President Bush dug deep into his dictionary and emotions yesterday, when he criticised the recent hanging of Saddam Hussein's' aides, and described Saddam's manner of execution as "fumbled".
Quote:
"I was disappointed and felt like they fumbled the particularly the Saddam Hussein execution."
He added that the execution of Saddam was like "kind of a revenge killing".
Bush claims that he had expressed disappointment to Prime Minister al-Maliki about the way Saddam's execution was handled.
"The message is that it's a confusing message.
It basically says to people, 'Look, you conducted a trial and gave Saddam justice that he didn't give to others. But then, when it came to execute him, it looked like it was kind of a revenge killing.' And it sent a mixed signal to the American people and the people around the world.
And it just goes to show that this is a government that has still got some maturation to do."
It is unlikely that Prime Minister al-Maliki will heed these comments, or indeed care very much. The new administration in Iraq is now busy making friends with Iran.
It would seem that President Bush is beginning to realise that the form of democratic government that he hoped would take root in Iraq, after the removal of Saddam, is not taking the form that he would have wished for.
Doh!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
The Decapitation
I questioned, in a recent article, whether matters with regard to making Saddam a martyr after his state "lynching" could be made any worse.
Well, it seems that the current administration in Iraq has managed to do just that; with the bungled hanging and decapitation of one of the two allies of Saddam, Barzan Ibrahim - Saddam Hussein's half brother - and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, who was chief judge of the Revolutionary Court.
Seemingly this bungled execution has been filmed, and the footage actually shows the decapitation of Barzan Ibrahim.
Officials claim that the video will never become public.
Believe that?
I don't!
The USA, UN and EU have all expressed dismay at the execution, some more so than others.
Needless to say, this latest fiasco hardly draws the poison from those that claim the current administration in Iraq is merely a Shia mob intent on exacting retribution on the Sunni minority.
Well, it seems that the current administration in Iraq has managed to do just that; with the bungled hanging and decapitation of one of the two allies of Saddam, Barzan Ibrahim - Saddam Hussein's half brother - and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, who was chief judge of the Revolutionary Court.
Seemingly this bungled execution has been filmed, and the footage actually shows the decapitation of Barzan Ibrahim.
Officials claim that the video will never become public.
Believe that?
I don't!
The USA, UN and EU have all expressed dismay at the execution, some more so than others.
Needless to say, this latest fiasco hardly draws the poison from those that claim the current administration in Iraq is merely a Shia mob intent on exacting retribution on the Sunni minority.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Saddam's Half Brother Hanged
Saddam Hussein's half brother and a former Iraqi judge were executed today, for their role in the 1982 killing of 148 Shiite Muslims in the village of Dujail.
Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Iraq's intelligence chief at the time of the killings, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, who issued death sentences to Dujail residents as the former head of Iraq's Revolutionary Court, were hanged today for crimes against humanity.
Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi opposed the executions, he said:
"The president already made an appeal and I had strong reservations. It is unfortunate."
Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani, had already stated his opposition to the death penalty.
The new administration in Iraq tends not to listen, when it comes to appeals for clemency for Sunnis.
The execution took place in the presence of a prosecutor, a doctor and a judge. In an attempt not to botch these executions, in the same way that Saddam's was botched, the authorities made all witnesses and executors sign a document outlining rules of conduct for the event.
However, despite this, Barzan al-Tikriti was decapitated during the hanging. A spokesman said the decapitation of Barzan was not abnormal, although it was rare, and described it as "an act of God".
Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Iraq's intelligence chief at the time of the killings, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, who issued death sentences to Dujail residents as the former head of Iraq's Revolutionary Court, were hanged today for crimes against humanity.
Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi opposed the executions, he said:
"The president already made an appeal and I had strong reservations. It is unfortunate."
Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani, had already stated his opposition to the death penalty.
The new administration in Iraq tends not to listen, when it comes to appeals for clemency for Sunnis.
The execution took place in the presence of a prosecutor, a doctor and a judge. In an attempt not to botch these executions, in the same way that Saddam's was botched, the authorities made all witnesses and executors sign a document outlining rules of conduct for the event.
However, despite this, Barzan al-Tikriti was decapitated during the hanging. A spokesman said the decapitation of Barzan was not abnormal, although it was rare, and described it as "an act of God".
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