Why is Saddam Hussein being executed?

star_gazer

The first trial of Saddam Hussein began before the Iraqi Special Tribunal on October 19, 2005. In this case Hussein, along with seven other defendants, was tried for allegations of crimes against humanity with regard to events that took place after a failed assassination attempt in Dujail in 1982 (see also human rights abuses in Iraq). A second and separate trial began in August 2006 trying Saddam, along with six other co-defendants, for genocide during the Anfal military campaign against the Kurds of Northern Iraq. On November 5, 2006, Saddam was sentenced to death by hanging. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Saddam_Hussein Dec 29 06, 10:07 PM

skysmom65

According to the news last night and my morning paper Saddam Hussein was executed/hanged to death at 10:05 p.m. my time, around 6:00 a.m. Baghdad time. Paper says he was hanged just before his half-brother Barzan Ibrahim then Awad Hamed al-Bandar. Dec 30 06, 10:23 AM

hunni123

Why was he killed? Saddam Hussein was executed because he was found guilty of killing of 148 people in 1982. What was the sentence? The sentence was death by hanging for his part in the murders of those people, who lived in the town of Dujail. Why was he given the death sentence? Because in Iraqi law it is legal to sentence someone to death if they have committed very serious crimes. The death penalty is not legal in the UK. Who was Saddam Hussein? Saddam Hussein was the president of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. One of the things he was known for was killing lots of his enemies and starting wars against two other countries. He was arrested by American troops in 2003. Who found him guilty? Saddam was found guilty by a panel of five judges who are part of a special court in Iraq called Iraq's Special Tribunal. The judges are from Iraq too. There was not a jury because this trial followed something called Iraqi civil law, which doesn't have juries. Why was he killed so quickly? Iraqi law says anyone given a death sentence must be killed within 30 days. Were there any worries about the trial? Saddam and his legal team claimed that the trial wasn't fair. One of the reasons was because these judges only needed to be "satisfied" that Saddam was guilty of the killings. Whereas in most international courts, you have to prove that someone is guilty "beyond reasonable Dec 30 06, 11:04 AM