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Saddam Buried In Home Village

Asian Age — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 14:18:53 GMT

Tikrit, Dec. 31: Saddam Hussein was buried early on Sunday in his home village of Awjah in northern Iraq after he was hanged for crimes against humanity, a member of his family said.

"Saddam Hussein has been buried in at 4:00 am in a place that was constructed during his regime in the centre of Awjah," said Musa Faraj, one of Saddam’s relatives from the area. Mr Faraj said the building where Saddam was buried was a hall usually used for condolence meetings in Awjah, 180 km north of Baghdad.

He said the burial was attended by the governor of Salaheddin province, Hamed al-Shakti, and Ali al-Nida, chief of Saddam’s tribe of Albu Nasir and many other members of the tribe.

Mr Shakti and Mr Nida were part of a delegation that went to Baghdad on Saturday to receive the former dictator’s corpse after he was hanged.

Mr Faraj said security forces had sealed off the town of Tikrit, the stronghold of Saddam’s supporters, since Saturday so that "nobody could participate in the burial" at Awjah, just 4 km south of Tikrit. Saddam was born in Awjah, a bastion of the Albu Nasir tribe and part of Salaheddin province. His sons Uday and Qusay, killed by US troops in Mosul in July 2003, are also buried in Awjah.

The former strongman was sentenced to death by an Iraqi court on November 5 for the killing of 148 men and boys in the Shia village of Dujail in 1982 after an attempt was made there to assassinate him.

The death sentence was confirmed by a judicial panel on December 26, and carried out at dawn on Saturday inside a former torture centre used by Saddam’s intelligence service in the Shia district of Kadhimiyah in northern Baghdad.

Iraqi Shias, persecuted during Saddam’s 24-year rule, feted his demise, dancing and cracking off bursts of automatic fire, while Sunni militants criticised the US-backed government for hanging their hero. On Saturday, soon after Saddam was hanged, at least 77 people were killed in a series of bomb attacks, mostly against crowded Shia areas.

A car bomb exploded in a fish market in the Shia town of Kufa, and a triple bombing ripped through a Shia neighbourhood in Baghdad.

Daily car bomb attacks on Shia crowds in Iraq are usually blamed on Sunni insurgent groups such as Al Qaeda or the Islamic Army of Iraq, whose members are linked to Saddam’s defunct Baath party and his armed forces. Although it was not clear whether the attacks were masterminded by Saddam loyalists to avenge his death, the abyss of civil strife into which Iraq has sunk since the US-led invasion has cast a shadow over Shia celebrations.

US President George W. Bush hailed Saddam’s execution as "an important milestone" on the road to building an Iraqi democracy, but European countries including US allies criticised use of the death penalty. Saddam’s execution, which came just as one of Islam’s most important festivals was beginning, rankled in West Asia. Analysts warned that public opinion in the Arab world could turn even further against the United States. Grainy footage of a grey-bearded and calm-looking Saddam being prepared for the gallows was aired on Iraqi state television and re-broadcast across the Arab world as Muslims began celebrating Id-ul-Zuha.

Even the West’s leading West Asia allies, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, publicly spoke out against the choice of the first day of the Muslim feast of sacrifice to put Saddam to death. "Generally in the region, people’s emotions are already anti-US, and these images will add to that feeling," warned Emad Gad, a researcher with the Cairo-based Ahram centre for strategic studies. (AFP)

Witnesses taunted Saddam with Sadr chants

Asian Age — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 17:17:17 GMT

Baghdad, Dec. 31: Saddam Hussein was sent to the gallows with a final mocking taunt — Shia witnesses chanted the name of one of his most bitter opponents while the noose was readied.

In video footage of the execution, apparently captured on a mobile phone and spreading across the Internet on Sunday, members of the party carrying out the hanging can be heard chanting "Moqtada, Moqtada, Moqtada!" The reference is to Moqtada al-Sadr, a radical Shia cleric whose father Mohammed Bakr Sadr and whose uncle were murdered by Saddam Hussein’s agents, and who has risen to prominence since Saddam’s fall as a politician and militia leader. One of the execution party calls: "Long live Mohammed Bakr Sadr!" "Go to hell," Saddam seems to respond, although the sound is not clear.

As the Sunni leader drops through the metal trapdoor his final prayer, the "shahada" or last testimony is caught short: "There is no God but God, and Mohammed is his prophet. There is no God but God and Mohammed..."

