BAGHDAD, 6 November 2006 — Iraqis’ reactions to the death sentence on Saddam Hussein reflected the sectarian divisions that erupted into violence after the US invasion that overthrew him in 2003. Women ululated and men fired shots in the air to celebrate in majority Shiite cities while in Sunni Arab towns faces were grim and men were angry at what many described as a “political” verdict.
An electricity shortage kept Iraqis in the northern city of Mosul from following the televised broadcast of the sentence so dozens took to the streets in the early hours, anxious to know the verdict.
After being told of the death sentence by a reporter, Bahjat, a Sunni Arab in Mosul, asked: “So they sentenced him to death for the killings that happened when he was president. Who is going to sentence the leaders now for the everyday killings that are happening in the country?”
Others questioned whether Saddam’s death would bring back vital services like electricity and clean drinking water and, above all, stability and security to Iraq.
In the flashpoint town of Baquba, hundreds defied a curfew to protest the verdict and police fired warning shots, wounding one person, police said.
In Saddam’s hometown of Tikrit, several dozen people, mostly teenagers, chanted songs supporting Saddam and raised his picture as they marched in the streets, watched closely by Iraqi police.
“The sentence against President Saddam will make the situation deteriorate more,” said tribal leader Mohammad Al-Dulaimi, 55, in Ramadi, capital of the Sunni province of Anbar.
In Baghdad, gunshots were heard in celebration right after the verdict was announced and Iraqis began phoning each other to make sure that everybody knew about the sentence. Hundreds in the Shiite slum district of Sadr City came out to celebrate despite an early morning curfew, dancing in the streets and chanting slogans against Saddam.
For Shiites who were oppressed under Saddam, the verdict was music to their ears. “This is exactly what Saddam deserves for all the crimes he committed against the people of Iraq. God willing, he will be executed,” said Mohammad Esa, 27, in Najaf.
In Basra, 35-year-old Hazim Messabih said he was happy but added: “To execute Saddam once is not enough as Saddam destroyed a whole country.”
