Saddam Deputy Hanged at Dawn on Anniversary of Iraq Invasion

By ED HARRIS

SADDAM HUSSEIN’S former vice president was hanged before dawn in Baghdad today on the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

Precautions were taken to prevent a repeat of what happened to Saddam’s half brother Barzan Ibrahim, who was inadvertently decapitated on the gallows in January.

Taha Yassin Ramadan, 69, was weighed before the hanging and the length of the rope was chosen accordingly, said Bassam al-Hassani, an adviser to prime minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Mr al-Hassani said the execution went smoothly, although Ramadan appeared frightened and recited the two shahadahs – a declarat ion of faith repeated by Muslims: “There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his Prophet.”

Ramadan was the fourth man to be executed for the killing of 148 Shias in the town of Dujail following a 1982 assassination attempt on Saddam.

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.

Ramadan was hanged in a prison at an Iraqi army and police base which had been the headquarters of Saddam’s military intelligence.

He had been in US custody but was handed over to the Iraqis about an hour before the hanging, according to Mr al-Hassani, who witnessed the hanging.

Also present was a committee made up of officials, a judge and a prosecutor, with representatives of the justice and interior ministries and a physician.

The prosecutor read out the verdict of the appeals court upholding the death sentence along with Mr al-Maliki’s decision to carry it out.

Ramadan was No20 on the US most-wanted list . He was widely considered to be as ruthless as Saddam and once headed a court that executed 44 officers for plotting to overthrow the regime.

The execution took place as protesters across America called for an end to the US occupation.

Among those taking part in demonstrations from Seattle to Rhode Island was the actress Daryl Hannah, who brandished a placard at a “bring the troops home” rally in Santa Monica, California.

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