Noise erupts in the room as the filmmaker struggles to get a shot of Saddam’s face, hanging lifeless to one side. "The tyrant has fallen, damn him!" Saddam was executed by the Iraqi government at dawn on Saturday in a former military intelligence building in the Khadimiyah district of Baghdad where once his own victims were tortured and killed. He was buried on Sunday in his home village. The 69-year-old strongman had been convicted of crimes against humanity in the case of the village of Dujail, a Shia community north of Baghdad where in 1982 the then dictator survived an assassination attempt. (AFP)

Baathists name Ibrahim as new Iraq President

Asian Age — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 17:15:39 GMT

Amman, Dec. 31: Previously unknown group of Iraqi Baathists pledged allegiance to Saddam Hussein’s fugitive deputy Izzat Ibrahim and named him the "legitimate President of Iraq," a statement issued by the group said on Sunday.

The statement was distributed in Amman at the Jordan branch of Saddam’s Baath Party where dozens of people came to pay condolences for the former President who was hanged to death on Saturday. The statement was apparently sent from the Baath Party in Baghdad.

"In the name of Baghdad’s citizens gathering, we pledge allegiance to Gen. Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri as the legitimate President of Iraq and the chief of the armed forces," said the statement.

Gen. Ibrahim, Saddam’s former deputy and now fugitive with a $10 million bounty on his head, has not been seen since the fall of Saddam’s regime in April 2003. He is believed to be leading Baathists participating in the insurgency that has left thousands of the US and allied troops dead.

The unknown group praised Ibrahim as "the chief commander of the glorious national resistance who would lead the battle to liberate occupied Iraq from the American, British and Iranian occupation." The Baath Party was dissolved after Saddam’s regime fell. The one-page statement also expresses its "congratulations to the Iraqi people forth martyrdom of Saddam Hussein, the hero and the father of the three million Iraqi martyrs."

It was apparently referring to Iraqis killed during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, he 1991 Gulf War and Iraqis who died during the 13 years of sanctions following the 1991 war. Meanwhile, a Greek aircraft bound for Athens from New York was given the all-clear after a dawn emergency landing in Ireland on Sunday prompted by a telephone tip-off that there was a bomb on board "for Saddam Hussein." In another incident, Iraqi forces backed by United States troops detained 20 people in raids against insurgents suspected of manufacturing or planting bombs, the US military said on Sunday. The small rallies in New York’s Times Square and in Boston, led by a group affiliated with former US attorney-general Ramsey Clark, were among several condemnations of Saddam’s hanging. (AP, AFP)

Haj pilgrims outraged

Asian Age — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 19:15:55 GMT

By SIRAJ WAHAB

Mina, Dec. 30: They either hated him or loved him, but almost everyone here in the tent city of Mina was outraged at the hanging of ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on Id-ul-Zuha. The hanging was viewed by most pilgrims as a corruption of the occasion.

Those who had been the victims of his brutality welcomed his hanging. "Our prayers have been answered," said one Kurd woman in excitement as she prepared to perform the stoning of the devil ritual at Haj. "I lost many loved ones during the Anfal campaign," she said. "He deserved to die. Good for him. I am very happy." But there were many who were shocked that Saddam paid the ultimate price for taking an unflinching stand against the US. While it was announced that the timing of the death was the decision of the Iraqi government alone, many pilgrims had their doubts.

They believe that Saddam’s execution was done at a convenient time in regards to security for the coalition forces, whose diplomatic missions are closed worldwide for the New Year’s holiday. "Would it be OK if the President of the US were hanged on December 25?" shouted Anmar Al-Khodair, an Iraqi pilgrim from Anbar. When it was pointed out to him that it was the Iraqi government not the US government that executed Saddam, his reply was: "This Iraqi government is a puppet government. It is the US that is responsible for security and all other aspects in Iraq. The Iraqi government is based in the US-protected Green Zone in Baghdad and the writ of the government is confined to the Green Zone in Iraq. Go ask anybody. He was, is and will remain our hero."

