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Length: 4:42
T.J. HOLMES: The verdict, guilty. The sentence, death
for former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. The
deposed dictator was convicted of crimes against
humanity for a brutal crackdown in 1982.
CNN's Michael Ware is live in Baghdad with more on
the verdict and now the reaction to it -- Michael.
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, T.J., Saddam
Hussein, his half-brother, who was the head of the
intelligence service in 1982 at the time of the
Dujail incidents that these crimes against humanity
have come from, and the head of the
then-Revolutionary Court have all been found guilty
of those crimes against humanity and sentenced to
death. Another senior official from Saddam's regime,
the former vice president, has been sentenced to life
imprisonment.
Three local Ba'athist officials from that, area at
that time, have been sentenced to 15 years
imprisonment. And one other lower official was
acquitted.
In the fallout from this decision which was made for
Saddam Hussein, the guilty verdict, and then the
sentence of death imposed at midday, just three hours
ago, and then broadcast 20 minutes later on Iraqi TV,
started with some celebratory fire here in the
capital, Baghdad. But we've since seen tumultuous
scenes of celebration and jubilation in other parts
of the country that are not currently under an
intense security clampdown, as is the capital and two
Sunni- dominated provinces.
However, in the capital itself, Baghdad, in the area
known as Sadr City, which is not under government
control or American military control, but is
controlled by a Shia militia, there's been great
celebration. As there has been in southern Shia
cities, and is almost certainly under way in the
Kurdish north.
Both those Iraqi communities, the Shias and the
Kurds, were victimized heavily by Saddam's regime.
And most people will be seeing this as vindication
for all that they've suffered and all that they've
endured since the fall of his regime. This has been
taken not just as a verdict or an indictment on the
events in Dujail in 1982, but for the entirety of
Saddam's regime -- T.J.
HOLMES: Well, Michael, how relevant is Saddam Hussein
still? How much -- how important, or is he, in the
country still as a symbolic figure, since the country
is I guess really wrapped up in so many other issues
-- political issues, security issues, sectarian
violence -- is he still relevant?
WARE: Well, T.J., in terms of this war, in terms of
the daily grind of violence, in terms of the U.S.
casualties, in terms of the monthly slaughter of
Iraqis in the hundreds, and indeed thousands, Saddam
himself bears little, if any, relevance. I mean,
there's a symbolic nature to Saddam in terms of
representation of the Sunni minority here in this
country. However, in terms of groups who are fighting
for Saddam, or are looking for a return of his
regime, they are minute, if indeed there are any of
them out there in the first place.
This war, both the insurgent war, the war that's
become a civil war, and also the confrontations with
the Shia militias and the death squads, have nothing
to do with Saddam. The true value of this is to show
by the Iraqi government a real display of authority.
And that to some degree there will be accountability,
not just for the leadership of the old regime, but
implicitly for the leadership of any future regime
that dares to attempt to commit crimes against
humanity.
The idea is, through this trial, to showcase and
hopefully instill a sense of the rule of law in this
country, albeit with government-backed death squads
still roaming and plaguing much of the country. So it
is hoped that still, something of at least a broad
symbolic nature will be taken from this trial and
from this historic verdict -- T.J.
HOLMES: Yes.
Michael Ware for us in Baghdad on another historic
day for that country.
Michael, thank you so much.