Saddam Asks to Die By Firing Squad if He Is Sentenced to Death

The prosecution in the trial of Saddam Hussein and two of the other seven defendants for their roles in the deaths of Shiites in 1982 has asked for the death penalty. The ex-president of Iraq made his final appearance Wednesday before the tribunal who will decide his fate, appearing thinner but no less angry. He told the panel that he would rather die by firing squad like a soldier than be hung at the gallows "like a common criminal."

Before Saddam’s statement, his lawyer read a final summation of his arguments during the trial, saying that prosecution witnesses and documents read into evidence did not successfully link his client to any of the killings in Dujail. But Saddam said that his lawyer is his "enemy" and refuted the summation, saying that it was drafted by foreigners who have manipulated the trial all along. Saddam also complained that Americans forced him to take nourishment through a feeding tube on Sunday when he was rushed to the hospital on the 17th day of a hunger strike. "I was brought against my will directly from the hospital," Saddam told the chief judge in the trial, Raouf Abdel-Rahman. "The Americans insisted that I come against my will. This is not fair."

Saddam challenged the court again by repeating a complaint he has voiced since the trial began—that a fair trial is impossible because the Iraqi High Tribunal is representing the American occupation. "We not only resist this occupation, we do not acknowledge it. We do not acknowledge all the decisions it has made, including appointing the so-called government and this court you represent," Saddam said. Pointing his finger defiantly at the judge, Saddam shouted, "Not even 1,000 people like you can terrify me." Referring to the Americans, he added: "The invaders only understand the language of the gun. I am in prison, but the knights outside will liberate the country."

Abdel-Rahman interrupted one outburst by Saddam to accuse him of inciting violence against Iraqis. "I am inciting the killing of Americans and invaders, not the killing of Iraqis," Saddam barked angrily. "I am Saddam Hussein. I call on Iraqis to be in harmony and work on evicting the invaders." Abdel-Rahman responded by saying that if that were true, then more American soldiers would be killed than Iraqi civilians, which has not been the case.

"Why are they attacking Iraqis in coffee shops and markets? Why don't they go detonate themselves among Americans?" the judge asked. Saddam spat out, "This case is not worth the urine of an Iraqi child." He then began to say to his supporters, "If you see an American vehicle and you can strike it…" but the judge cut him off by switching off his microphone.

Saddam’s appearance on Wednesday was his first since June 19, when chief prosecutor Jaafar al-Moussawi asked the tribunal to find him guilty and sentence him to death. Al-Moussawi also asked for the death sentence for former intelligence chief Barzan Ibrahim and former Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan.

In his final statement, Saddam told the judges that if he has to die, he wants it to be by firing squad. "I ask you, being an Iraqi person, that if you reach a verdict of death, execution, remember that I am a military man and should be killed by firing squad and not by hanging as a common criminal. The truth, however, is that Saddam never served in the military, but instead appointed himself a general after taking power in 1979. Abdel-Rahman reminded Saddam that not only has the panel not reached a verdict, the trial is not even finished yet, so his "request" was premature.

The last two summations in Saddam’s trial are expected to be delivered Thursday, after which the five judges will adjourn to consider a verdict.