But other Iraqi pilgrim, Reda Jaffer from Tabiyah area near Baghdad, said Saddam had wreaked havoc on Iraq during his authoritarian rule. "He gassed his own people. He never appreciated differences of opinion. He ruled by fear," said Jaffer. "All dictators should meet the same fate that Saddam did. However, he should not have been hanged on Id-ul-Zuha. As a human being I can’t approve that. Never. Even ordinary criminals are not hanged or executed on Id." For Palestinian pilgrims also, the hanging was reprehensible. Bassam Abu Zannat, a pilgrim from Palestine, asserted that by hanging Saddam on Id-ul-Zuha, the US administration sent a wrong signal to the Muslim community. "They could have hanged him if they wanted to either one month before Id or one month after Id. But why spoil this occasion for everyone? Things will now get worse in Iraq and the West Asia. The Americans are frustrated and this decision reflects that they have lost their ability to think."

"Saddam was convicted of killing tens of thousands of Iraqi people and hanged. What about the tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians killed since the US and British forces occupied Iraq. Who should be hanged for those crimes?" asked Basyuni Abu Al-Futooh, a pilgrim. "Hang Bush and Blair too. Let a similar kangaroo court try these leaders of the civilised world." Few pilgrims have access to television while at Mina. Most learned of Saddam’s execution from text messages they received on their mobile telephones. Tareq Al-Shammary, a young Saudi pilgrim, was furious ever since he got a text message from his brother. "After creating so much bloodshed, these Americans are still not happy. They have compounded our injuries by hanging Saddam on this particular day. They have tried to hit us where it hurts the most as a Muslim. But the struggle will continue. Baghdad has seen the worst in its history. Who can forget what Hulagu did. Bush is the modern-day Hulago."

It is not only Arab pilgrims who had the execution of Saddam in their thoughts, pilgrims from nations far removed from Iraq were worried about what effect it would have would have. "Throughout his rule Saddam claimed to be a Baathist and a secularist," said a pilgrim from Nigeria. "We saw though that during his trial before the kangaroo court he repeatedly invoked verses from the Holy Qur’an. That was enough for us to know that he was a Muslim and the way he was treated should be of concern to all Muslims." One northern Indian pilgrim was very upset at the execution. Shakil Rahman, was sitting at Muzdalifah when the SMS came from his relatives in India about Saddam’s hanging. "I could never have imagined that word of his execution would come at that time. It was awful! What a terrible thing to have happen on Id-ul- Zuha!" Rahman exclaimed.

"I never thought he would be executed or hanged. His sentence could very well have been commuted to life in prison. After all, he was the President of Iraq and the civilised norms of the world dictate that one should be sympathetic to heads of state. After all, Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was given a fair trail in The Hague."

If this is the behaviour of the new government of Iraq then this is the rule of the jungle."

Eid Al-Adha is a day of rejoicing throughout the Muslim world. But it falls on different days in different countries. It is also the day of Udhiyah or sacrifice, one of the great rituals of Islam. The image of Saddam being led to the slaughter was abhorrent to the pilgrims. "This is a warning to all the leaders in the Third World. If America so chooses, this will be your fate too," said Manzar Muhammad Baloch, a pilgrim from Pakistan.

Saddam’s Last Letter

Asian Age — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 19:14:32 GMT

Excerpts from a letter in the name of Saddam Hussein posted on a website on Wednesday:

To the great nation, to the people of our country, and humanity,

Many of you have known the writer of this letter to be faithful, honest, caring for others, wise, of sound judgment, just, decisive, careful with the wealth of the people and the state ... and that his heart is big enough to embrace all without discrimination.

You have known your brother and leader very well and he never bowed to the despots and, in accordance with the wishes of those who loved him, remained a sword and a banner.

This is how you want your brother, son or leader to be ... and those who will lead you (in the future) should have the same qualifications.

Here, I offer my soul to God as a sacrifice, and if He wants, He will send it to heaven with the martyrs, or, He will postpone that ... so let us be patient and depend on Him against the unjust nations.

Remember that God has enabled you to become an example of love, forgiveness and brotherly coexistence ...

I call on you not to hate because hate does not leave a space for a person to be fair and it makes you blind and closes all doors of thinking and keeps away one from balanced thinking and making the right choice ...

I also call on you not to hate the peoples of the other countries that attacked us and differentiate between the decision-makers and people ...

Anyone who repents — whether in Iraq or abroad — you must forgive him ...

You should know that among the aggressors, there are people who support your struggle against the invaders, and some of them volunteered for the legal defense of prisoners, including Saddam Hussein ...

