi sovereignty, is false because not all Iraqis speak with one voice. Some Iraqis wanted Hussein freed, some wanted him restored as its last rightful ruler before the American coup, some wanted him imprisoned for life, some wanted him to have a trial before the ICC, and some wanted him to be slowly tortured to death. Therefore the Americans are responsible for what happened by choosing which Iraqi faction to hand him over to. And considering that the Americans had possession of Hussein before the execution, and then again afterwards with his body flown by military helicopter to Tikrit, it stands to reason that they were responsible for him the entire time.
It is not really surprising anymore that the Americans would again display behavior that contradicts their professed values of freedom, human rights, and human decency. Such abuse has been going on for years and has been recently documented in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Cuba. The actual execution was similar to the practice of "extraordinary rendition", in which torture is outsourced to other governments or organizations. In this case, the nasty brutal execution of Hussein that the Americans wanted to have themselves, was simply outsourced to the puppet Iraqi government. Then the Americans would try to avoid responsibility by saying that it was purely an Iraqi affair.