On the 29th, Iraqi and American officials unanimously announced that Saddam Hussein would be secretly executed by the Iraqi government this weekend (no later than Sunday). Various signs also prove what American and Iraqi officials said. Lawyers defending Saddam Hussein said on the 29th that they had been informed to collect Saddam Hussein's personal belongings from the detention center. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said on the 29th that the court had sentenced former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to death, and no one could stop his execution. Maliki said in a statement issued on the same day: "No one can stop the execution of the judgment."
Saddam Hussein:
See my brother and leave the last letter to go home.
According to reports, badia Aref, Saddam's defense lawyer, said that the 69-year-old former Iraqi leader met with his half brothers Watban and Sabawi. Aref said: "He told them that he was happy to die at the hands of the enemy, not to grow old in prison. He is in high spirits and obviously ready. "
Watban, Sabawi and Saddam Hussein are all being held in the US military prison near Baghdad airport. Saddam entrusted two people to deliver letters to his family. The contents of the letter of home were not made public, and the American guards present did not interfere with the conversation between Saddam and his two brothers and the submission of the letter of home. The relevant personnel did not disclose how many "letters from home" were given to whom.
See a lawyer:
Share the latest poems with a normal heart.
On the morning of February 29th, 65438, badia Aref, Saddam's defense lawyer, told the British media that Saddam's life was at stake.
According to Aref, "On the morning of 28th, the Iraqi government allowed me and another defense lawyer to meet Saddam Hussein in Krupp Barracks Prison. We told Saddam that his death sentence had been confirmed. Saddam Hussein did not show any surprise after listening, but simply said that he believed in fate, and his only concern was the unity of the Iraqi people. "
Another defense lawyer, Vadodd Farz, revealed more details: "During the two-hour meeting, Saddam asked how the Iraqi and his family were doing, but he didn't ask any other questions at all. He didn't even care if he was going to be executed soon. He doesn't look sad at all. He looks normal. " Farz also revealed that Saddam shared several untitled poems he had just written with two lawyers and entrusted his lawyers to express their best wishes to the Iraqi people.
U.s. military:
Give it to the Iraqi government within 36 hours.
On the evening of 28th, an American military officer told reporters that Saddam Hussein would be handed over to Iraq within 36 hours. The officer said that he estimated that the Iraqi government would execute Saddam Hussein before Sunday, that is, 65438+February 3 1. At the same time, an American official close to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki revealed that unless Saddam was executed that day, the US military would not hand him over to Iraqis. So this means that Saddam Hussein will be executed within the next 36 hours.
A senior Bush administration official said that Saddam will be executed as early as this Saturday, that is, the 30th: "Of course, there may be some delay, but it will only be one day at most."
On the morning of the 29th, CNN reporters also got the news that the Iraqi government will execute Saddam Hussein within 24 hours. More than one senior official of the Bush administration revealed to the outside world that Saddam was about to be handed over to Iraq. Even Frank Townsend, President Bush's homeland security adviser, said in an interview: "Saddam's execution time depends on the Iraqi government." He does not deny that the former Iraqi president has made up his mind.
The US media reported on the 29th that the White House has made "all preparations for the execution of Saddam this weekend". A senior Bush administration official revealed that late on 28th, Iraqi officials informed the White House that the Iraqi government intended to execute Saddam Hussein in Baghdad on Saturday local time.
American media:
The lawyer was ordered to pack his personal belongings.
On the morning of 29th (Beijing time 16: 28), American media reporters in Baghdad reported in the form of "breaking news" that former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had been handed over to Iraq.
At noon on the 29th (around Beijing time 17), a lawyer of Saddam revealed that the US military suddenly informed him to go to Krupp Barracks to collect Saddam's "personal belongings", but refused to disclose Saddam's whereabouts to him. He said: "The United States called me and asked me to go to the prison to collect the personal belongings of Saddam and his half-brother, barzan al-Takriti, but they refused to disclose the latest situation of Saddam and barzan."
