Saddam Hussein’s former aide hanged, buried near Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Saddam Hussein’s former deputy, hanged before dawn in what was once Iraq’s military intelligence headquarters, was buried Tuesday near the ousted dictator who died on the same gallows less than three months ago.\nTaha Yassin Ramadan, who was Saddam’s vice president, went to the gallows on the fourth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq for the deaths of 148 Shiites in the town of Dujail.\nBassam al-Husseini, an adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, said the execution went smoothly, although Ramadan appeared frightened and recited the two shahadahs – a declaration of faith repeated by Muslims – “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet.”\nAl-Husseini said precautions were taken to prevent a repeat of what happened to Saddam’s half brother and co-defendant Barzan Ibrahim, who was inadvertently decapitated on the gallows during his January execution.\nRamadan, who was nearly 70, was weighed before the hanging and the rope was chosen accordingly, al-Husseini said.\nThe execution took place at 3:05 a.m. at a prison at an Iraqi army and police base, which had been the headquarters of Saddam’s military intelligence, in a predominantly Shiite district in northern Baghdad. Ramadan had been in U.S. custody but was handed over to the Iraqis about an hour before the hanging, according to al-Husseini, who saw the hanging.\nIt was carried out despite appeals from international human rights groups. Russia also criticized the act on Tuesday. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said “it adds nothing positive to the efforts being made to resolve the situation” in Iraq.\nU.S. Embassy spokesman Lou Fintor said it was an Iraqi decision but stressed “the trial has by most accounts met the basic standards of international justice.”