Saddam Hussain Executed in Iraq

Former Iraq President Saddam Hussein has been executed by hanging in northern Baghdad for crimes against humanity including the killing of 148 shias. The Execution took place at 0600 with a representative of the prime minister and Sunni Muslim cleric present. Saddam was defiant until the end refusing to ware the traditional hood and holding the Koran before asking it to be given to one of his friends the judge read sentence before Saddam was lead away to be executed.

A small group group of Iraqis witness the execution inside a compound known to the Americans as camp justice in northern Baghdad. Footage later on Iraqi television showed Saddam Hussein being led to the gallows by groups of masked men, Iraq's National Security Adviser Mohawk AL-Rubaie, who was present at the executions said that "Saddam went to the gallow quietly and looked very very Broken."The execution lasted only a few minutes dieing in the untraditional White Shirt and Dark Coat rather than the prison cloths.

News of Saddam's execution was aired on iraqiya television, as music and images of national monuments played out. It was originally thought that Saddam Hussein was executed first followed by Barzan and then Bandar. However, Mr Rebaie confirmed that the other two will be hanged at a later date as " We wanted him to be executed on a special day".

Other Arab TV stations aired live footage of sunrise over Firdous Square at the time the US marines pulled down a statue of Saddam in 2003.

There were Joyful scenes in Baghdad with people dancing in the streets and sounding there car horns, the shias have generally welcomed Saddam's death and hailed the execution as justice for the suffering endured under his leadership.

Saddam Hussein's daughter has asked for the body to be buried in Yemen. His daughter Raghd, who is exiled in Jordon, "is asking that his body be buried in Yemen temporarily until Iraq is liberated and can be reburied in Iraq", a source close to the family said by telephone.

Many nations are hoping Iraq can now move forward although they know that this will not end the violence in Iraq.