Scores of Iraqis are dying every day. It was revealed yesterday that the death toll for US troops since the invasion is just short of 3,000, with 108 killed in December, and pro-Saddam factions swore yesterday that the violence would continue. By last night, the day's death toll stood at more than 70.
But in Saddam's home town of Tikrit, where curfews were in force yesterday, many seethed at the hanging of the ousted president, and claimed Saddam was now a martyr in the fight against the US-backed government.
"Saddam will be a hero in our eyes," said Um Abdullah, a Sunni teacher and teacher in the town, who pledged to wear black to mourn him. " I have five kids and I will teach them to take revenge on Americans."
George Bush, the US President, accepted the turmoil in Iraq would continue but believed Saddam's death was a major step to normality. "Saddam Hussein's execution comes at the end of a difficult year for the Iraqi people and for our troops," he said. "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."
The UK government hailed the fact he had been "held to account" for his crimes, but was strident in its opposition to the death penalty. " Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, speaking on behalf of the Government, said: "I welcome the fact that Saddam Hussein has been tried by an Iraqi court for at least some of the appalling crimes he committed against the Iraqi people. He has now been held to account.
"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."
Other world powers protested about the grave repercussions. Russia warned the execution will simply add to Iraq's woes. "The country is being plunged into violence," said Mikhail Kamynin, the foreign ministry spokesman. "The execution of Saddam Hussein may lead to the further aggravation of the military-political atmosphere and an increase in ethnic and religious tension."
Libya announced three days of national mourning, calling the execution " barbaric".
There was also condemnation from human rights groups and the Vatican. " An execution is always tragic news, even in the case of a person who is guilty of grave crimes," said a spokesman for the Holy See. " Killing the guilty one is not the way to rebuild justice and reconcile society. On the contrary, there is the risk that the spirit of revenge is fuelled."
In the impoverished village of Awja, where Saddam was born, the people were refusing to accept he was dead and vowed to intensify their battle against American and British troops.
"If Saddam is executed he will be a martyr and he will enter history," a young man in his twenties said, sceptical that Saddam had in fact been hanged. A man standing beside him added: "If they execute him, we will rise up. We will all become a bomb."
Saddam, a Sunni, was admired by many Arabs for standing up to the US. Haj authorities fear his death could stoke tensions between Sunni and Shia pilgrims.
Many Shias regard Saddam's death as a gift from God. "Congratulations, this is like two Eids. I hope God will not have mercy on him," said Iraqi Nadir Abdullah, one of a group of jubilant pilgrims.
In India, home to 140 million Muslims, thousands took to the streets in sporadic protests across the country. They shouted anti-American slogans, burned effigies of President Bush and briefly blocked trains at main railway stations. "This was a glaring example of America's dictatorship over the rest of the world," said Maulana Khalid Rasheed, an imam.
In Iraq, thousands watched in silence as state television showed footage of guards in ski masks placing a noose around Saddam's neck. The footage cut off just before the execution. Biladi, a Shia-run channel, then showed Saddam in a white shroud, lying with his neck twisted at an awkward angle, with blood and a bruise on his left cheek.
Haider Hamed, a Shia in Baghdad whose uncle died in a Saddam purge, asked what would change: "He's gone but our problems continue."
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/pol ... 114497.ece
