Introduction
Saddam Hussein was an Iraqi statesman and politician, president of Iraq (1979-2003), Prime Minister of Iraq (1979-1991 and 1994-2003), secretary-general of the Iraqi branch of the Baath Party, Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, Marshal (1979).
In 1980, he began a ruinous war with Iran, which lasted until 1988. During the war, Hussein's government implemented "Operation Anfal" against the Kurds, during which Iraqi forces used chemical weapons. In 1990, at the initiative of Hussein was Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, to provoke a large-scale war in the Persian Gulf, in which Iraqi troops were driven out of Kuwait, and the country has suffered significant economic damage and loss of life (Kadhim, Abbas, 2013).
In April 2003, an international coalition led by the United States invaded Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein's regime. As a basis for intervention were charges the Iraqi leader in supporting international terrorism and developing weapons of mass destruction, although later it was found that they were untrue. Hussein himself was captured by American troops and executed in 2006 by the verdict of the Supreme Court of Iraq.
Body
Back in 1998, Bill Clinton signed the Iraq Liberation Act, according to which the United States should promote the overthrow of Hussein and the "democratization" of Iraq. Manifested in 1998, the Iraqi crisis has attracted wide international attention. In November 2000, the US president was George W. Bush, from the start gave clear that he intends to carry out tough on Iraq policy, and promised to "breathe new life" in the sanctions regime. He continued from Bill Clinton funding Iraqi opposition groups, in particular, working in exile Iraqi National Congress, hoping thereby to undermine the power of Saddam Hussein.
The decision to invade was made the administration of George W. Bush in mid-2002, and at the same time began military training. The pretext for the invasion was the accusation of the Iraqi government to continue to work on the development and production of weapons of mass destruction and their involvement in the organization and financing of international terrorism. The UN refused to support military intervention in Iraq, and the US administration and the UK have decided to act in its sole discretion, despite the opposition of France, Germany and Russia.
March 20 US troops and Britain launched a war against Iraq, exposing the day Baghdad bombing. A few hours later, after the end of the attack US forces, on television made Saddam Hussein. He called on the citizens of the country to resist the aggression of the United States and said about the inevitable victory over the Americans in Iraq. However, the reality was different. Within two weeks, the coalition forces broke the resistance of the Iraqi army and came to Baghdad. Throughout this time the coalition forces have repeatedly reported about the death of the Iraqi President, hitting targets in the capital, where, according to intelligence data, was the Iraqi leader, but every time Saddam denied it, appearing on TV with another address to the nation. April 4th Iraqi television showed footage of Saddam Hussein was captured, visited places in the western part of Baghdad, bombed, and residential neighborhoods of the capital. He was in uniform, kept confident, smiling, talking to Iraqis surrounded him, shook hands with them. Those enthusiastically welcomed him, brandishing machine guns. Hussein took in his arms and kissed her children.
April 7, Saddam Hussein, to change their location every three hours, began to realize that the chances of defeat left him little; but hope to the last left him, and he announced his intention to "meet with the leadership of the party" Baas "to mobilize party resources." The capital was divided initially into four, then five sectors of defense, the head of each of which is a member of the Iraqi president put "Baas" and ordered to fight to the last drop of blood. According to the memoirs of Tariq Aziz, Saddam Hussein "was a man with a broken will." On that day, B-1B bomber dropped a place where it is suspected Hussein, four bombs, each weighing more than 900 kg. Evening TV Iraq last showed Saddam Hussein as president of the country, and at 10:30 the next morning Iraqi television broadcast ended. April 9, coalition forces entered Baghdad. April 14 US troops captured the last bastion of resistance to centralized Iraqi army - the city of Tikrit. According to some reports, there were 2,500 troops of the Iraqi Army. After the fall of Baghdad, Hussein, according to some sources, already considered dead. However, on April 18 State the Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi TV channel showed a video tape in which Saddam Hussein in Baghdad speaks to the people on the day when the city entered the American troops and Iraqis with the support of the Marines pulled down the statue of Saddam. Judging by the film, it was the last appearance of Saddam Hussein in the streets of Baghdad, during which the inhabitants of the city enthusiastically welcomed him.
According to T. Donnelly (2000), a few years later, September 9, 2006, in the published report of the US Senate Committee on Intelligence indicated that Saddam Hussein had no ties with "al-Qaeda". This conclusion negates the statement of George W. Bush's long-standing ties with the regime of Saddam terrorist organizations. Referring to the FBI report stated that Hussein rejected a request by Osama bin Laden's help in 1995. In the same report, based on captured documents was also analyzed how Saddam Hussein was preparing its armed forces, assessed the international situation and commanded the troops immediately before and during the beginning of the 2003 war.
As it turned out, Saddam overestimated the strength of the Iraqi army, inadequately analyzed the situation in the world and did not expect the invasion, suggesting that it be limited to the bombing (in 1998). More later authors published in the March 2008 report "Saddam and Terrorism", commissioned by the Pentagon concluded that the Iraqi regime still had no ties with "Al-Qaeda", but maintained contacts with terrorist groups in the Middle East , the objectives of which were enemies of Iraq: political emigrants, Kurds, Shiites, and so on. d. The report notes that before the terrorist attacks September 11, 2001 the structure of "Al-Qaeda" in Iraq has not acted, except for a small group "Ansar al-Islam." On the contrary, the US invasion led to the activation of the militants of the terrorist organizations in the region.
Finally, the government of Saddam Hussein fell April 17, 2003, when the remnants of the division surrendered "Medina" near Baghdad. Americans and their allies in the coalition took control of the entire country by May 1, 2003, gradually revealing the whereabouts of the former leaders of Iraq. In the end, was found and Saddam himself. The official version of a certain person (a relative or a close aide) gave information on his whereabouts, these three places where Saddam was hiding. In operation dubbed "Red Sunrise" to capture the Iraqi president, Americans involved 600 soldiers - special forces, engineering troops and support of the 4th Infantry Division of the US Army.