Some of these people wept profusely when they said goodbye to me ...

Dear faithful people, I say goodbye to you, but I will be with the merciful God who helps those who take refuge in him and who will never disappoint any faithful, honest believer ... God is Great ... God is great ... Long live our nation ... Long live our great struggling people ... Long live Iraq, long live Iraq ... Long live Palestine ... Long live jihad and the mujahideen.

— Saddam Hussein President and Commander in Chief of the Iraqi Mujahid Armed Forces Additional clarification note:

I have written this letter because the lawyers told me that the so-called criminal court — established and named by the invaders — will allow the so-called defendants the chance for a last word. But that court and its chief judge did not give us the chance to say a word, and issued its verdict without explanation and read out the sentence — dictated by the invaders — without presenting the evidence. I wanted the people to know this.

Bombings kill 77 in Iraq

Asian Age — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 19:13:07 GMT

Baghdad, Dec. 30: Carnage gripped Iraq after Saddam Hussein was executed on Saturday when 77 people died in bomb attacks and December became the deadliest month for American forces in more than two years.

In the hours after Saddam swung from the scaffold in the capital, a car bomb exploded in a fish market in the town of Kufa, a triple bombing ripped through a Baghdad neighbourhood and another blew up outside a children’s hospital.

Although it was not clear whether the attacks were masterminded by Saddam extremists to avenge his death, the abyss of civil strife into which Iraq has sunk since the US-led invasion has cast a shadow over Shia celebrations.

Doctor Monther al-Ithari, the health director in the Shia province Najaf, said 31 people were killed and another 58 people wounded by the car bombing in Kufa, most of them women and children shopping ahead of the Id-ul-Zuha feast. The police colonel Ali Jrawi said that the vehicle, a Korean-made Kia, had been parked in a popular fish market when it exploded, ripping through the weekend crowd preparing for the four-day Muslim feast. Kufa, a small town south of Baghdad near the Shia pilgrimage centre of Najaf, is a stronghold of radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who has an office there and whose father was killed during the Saddam regime.

Meanwhile, Iraq’s Prime Minister Noori al-Maliki urged Iraqis not to see execution of Saddam Hussein as an attack on one Iraqi community or another but as a blow for unity and democracy.

Many members of Iraq’s Sunni minority were angered by the new government’s prosecution of their ousted leader, and there have been fears that his hanging could drive the wedge deeper between them and their Shia neighbours. In a statement released hours after Saddam swung from the scaffold, "The despot stands only for his evil self," he declared, urging those "deceived by the former regime" to join in the project of rebuilding an Iraq battered by 24 years of dictatorship and four of civil strife. (AP, AFP)

Execution will not end violence: Bush

Asian Age — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 19:11:35 GMT

By DEB RIECHMANN

Crawford (Texas), Dec. 30: President George W. Bush called Saddam Hussein’s execution a milestone on Iraq’s road to democracy, but warned it will not halt the bloodshed and political discord splitting the country.

Mr Bush, who has spent weeks crafting a new US policy in Iraq, warned of more challenges ahead for American troops. "Many difficult choices and further sacrifices lie ahead," he said in a statement released on Friday night from his Texas ranch. "Yet the safety and security of the American people require that we not relent in ensuring that Iraq’s young democracy continues to progress." The President’s statement had a sober, measured tone that contrasted with his offhand remark after US troops found the deposed Iraqi dictator in an underground hide-out in 2003. (AP)

***

Bush Statement

Today, Saddam Hussein was executed after receiving a fair trial _ the kind of justice he denied the victims of his brutal regime.

Fair trials were unimaginable under Saddam Hussein’s tyrannical rule. It is a testament to the Iraqi people’s resolve to move forward after decades of oppression that, despite his terrible crimes against his own people, Saddam Hussein received a fair trial. This would not have been possible without the Iraqi people’s determination to create a society governed by the rule of law.

Saddam Hussein’s execution comes at the end of a difficult year for the Iraqi people and for our troops. Bringing Saddam Hussein to justice will not end the violence in Iraq, but it is an important milestone on Iraq’s course to becoming a democracy that can govern, sustain and defend itself, and be an ally in the War on Terror.

We are reminded today of how far the Iraqi people have come since the end of Saddam Hussein’s rule and that the progress they have made would not have been possible without the continued service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform.

