Region | Iraq
New era for Iraq as Saddam meets his destiny at the end of a rope
It was December 29, 2006 when the news about the imminent execution of Saddam Hussain started flashing on wire services and television channels.
- By Mayada Al Askari, Staff writer
- Published: 00:28 December 31, 2007
It was December 29, 2006 when the news about the imminent execution of Saddam Hussain started flashing on wire services and television channels.
Al Hurra, the American-Iraqi television channel which was given the scoop of Saddam's execution, told its viewers Iraq's despot had been hanged at dawn.
In his final moments, shortly after the dawn call to prayer, Saddam came face to face with an Iraq he had never met, having spent the past three years in US custody.
Since his capture, the Shiites his government violently repressed had come to power. They were the last people Saddam saw before his death.
Many Iraqis were happy to see justice done, but some protested about the timing of the execution, which coincided with Eid Al Adha. Nevertheless, some were dancing in the streets, as Saddam's execution was the revenge they have been waiting for.
Leading up to the execution, Iraq had become chaotic and was heading towards a “no return'' zone. More than 34,000 civilians were violently killed across Iraq during 2006, with an average of 94 people killed every day, according to a United Nations report.
The bimonthly Human Rights Report of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, covering November and December, tallied the casualties of nearly a year of relentless sectarian strife, which skyrocketed after the bombing of a Shiite mosque in Samarra on February 22, 2006.
Just as the situation in Iraq looked as though nothing could be done to save the day, three significant developments took place in 2007 leading to a tangible improvement in the security situation not just in Baghdad but throughout the troubled locations in Iraq.
The Iraqi Government and the coalition force headed by the newly appointed top commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, officially announced Baghdad's security plan on February 17.
The operation was called ‘Fardh Al Qanoon', an Iraqi phrase meaning ‘enforcing the law'. The title, agreed upon by the Government of Iraq with the support of the coalition leaders, reflected the Iraqi-led nature of the operation.
Soon enough, people in Baghdad and around Iraq started hearing fewer explosions. In a highly anticipated testimony on September 10, 2007, Gen. David Petraeus told members of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees: “Additionally, in what may be the most significant development of the past eight months in Iraq, the tribal rejection of Al Qaida that started in Anbar province and helped produce such significant change there has now spread to a number of other locations as well.''
This leads us to the second positive step taking place during the first troubled months of 2007. It is officially called ‘Al Sahwa' meaning ‘the awakening'.
In April, Sunni tribal leaders in the beleaguered Al Anbar province hosted a national gathering to oppose insurgents such as Al Qaida and re-engage in the country's political process.
The announcement came after 200 Iraqi Shaikhs representing 50 tribes met and agreed to form a provincial council called Al Sahwa. The driving force behind the new gathering was Shaikh Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, who said at the time that the tribal leaders would be pushing candidates in Al Anbar provincial elections later this year, as well as in the next round of national parliamentary balloting, scheduled for 2009.
Despite the fact that Abu Risha was assassinated by Al Qaida on September 13, Al Sahwa is going strong, and for the first time since April 9, 2003 these tribes have their men recruited in the Iraqi guards and police forces.
The third development was not positive, but its results have proven to be for the benefit of a united Iraq. The long dispute between Turkey and Iraq's Kurds over PKK fighters camped on the Iraqi side of their border reached new heights in October.
Ankara amassed thousands of soldiers on its side of the border and warned it would dismantle the camps in Iraq if the US military did not.
Faced with the gravity of the situation, Iraq's Kurds realise today that without the unified Iraqi umbrella, they would be standing out in the cold, vulnerable to any external force that may take control over their region.
Iraq still has a long way to go, but with the death toll for both Iraqis and Americans falling dramatically over the last four months of the year, things are looking brighter.
News Editor's choice
-
Kuwait condemns Houla massacre
Arab League urged to put end to oppression of Syrian people
-
Road crashes main cause of child death in UAE
Death rate among children in car accidents in the UAE is three times higher than global average
-
Last minute ID rush is on
Expatriates in Dubai have thronged typing centres and Emirates ID registration offices to meet the May 31 registration deadline