E. Davis (2005) writes that Saddam Hussein was arrested on 13 December 2003 in the basement of a village house near the village of Al-Daur, underground, at a depth of about 2 m, 15 km from Tikrit. When it found 750 thousand dollars, two Kalashnikov assault rifle and pistol; with him were arrested two more people. Answering a question, the condition of the deposed Iraqi leader, the commander of the armed forces of the United States in Iraq Ricardo Sanchez said: "He gave the impression of a tired man, quite resigned to his fate." The general said that Saddam was dragged out of the basement at 21:15 local time. Soon the whole world broadcast footage as an American doctor examines tired, disheveled, overgrown and dirty old man who was once all-powerful president of Iraq. Despite this, the story of the arrest of Hussein is contradictory. There is a theory that Saddam was arrested not the 13th, and on December 12, and in the course of his arrest, he shot back with a pistol from the second floor of a private house in Tikrit, killing an American infantryman According to official US data, the day on December 12 in Iraq killed two US servicemen - one in Baghdad and one in Ramadi.
Contrary to the hopes of Americans, their actions were taken in Iraq is far from unique. They found the full support of the Kurds, a very moderate Shiites and Sunnis have complete rejection, which saw that they lose their traditionally dominant position in Iraq. The result was a massive Sunni armed movement under the slogan "the restoration of independence of Iraq", directed against the Americans and against the Shiites.
October 19, 2005, the judgment of former Iraqi president has happened. Especially for him was restored the death penalty in Iraq, which for some time has been canceled by the occupation forces (McCain, John, 2005).
Saddam Hussein was charged with the following crimes:
- The genocide of the Kurds in 1987-88 (Operation Anfal).
- The use of mortars during the shelling of Kirkuk.
- Suppression of Shiite uprising in 1991.
- Massacre in the Shiite village of al-Dujail in 1982.
- Forced eviction of several thousand Kurds file (Shia Kurds) in Iran.
- Use of chemical weapons against the Kurds in Halabja in 1988.
- Execution of 8000 members of the Kurdish tribe Barzan in 1983.
- The invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
- Execution of prominent religious figures.
- Executions of prominent political figures.
- Crimes against religious movements.
- Crimes against political parties.
- Crimes against the secular social movements.
- Conducting post-1991 work on the construction of dams, canals and dams in southern Iraq, which led to the drying up of the Mesopotamian marshlands and the transformation of this area in the salt desert.
C. Coughlin C (2005) writes that the first episode that started the process was the murder of the residents of the Shiite village of al-Dujail in 1982. According to the prosecution, 148 people (including women, children and the elderly) were killed here, because in the area of the village was undertaken an attempt on Saddam Hussein. Saddam admitted that he ordered to prosecute 148 Shiites, and ordered the destruction of their homes and gardens, but denied any involvement in their murder.
The trial was held in the former presidential palace, which is part of the "green zone" - specially fortified area of the capital, where the Iraqi government and US troops stationed. Saddam Hussein referred to himself as the president of Iraq, did not acknowledge his guilt in what whatsoever and refused to recognize the legitimacy of the court.
Many human rights organizations and lawyers with a worldwide reputation also questioned the legitimacy of the sentence imposed by Saddam. In their opinion, the trial was organized at a time when Iraq continued presence of foreign troops cannot be considered independent. The Court is also faced charges of partiality and violation of the rights of the accused.
November 5, 2006 the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal found Saddam guilty of killing 148 Shiites and sentenced to death by hanging. On this episode were also convicted and later hanged Saddam's half-brother Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, former Chief Justice of Iraq Awad Hamed al-Bandar and former Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan. Parallel proceedings on an episode of genocide of the Kurds (the operation Anfal), but in view of existing death sentence it was not brought to an end.
December 26, 2006 the Court of Appeal of Iraq upheld the judgment and decided to execute it within 30 days, and on December 29 issued a decree on the penalty. These days, hundreds of Iraqis, relatives of victims of Saddam, appealed to the authorities to appoint their executioners. Shiite masses categorically demanded that Saddam was hanged publicly in the square, and was broadcast on television penalty on the air. Government made a compromise: it was decided to arrange a penalty in the presence of a large delegation and fully videotape.
According to D. Zucchino (2004), Saddam Hussein was executed on December 30 from 2:30 to 3:00 UTC (6:00 am Moscow and Baghdad). The execution took place early in the morning for a few minutes before the start of Eid al-Adha (the Day of Sacrifice). The time was chosen so that the time of execution is not formally coincided with a holiday on the Shiite calendar, although Sunni has already begun.
Conclusion
Saddam Hussein is one of the most controversial figures of the XX century. In Iraq, he was hated, feared and adored. In the 1970s, Iraq was not a popular figure than he was. His popularity Saddam was obliged sharp rise in living standards of Iraqis, which was based on the nationalization of Iraq's oil wealth, huge revenues from oil exports, which the Iraqi government invest in the development of the economy and social sphere. On the other hand, becoming the country's president, he put his country into a war with Iran, destroyed the Iraqi economy. Occupied neighboring Kuwait, Hussein thus became one of the worst enemies in the eyes of both the West and the United States. Sanctions entered against Iraq, as well as the deterioration of the living standards of Iraqis have changed many people's opinion about the president. His reign marked the suppression of all dissent, repression against their enemies. He brutally suppressed the uprising Shiites and Kurds in 1991, dealt a devastating attacks on the Kurdish resistance in 1987-1988, using skill and intrigue rid of the actual and potential enemies, and so on and so forth.
References
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