The Trial of Saddam Hussein and The Fallout of The War

The Trial of Saddam Hussein

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The fallout in the Middle East from the regime change in Iraq

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Ramadan Executed

Taha Yassin Ramadan, Saddam Hussein's former vice president, was hanged this morning.

In order to prevent a repeat of the shambles of the execution of Barzan Hassan, who was decapitated, Ramadan was weighed before the execution and the appropriate size rope was chosen.

Ramadan was sentenced to life in prison in November 2006. However, in December 2006 the appeals chamber decided the original sentence was too lenient and ordered the court to resentence him.

The decision to execute him has been criticised by coalition officials, non governmental groups in Iraq and some members of Iraq's legal advisory community who have suggested that the judges came under pressure from politicians.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Saddam's Aide Dies

Saadoun Hammadi, a Shiite official in Saddam Hussein's government and a senior Iraq Baath Party leader, has died in a hospital in Germany.

Hammadi, 77, was released from a prison camp in Iraq in February 2004 after being held by American troops for nine months.

He was believed to have had leukemia.