IRAQI tyrant Saddam Hussein was executed today for crimes against humanity.
Dramatic footage screened around the world just six hours later showed the former president standing on the gallows with a noose around his neck, moments before he was to be hanged.
Wearing a black overcoat to keep out the chill at the pre-dawn execution, Saddam looks composed awaiting death.
Witnesses described the dictator as appearing "broken and weak" but unrepentant in the minutes before his execution.
Accounts of his final moments tell of the former ruler alternating between muttering words of reassurance to himself and shouting slogans of defiance.
The news was welcomed in Iraq and overseas, but within hours a bomb planted aboard a minibus exploded in a fish market south of Baghdad killing at least 17 people and leaving many others wounded.
US president George Bush welcomed the punishment meted out to Saddam, while Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, speaking on behalf of the Government, welcomed the fact Saddam had been "held to account".
Mrs Beckett said: "I welcome the fact that Saddam Hussein has been tried by an Iraqi court for at least some of the appalling crimes he committed against the Iraqi people. He has now been held to account."
Death penalty
She added that the Government "does not support the use of the death penalty, in Iraq or anywhere else" but added that "we respect the decision" of the Iraqi authorities.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said the statement from Mrs Beckett spoke for the whole government.
Mr Bush said Saddam's execution was "the kind of justice he denied the victims of his brutal regime".
But he acknowledged that Saddam's death would not halt the wave of violence currently sweeping through Iraq.
Iran's state-run television described Saddam as "enforcer of the most horrendous crimes against humanity".
Saddam, 69, went to the gallows following a lengthy trial that began on October 19 last year.
Last month an Iraqi court sentenced him to death for the killings of 148 Shias from the Iraqi village of Dujail in the 1980s.
WAS death the right way to deal with Saddam? Have your say.
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This just shows what double standards this government has they just stand back and say nothing but we refuse to send illegal immigrants back to countrys that have the death penalty? DOUBLE STANDARDS. i beleive in the death penalty for murder but this government refuse to bring it back in britain? but calmly sits back and says very little about saddams death???Labour should now bring back hanging for murder in britain?
If commiting crimes against humanity deserves death by hanging,then Blair and Bush should have been on the scaffold with Saddam Hussein.
The war is stll illegal.
Live by the sword, die by the sword. These old sayings exist for a reason. I understand there are cultural differences between religions of the world, but murder is murder. Bin Ladin now must go. These guys are great salesmen. The best ever. Who else could convince thousands of people to throw rocks at tanks ? Can we sell that well ? Now let's go to Africa to sell the world on our values, not our strength.
Well ! you might say he got what he deserved, maybe he did. But who made this monster? check under his hair and theres the sign- MADE IN THE USA. Like many dictators and backward regimes they generally have the support of america if it suits there needs at that time. american right wing capitalist policies and the search for a quick buck will continue to harm and deprive innocent people the world over
Lets see George Bush and Tony Blair up there getting their punishments against humanity...
This is deeply disturbing and it only shows the world what religion means. Quite clearly it doesn't mean confession and absolution. you mark my words it will only bring about more violence as consequent news bulletins will prove in the next few months at least
As a practising Anglican it isn't often that I agree with the policies of the Vatican, but I believe they were right when they stated that the judicial killing of Saddam would be 'punishing a crime by committing another crime'.
No matter what this man did, two wrongs can never make a right.
Although I do believe he deserved to be severly punished, is capital punishment sufficient? It's giving him an easy way out, he'll have no regret for it. Surely there's a more deserving punishment for such a man.
I don't know quite how I feel about this issue. On one hand I feel sadness that Sadam Hussain has been executed because I feel as though it is wrong to execute anybody, but if Tony Blair was hanged I think that I would feel contented.
the act of hanging Saddam did nothing in correcting what he has done much less correct the current situation in Iraq. The backwood administration believes that throwing gas on the fire will help put it out.
i cant believe we have to deal with Bush for another year. and no, i never voted for him.