Many difficult choices and further sacrifices lie ahead. Yet the safety and security of the American people require that we not relent in ensuring that Iraq’s young democracy continues to progress. (AP)

Pakistan: Addam hanging a ‘sad event’

Asian Age — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 19:10:12 GMT

By SHAFQAT ALI

Islamabad, Dec. 30: Pakistan said the execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was a "sad event". However, the close US ally in war on terror, expressed hope that the execution will not further exacerbate the security situation in Iraq.

Saddam Hussein was hanged inside one of his former torture centres in Baghdad. "The execution of former President Saddam Hussein, which can only be described as a sad event, is another poignant reminder of the violence that continues to grip Iraq," Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement issued . "We hope that this event would not further exacerbate the security situation," the statement said. "It remains our earnest hope to see peace, stability and reconciliation so that the people of Iraq regain control of their affairs in a secure environment," it said.

Earlier in the day, a top commander of Afghanistan’s Taliban said that the execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, would galvanise Muslim opposition to the United States.

Mullah Obaidullah Akhund, a former Taliban defence minister and top insurgent commander, also said Saddam’s execution on the Id-ul-Zuha festival was a provocation.

"Saddam’s hanging on the day of Id is a challenge to Muslims," Mr Obaidullah said foreign news agency by telephone from an undisclosed location. "His death will boost the morale of Muslims. The jihad in Iraq will be intensified and attacks on invader forces will increase," he said.

India says hanging unfortunate

Asian Age — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 19:08:40 GMT

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, Dec. 30: India on Saturday expressed disappointment at the execution of ousted Iraq President Saddam Hussein, describing the development as "unfortunate".

India, which had earlier opposed Hussein’s execution, hoped that the event will not affect the process of reconciliation and restoration of peace in the trouble-torn country.

Surprisingly, India had not even one word to say against the United States. India even failed to condemn the execution of Saddam Hussein, who has been a friend of India.

The lukewarm response of the government on the entire issue provoked sharp political reaction.

External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee in a statement said, "We had already expressed the hope that the execution would not be carried out. We are disappointed that it has been. We hope that this unfortunate event will not affect the process of reconciliation, restoration of peace and normalcy in Iraq."

The government had earlier expressed opposition to Saddam Hussein’s execution and cautioned that no steps should be taken, which could delay restoration of peace in the troubled country.

External affairs ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna had said on Monday, after an Iraqi appeals court upheld the death sentence to Saddam Hussein, "We have seen reports that the Appeals Court in Baghdad has confirmed the death sentence on former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. It is our hope that the sentence will not be carried out and that the former President’s life would be spared. We would also hope that no steps are taken which might obstruct the process of reconciliation and delay the restoration of peace in Iraq."

India had hoped that no steps would be taken, which might obstruct the process of reconciliation and delay restoration of peace in Iraq.

The ousted Iraq President was sentenced to the gallows on November 5, for the 1982 killings of 148 people in a Shia town after an attempt on his life there.

The Congress said there were clear procedural deficiencies in the trial process and the undue haste in execution do not carry any credibility.

All India Congress Committee general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi said, "Earlier, we had expressed our concern and appeal not to execute the death sentence of former Iraq President Saddam Hussein. Unfortunately, this has not happened. The clear procedural deficiencies in the trial process and the undue haste in execution do not carry any credibility. They validate our previously expressed apprehensions regarding ad hoc victors justice and therefore we condemn it. Nevertheless, we hope that this unfortunate event will not stand in the way of the process of restoring normalcy and reconciliation in Iraq."

SP to observe black day soon

Asian Age — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 19:07:20 GMT

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS

Lucknow/New Delhi, Dec. 30: Tension prevailed in Lucknow’s old city on Saturday as news of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s execution spread. Additional forces have been deployed in the sensitive areas where Muslims turned out in large numbers to protest against the execution.

Coming on the eve of Id-ul-Zuha, the news of the execution generated considerable resentment among the Muslim community that came together at the Idgah in the Saturday afternoon to register its protest under the leadership of Naib Imam Maulana Khalid Rashid. The Maulana said "that Saddam Hussein was a democratically elected leader and not a dictator as America wanted the world to believe." He added "that Saddam’s execution was a part of a global conspiracy against believers of Islam and Bosnia, Palestine and Lebanon were proof of this war against Islam."