Iraqi officials:
The gallows have been erected in the Green Belt.
On the 29th, Iraqi officials also announced through different channels that Saddam would be hanged before 3 1.
The Iraqi Deputy Minister of Justice said in an interview on the same day that the Ministry of Justice can execute Saddam Hussein at any time if the Iraqi President does not take a stand on the issue of execution.
Some media quoted the Iraqi government as saying that Saddam Hussein will be hanged in the near future, the gallows are ready in the "green zone" of Baghdad, and the police have entered a state of strengthening security.
Fixed site:
The whole process was recorded and the burial place was kept secret.
Official details about Saddam's hanging also surfaced on the 29th:
Dulaimi, Saddam's chief defense lawyer, said that as of the morning of 29th, neither the defense lawyers nor Saddam's family had been informed of the execution date. The State Council also said that no one had informed Saddam when he would be executed, while Mufak al-rabai, an Iraqi national security adviser, said in an interview that the specific time of Saddam's execution would not be disclosed in advance to prevent Saddam's supporters from creating chaos.
Iraqi national security adviser Rabai revealed that Saddam's last moments will be recorded by the government. According to Rabai, "We will record everything about Saddam's hanging, all documents will be recorded, and the whole process from his release from prison to his execution will be recorded." But he made it clear: "There will be no TV stations, no media reporters and no outsiders. Although the entire execution process will be recorded, it will never be played publicly. "
A judge, a prosecutor, a representative of the Ministry of the Interior, the prison director and the prison doctor will attend the execution. Saddam's lawyer will definitely not be there.
Saddam's body will be buried in an unmarked grave, and the burial place will be a "state secret" of Iraq.
Let go of the wind:
Some officials think it can be postponed.
Of course, some Iraqi officials say Saddam will not be executed so soon. An unnamed Iraqi minister said: "The Iraqi government is still debating whether the president should sign Saddam Hussein's execution order. Some people insist on the president's signature, while others think it is unnecessary. Now, Saddam Hussein has really sounded the death knell, but he still has to go through some procedures, and it may take some time to execute the death penalty. " However, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said in a statement on the 29th: "Saddam's death sentence is beyond doubt, and no one can stop the execution of the sentence."
No one has explained why Iraqi government officials have two different versions. However, some analysts believe that this kind of "fresh air" is not the mainstream, and it is likely to be a smoke screen or smoke bomb deliberately released by the Iraqi government. The international media said that everything would be known in two days: 30th and 3 1. Yongzhengqiu
Who is watching Saddam now?
The Times reported that for security reasons, the Iraqi authorities may not announce the news before Saddam Hussein was executed. At present, he is being held in a heavily guarded prison at Baghdad airport, and the place of execution is still uncertain. The main execution place in Baghdad is near Saddam Hussein prison.
Mouaffak Rabai, Iraq's national security adviser, told AFP on the 29th that Saddam's execution date would be announced before the execution and would not be conducted in secret. However, Reuters reported that some American and Iraqi officials said that before the execution of the death penalty, the US military would put Saddam under its own supervision to prevent some Iraqis from publicly demonstrating the hanging procedure.
So, is Saddam still in the custody of the US military? On the 28th, it was reported that he had been handed over to the Iraqi side by the US military, but Iraqi officials denied it on the 29th, and the US military's answer was more complicated.
Chris Garver, a spokesman for the US military in Iraq, said: "Legally speaking, Saddam Hussein was handed over to Iraqis as early as 1 year ago." "But according to the request of the Iraqi government, for security reasons, we are now holding him in a facility in the United States."
Garver said that the so-called transfer of Saddam Hussein now refers to the "actual transfer" of a prisoner who has been detained by the Iraqi government. However, he refused to say whether this "handover" had taken place, saying only that a statement would be issued "at an appropriate time".
"Safety is the first concern at present, including his safety and the safety of people around him, in order to prevent any attempt to rob prisons and other things," Garver said.