President Hussein, and he was President until his death under International Law, was not just killed, he was murdered by Lynch Mob Justice. He did not have a fair trial, he did not have a fair appeal whereby 300 pages of judgements from the original Kangaroo Court were read in a month, totally unbelievable. There are questions raised. Why was he hung now? Is it because the current trial was investigating the killing of Kurds and that might have embarrassed the Americans because they supplied the Chemicals. Or could it have been because he will be seventy in a few months and therefore unable to be hung. I assume that Saudi Arabia will be invaded and its rulers hung for crimes against humanity, and Israel will be invaded and its leaders hung for the murders of hundreds of thousands of innocent men women and children and the seizure of their land. And dozens of other countries will be invaded and their leaders murdered by the hangmen for the same offences. Will Pakistan be invaded for the overthrow of its democratically elected leader and the wars it causes and the terrorists it allows to be trained. I think not. This is murder, and this is hypocritical. The EU which is opposed to the death penalty must impose sanctions now against any country that has the death penalty. It cannot do business with terrorists.
An unfair trial, the death of a puppet of the yanks who did most of his dirty dealings whilst under strong yankee influence. The americans got their man, the iraqi's got no man. Shame on American and the UK governements.
he was not at all broken or shaky as it was evident from his death footages. even in the court he wasn't so. suppose if this is happening with bush or blair for the crimes they are yet to stop, can anybody imagine a bush at gallows like this? and again, how many peoples would have supported bush and blair if they were to be hanged after a trial? in our part of the world, people would have a sigh of relief, instead. why there is still a division about the killing of saddam? can any body of our living time would face the gallows as the way he did? right or wrong, he stood for the cause of his country and died for it. it should be a shame for all proud americans that their country need to live on the blood and oil of others!
I HOPE SADDAM BURNS IN HELL AND ANYONE THAT FEELS BAD FOR HIM
No Saddam shouold not have faced a death penalty. He should have been help accountable and made to pay for his actions for the rest of his life. The death sentence is an easy way out and now he doesnt have to worry about guilt, punishment of anything else.
yes,no question.
My nation killed 6 Mio. jews and a couple more Mio. during World war 1 & 2.
I think we all know how easy it is to kill someone.
And I do believe that we Europeans, have put rightfully human right before the easy option of killing ( like the Americans)
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The challange is to lock the dictators up, and make them think, until they l have learnt to see the bad.
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Besides, humans who kill are animals.
So those who are in favour of the execution of Saddam are as bad as him.
Was it good to see all the guns going off out in the streets of Iraq following this "good news"? Perhaps there's a clue why Iraq is a violent country. They certainly do have a long way to go. Sorry, I wouldn't go anywhere near the Middle East!
Chris - in what way was the trial unfair?
Pamela calm down! I understand that this scum wa once supported by the U.S.A. however he commited these crimes of his own free will, no one else made him. To mention Blair & Bush in the same sentance is wrong, I do not support them but there is a massive void between them. I do not support the eu so lets not shout for them to impose sanctions cos lets face it the french will do anything to please the arab states. The truth is that hanging was too good for him but he got what he deserved. Lets have the same punishment for murdering scum in this country and then see the crime rates drop.
Historic day for Iraq ????
Balir - a so called christian sits back and enjoys his holiday.
What kind of a coubtry is this ?
Well i welcome the news that an oppressive tyrant has been brought to justice i wonder why the UK and the USA don`t look at Zimbabwe.It to is being run by a heavy handed tyrant,Robert Mugabe who rules with an iron fist.Shame though it will never happen as there is no conflict of interest.Many have died under his orders.These are crimes on humanity.Be ashamed,be very ashamed.
Do not in general approve of the death penalty, especially in cases of rape, etc. Many a victim has misidentified the rapist. And the same goes for murder and other crimes.
But under the peculiar circumstances prevailing in this particular case I believe the best punishment is the death penalty. Any other penalty may, in the current state of affairs in Iraq, open the possibility that Saddam will one day again roam free with a second life as a predator.
Nor have I from the beginning of this war ever approved of it. I feel quite embarassed that my fellow Americans ever voted into office a president with a bag of rocks in his head.
Please forgive us for we know not what we do.
it sounds like only bleeding heart ,tree hugging liberals post here,but i will put in my two cents.saddam....dead....good!the world needs cleaned up and this was a good place to start.if saddam being dead will mean safety to my country and my family,thank you to all involved in his execution.as for all people who bash president bush every chance they get,you are FREE to leave.just please take some of your liberal friends with you and this country will be alot better off when you are gone.