LMS
12-30-2006, 12:40 AM
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/12/29/hussein/index.html
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi dictator who spent his last years in captivity after his ruthless regime was toppled by the U.S.-led coalition in 2003, was hanged before dawn Saturday for crimes committed in a brutal crackdown during his reign.
The execution took place shortly after 6 a.m. (10 p.m. Friday ET), Iraq's national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, told Iraqi television.
"This dark page has been turned over," Rubaie said. "Saddam is gone. Today Iraq is an Iraq for all the Iraqis, and all the Iraqis are looking forward. ... The [Hussein] era has gone forever."
Rubaie, who witnessed the execution, said the former leader was "strangely submissive" to the process. (Watch Rubaie describe Hussein's final moments (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/world/2006/12/30/sot.rubaie.hussein.execution.affl','2007/01/13');) http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/main/icon_video.gif (javascript:cnnVideo('play','javascript:cnnVideo(' play','/video/world/2006/12/30/sot.rubaie.hussein.execution.affl','2007/01/13');','2006/12/30');))
"He was a broken man," he said. "He was afraid. You could see fear in his face." (Watch what a witness said about the fear on Hussein's face (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/world/2006/12/29/raman.iraq.hussein.executed.affl','2007/01/13');) )
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi dictator who spent his last years in captivity after his ruthless regime was toppled by the U.S.-led coalition in 2003, was hanged before dawn Saturday for crimes committed in a brutal crackdown during his reign.
The execution took place shortly after 6 a.m. (10 p.m. Friday ET), Iraq's national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, told Iraqi television.
"This dark page has been turned over," Rubaie said. "Saddam is gone. Today Iraq is an Iraq for all the Iraqis, and all the Iraqis are looking forward. ... The [Hussein] era has gone forever."
Rubaie, who witnessed the execution, said the former leader was "strangely submissive" to the process. (Watch Rubaie describe Hussein's final moments (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/world/2006/12/30/sot.rubaie.hussein.execution.affl','2007/01/13');) http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.5/main/icon_video.gif (javascript:cnnVideo('play','javascript:cnnVideo(' play','/video/world/2006/12/30/sot.rubaie.hussein.execution.affl','2007/01/13');','2006/12/30');))
"He was a broken man," he said. "He was afraid. You could see fear in his face." (Watch what a witness said about the fear on Hussein's face (javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/world/2006/12/29/raman.iraq.hussein.executed.affl','2007/01/13');) )