Top Aide to Saddam Hanged

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Saddam Hussein’s former deputy was hanged before dawn today for the killings of 148 Shiites, an official with the prime minister’s office said.

Taha Yassin Ramadan, who was Saddam’s vice president when the regime was ousted four years ago, was the fourth man to be executed for the 1982 massacre following an assassination attempt against the former leader in the city of Dujail.

The official, who witnessed the hanging but spoke on condition of anonymity, said precautions were taken to prevent a repeat of what happened to Saddam’s half brother and former intelligence chief, Barzan Ibrahim, who was decapitated on the gallows.

Ramadan was convicted in November of murder, forced deportation and torture and sentenced to life in prison. A month later, the appeals court said the sentence was too lenient and returned his case to the High Tribunal, demanding he be sentenced to death. The court agreed to turn it to a death sentence.

Saddam was executed Dec. 30; two codefenfendants were executed in Januray.

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