Meanwhile, terming the execution of former Iraq president Saddam Hussein as "barbaric", the Samajwadi Party on Saturday decided to observe January 4 as a "black day" throughout UP (where it is the ruling party) when demonstrations against US President George W. Bush will be held. The SP also severely criticised the Congress-led UPA government for doing little to save Saddam Hussein from the gallows. "Saddam’s murder is barbaric. A puppet government and judiciary was set up in Iraq by the Americans and President Bush told them what has to be done. George W. Bush is a murderer," said SP general-secretary Amar Singh. "Saddam was not given a chance to defend himself properly during the trial," said Mr Singh. "Saddam Hussein was a traditional friend of India who always backed us on the Kashmir issue. We have let down our traditional friends," he added.

"The Congress party has called it a hanging but it is a murder. The UPA government is licking the boots of the US. The UPA government lead by our beloved Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has become a puppet regime of the US," said Mr Singh, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "The UPA government should have created a strong protest (to ward off the threat of execution) so that the US imperialist forces could have listened to it but there was a lukewarm response (by the UPA government)," the SP leader observed.

"We have decided that on January 4, there will be demonstrations throughout Uttar Pardesh against Mr Bush. His effigies will be burnt throughout the state," said Mr Singh.

Launching a strident attack on the US, Mr Singh said that Saddam had been accused of war crimes but it was the US which dropped nuclear bombs on Japan in world war-II, caused havoc in North Korea (during the Korean war) and committed aggression on Vietnam.

"The US imperialism has now reached West Asia. They want to make Iraq, the Diego Garcia of West Asia. Now they will also target Libya, Iran and Syria. They want to capture the oil in West Asia. They are now using Pakistan but once their purpose is served they will not spare Pakistan too," fumed Mr Singh. He said that India too had gone back on its policy of non-alignment by voting against Iran recently.

The SP leader said that all sections of society including the Sunnis and Shias would support the SP’s demonstrations against the policies of the US President. "I have raised this issue and if it happens to concern the minorities, how can I be blamed for it," he pointed out. With elections in UP approaching fast, Saddam’s execution and resentment stemming from it may become a poll issue in the months to come.

Don’t bow to pressure of US: Left

Asian Age — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 19:06:05 GMT

By YOJNA GUSAI

New Delhi, Dec. 30: Charging the US with "murdering" former Iraq President Saddam Hussein, the Left parties on Saturday criticises the UPA government for its "lukewarm" reaction to Hussein’s execution.

CPI(M) politburo members Brinda Karat and M.K. Pandhe, who led a protest march towards the United States Information Service office at Kasturba Gandhi Marg, demanded that the government should not bow to US international policy and should strongly condemn the US’ "imperialistic war designs".

"The CPI(M) will ask the government to withdraw from the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal to send a strong message to the American establishment," said Mr Pandhe. Protesters even clashed with police personnel when they tried to breach the security cordon. Ms Karat said that the US thinks it has achieved success by "murdering" Saddam but it (US) cannot curb his "spirit".

Protest marches were also led by Social Unity Centre of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) and Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist)-New Democracy, who also accused the US for killing Saddam on a holy day.

They burnt US flag and raised slogans against US President George W. Bush.

Protesters denounced the hanging of the former Iraqi ruler and demanded that Mr Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair should be declared as "war criminals" and "international terrorists".

CPI national secretary D. Raja said that the execution being carried out in presence of US war troops has worsened situation and can lead to civil war.

"We had earlier opposed his execution as we maintained that his trial was absurd. India had hoped to demand a moral right for Saddam. Our government should get up and condemn this execution. India should not succumb to any pressure on account of foreign policy matter," said Mr Raja. He said that hanging Saddam was a judicial assault.

Senior CPI(M) leader Nilotpal Basu strongly condemning the execution said, "This urgency in executing Saddam is itself is suspicious," adding that his party fear that it will have an adverse impact not only in Iraq but also in other parts of the world.

Meanwhile, Left parties carried out protest rallies all around the country condemning the execution. Terming Hussein’s execution as "judicial assassination", Jammu and Kashmir CPI(M) leader Mohd Yusuf Tarigami said the incident would further strengthen the unity of Iraqi people to fight the US occupation.

"The killing is also an eye-opener for those who have any illusion about the so-called architects of democracy and human rights," said Mr Tarigami, hinting at the US.