Huang Heng (Xinhua News Agency for this newspaper)
They tried to put people under the gallows.
After the news that Saddam was about to be executed spread, those who didn't want Saddam to be hanged made a last-ditch effort.
Lao Sa's defense lawyer:
Still working hard at the last minute
The defense lawyer is making a last-ditch effort to keep old Sam alive.
Dulaimi, Saddam's chief defense lawyer, said that Saddam should enjoy the power of "prisoners of war" and should not be handed over to the Iraqi government: "According to the Geneva International Convention, it is forbidden to hand over prisoners of war to his enemies. I call on all international organizations and legal institutions, as well as world leaders, to act immediately to prevent the US government from handing over Saddam Hussein to the Iraqi government for execution. "
Dulaimi revealed that as long as the Iraqi government doesn't do it, he and his team will keep working hard. For example, he will let the daughter of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi use her influence to do the ideological work of Iraqi government leaders through Arab countries; Let the European lawyers in the team appeal to the EU and all European countries that oppose the death penalty, and they will put pressure on the United States.
Iraqi anti-American armed forces:
Robbing a court at the last minute
A resistance loyal to Saddam once again warned on the 29th that if Saddam is executed, they will attack the interests of the United States all over the world. Another Arabic newspaper published in Qatar revealed that several Iraqi anti-American armed forces held an emergency meeting recently to discuss plans to rob a court at the last minute, or rob a prison at the last minute, or even take senior Iraqi government officials or a large number of civilians as hostages. However, there is no separate channel to confirm this report.
United Nations Commission on Human Rights:
Trying to stop it at the last minute.
Louise Arbour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement on 28th: "The appeal judgment should be a long and complicated judgment process, which needs careful study. There are many criticisms about the fairness of the first-instance judgment, and these problems need to be solved comprehensively. Therefore, I call on the Iraqi government not to rush to execute the judgment. "
She also said that according to the international treaties signed and acceded to by Saddam when he was in power, Saddam had the right to appeal to "appropriate institutions" for commutation or pardon.
Many European governments also expressed their opposition to the execution of Saddam Hussein, and Germany, France and Italy all made this attitude clear. The unexpected leader said that Italy would "unconditionally" oppose the death penalty, so he expressed "firm opposition" to the Iraqi government's execution of Saddam Hussein.
The Indian government also opposes the execution of Saddam Hussein. Yongzhengqiu
The United States and Iraq are fully responding to the "bloody new year"
Both the United States and the Iraqi government know that the direct consequence of Saddam's execution is a bloodier attack frenzy. Saddam's chief defense lawyer said openly: "If Saddam is handed over to the Iraqi government and executed, it will only lead to greater disasters and catastrophic mistakes, leading to an all-round escalation of violence in Iraq and even a direct civil war."
Bush prepares new strategy
The United States is ready for an anti-American armed attack.
It is revealed that although US President George W. Bush still spends Christmas on his farm in Texas, he is not idle at the same time. On the contrary, he has been meeting with top advisers and senior military officials one after another, thus proposing a new strategy for Iraq in the post-Saddam era.
Bush did not disclose the details of the new strategy, but a senior official said: "I think President Bush has made up his mind about the new strategy for Iraq and is approaching the final conclusion." The official, who asked not to be named, said that Bush will announce the new US Iraq strategy in early June next year.
Iraq prepares for "Black January"
The Iraqi government knows very well what it means to execute Saddam Hussein. Daud, former Iraqi national security adviser, said: "I hope Saddam will die as soon as possible, because that will show our determination. We know what consequences this will lead to, but we must move forward and build a new Iraq step by step. Therefore, the temporary cost is completely worth it. "
Brian Whiteman, a Pentagon spokesman, said that they were very concerned about the violent attacks that occurred immediately after Saddam's execution: "But I believe that the Iraqi government made this decision after careful consideration." The spokesman revealed that the Iraqi government's military and police are ready to deal with the "Black January" in 2007.