Saddam had exchange with witnesses

Baghdad: Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussain had a fiery exchange with witnesses at his execution, questioning their manhood and insisting that he was Iraq's saviour.

Munir Haddad, an appeals court judge who witnessed the hanging, said that the former President had said his enemies would rot in hell and called for forgiveness and love among Iraqis.

He told the BBC that Saddam also called on Iraqis to fight the Americans and the Persians.

National security adviser Mowaffak Al Rubaie, told The New York Times that one of the guards shouted at Saddam: "You have destroyed us. You have killed us. You have made us live in destitution."

But Saddam retorted by saying: "I have saved you from destitution and misery and destroyed your enemies, the Persian and Americans."

The exchange continued with the guard shouting "god damn you", an insult which was thrown straight back at the guard.

New video, which appears to have been shot on a mobile phone and which has been posted on an Arabic website, showed Saddam smiling at his detractors, saying they were not showing manhood.

The ousted dictator then began reciting the Shahada, a prayer that says there is no god but God and Mohammad is his messenger.

He made it to midway through his second recitation of the verse. His last word was Mohammad.