Jaipur Muslims criticise execution

Asian Age — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 19:04:00 GMT

By NARAYAN BARETH

Jaipur, Dec. 30: The execution of former Iraq President Saddam Hussein has evoked protest from the Muslim community in Rajasthan as angry protesters burnt United States President George W. Bush’s effigy and shouted slogans. A group of 17 Muslim organisations have condemned the execution of Saddam Hussein.

The protesters took out a procession with an effigy of Mr Bush in Muslim-dominated areas of Jaipur and shouted slogans against the US. A group of Muslims organised a meeting at Muslim Musafirkhana and condemned the hanging of Saddam.

"It was a brutal killing, it is inhuman and violates all norms of human rights," said Mr Salim Engineer, chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami in Rajasthan.

Local right groups also joined the meeting and described the act of hanging as brutal. "We will soon launch an agitation," said Harkesh Bugalia, a local communist leader. A Muslim clergy Kati Moinuddin said it was Mr Bush who deserve the death penalty. "All the Muslim would protest against the killing of Saddam," he said.

Joining the meeting, Civil right groups also criticised America, and condemned its interference in Iraq’s internal matters. "Who gave US the right to hang Saddam?" asks Ved Vyas, a writer.

Few protests in Kashmir

Asian Age — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 19:03:03 GMT

By YUSUF JAMEEL

Srinagar, Dec. 30: Surprisingly, no tears were shed for former Iraq President Saddam Hussein in Kashmir Saturday. Barring a couple of small protests by members of three different political parties held in Srinagar and Jammu, a spontaneous strike observed in the frontier towns of Rajouri and Mendhar, the people across the state were somewhat indifferent towards the execution.

When the news about the hanging of Hussein broke soon after it was carried out somewhere in Iraq, a red alert was sounded across the Valley and Jammu areas by the authorities. The police and paramilitary reinforcements were quickly fanned out to face any eventuality.

But contrary to all apprehensions and to the relief of the law-enforcing agencies, the day passed off peacefully. A senior police officer who had said on Saturday morning that the fallout of the hanging for Kashmir might be more "fierce" than expected elsewhere in the South Asian region and that "we’re keeping our fingers crossed", was "elated" in the evening as no untoward incident was reported from anywhere. "It surprises me," he said.

However, many people interviewed by this newspaper were highly upset, and angry too, over the execution having been carried out on a day when the people of Iraq and most other countries of the region were celebrating Id-ul-Zuha.

"It shows that the Americans and their Iraqi pawns have no respect for the religious sentiments of the Muslims or they deliberately chose this day for the hanging to ignite the Shia-Sunni conflict, which is already causing the ruin of Iraq," said a Srinagar trader Farooq Ahmed Khan.

BJP stays silent on Saddam hanging

Asian Age — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 19:01:49 GMT

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS

New Delhi/Mumbai, Dec. 30: The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is making every effort to revive the "Hindutva" issue, on Saturday remained silent and refused to comment on the execution of the former Iraq President Saddam Hussein.

Deputy leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra, said it would not be "right" to comment on an issue that was related to "foreign judicial system". "It is something between two different countries (Iraq and the US) and India is nowhere in the scene," he said.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, former BJP petroleum minister Ram Naik expressed sadness at the hanging Saddam Hussein. He said, "Iraq, under America influence, has finally hanged Saddam."

Junagadh Muslims: We won’t celebrate Id

Asian Age — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 19:01:08 GMT

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, Dec. 30: The execution of former Iraq President Saddam Hussein evoked sharp reactions across the country, with leaders of political parties disapproving of it. While Muslims of Junagadh in Gujarat have decided not to celebrate Id, falling on New Year’s day, the CPI(M) and Congress in Kerala called a statewide hartal in protest of the hanging.

In Kolkata, the All-India Minority Forum burnt an effigy of American President George W. Bush, alleging he had a "direct" hand in the execution of Hussein.

Chief ministers Mulayam Singh Yadav, Nitish Kumar, M. Karunanidhi disapproved of the execution. Mr Mulayam SinghYadav and AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa criticised the US and President George W. Bush.

Railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said in Thiruvananthapuram that the whole nation was shocked at the news of the execution. "It is bad news for the whole world. The RJD condemns the act," he said. According to the agency reports, about 45,000 Muslims of Junagadh town in western Gujarat, 300 km from Ahmedabad, have decided not to celebrate Id.

"In order to register our protest against the US, and the manner in which Saddam was executed, the Muslim community of Junagadh city has decided not to celebrate Id," Mr I.C. Khan, president of Samast Muslim Samaj, Junagadh told PTI on Saturday.

"About 45,000 Muslims in the city have decided not to participate in the Id-e-Milan celebrations, which we have been organising for the past 20 years," Mr Khan said.

"The execution of Saddam was backed by the Bush administration and comes at a time when Muslims all around the world are gearing up to celebrate Id," he said.

"We see this act as a direct attack on Muslim sentiments", Mr Khan said, adding that Saddam had always maintained friendly relations with India.

He also said that the community members will send a memorandum to the US and the Iraq embassy in this regard.

In Malappuram, people at the "Saddam Beach" hamlet staged protests and shouted anti-US slogans to condemn the execution of Hussein, whom they revered as a hero.

"The news came as a shock for the fishing hamlet of about 500 families, though it has been in the air since Friday evening. The protests that followed were spontaneous," said Kadavath Saidalvi, when asked about the reaction that the Iraq leader’s death sparked in his village.

Originally known as Puthan Kadappuram, the hamlet became known as Saddam Beach after some youth put up a signboard bearing their hero’s name at a ramshackle bus shelter in the area in 1992, shortly after the Kuwait War.

Europe criticises death penalty

Asian Age — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 18:58:00 GMT

By JENNIFER QUINN

London, Dec. 30: The execution of Saddam Hussein on Saturday brought a sense of satisfaction that he paid for his crimes, but the use of the death penalty was met harsh criticism, particularly in Europe. In Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, who as Italy’s Prime Minister staunchly backed the US-led war in Iraq with support and troops, called Hussein’s hanging "a step backward in Iraq’s difficult road toward full democracy" and criticised the move as a "political and historical" mistake.

"The civilisation in the name of which my country decided to send Italian soldiers into Iraq envisioned overcoming the death penalty, even for a bloody dictator like Saddam," the Italian Conservative Opposition leader said in a statement issued by his Forza Italia Party.

While most said they agreed with the guilty verdict against Saddam, the use of the death penalty, which has been shunned across Europe, was greeted with criticism, albeit tempered by the nature of Saddam’s reputation and crimes.

His sentiment about the use of capital punishment was evident from other major European powers. In Britain, a key United States ally in the war in Iraq, foreign secretary Margaret Beckett said Saddam had been "held to account for at least some of the appalling crimes he committed against the Iraqi people." But at the same time, she condemned the death penalty, noting that the "British government does not support the use of the death penalty, in Iraq or anywhere else. We advocate an end to the death penalty worldwide, regardless of the individual or the crime."

The Vatican denounced the execution as "tragic." Officials in Chile, Spain, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, the Ukraine and the Netherlands all denounced the use of the death penalty.

Many tempered their criticism with condemnation of Saddam’s crimes, and hopes for a stable Iraq. In Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel said that her country "respects" Hussein’s conviction, but added her voice to the protest against the use of the death penalty.

"On a day like this, my thoughts are above all with Saddam Hussein’s many innocent victims and my wish for the Iraqi people is that they can follow a path in peace and without violence," Ms Merkel said. Dutch deputy prime minister Gerrit Zalm called the execution "barbaric" and said in a radio interview that he would have preferred to see Saddam imprisoned for life.

The death penalty "should not have been applied in this case either, even though there is no doubt about Saddam Hussein’s guilt over serious violations against human rights," foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja of Finland, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said in Helsinki. (AP)

Centre alerts US missions

Asian Age — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 18:55:20 GMT

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, Dec. 30: The Centre on Saturday issued a general alert to all the states to keep a strict vigil around foreign embassies, consulates and high commission in the wake hanging of former Iraq President Saddam Hussein.

As part of this measure, a special note was issued to the Delhi police, states of West Bengal, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu where the United States embassy and its consulate generals were located asking them to further beef up the security, official sources said here.

"This is no special threat but we have only issued a general advisory," national security adviser M.K. Narayanan said after the meeting with chief ministers and home minister Shivraj Patil, to chalk out details about the new police act.

He said the general advisory could be seen as part of preparedness to meet any untoward challenge.