Taha Yassin Ramadan Put to Death

There’s something heart-warming about a tyrant fearing his own death.  

Saddam Hussein’s former deputy was hanged before dawn Tuesday, the fourth man to be executed in the killings of 148 Shiites following a 1982 assassination attempt against the former leader in the town of Dujail.

Taha Yassin Ramadan, who was Saddam’s vice president when the regime was ousted, went to the gallows on the fourth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq.

Bassam al-Hassani, an adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, said the execution went smoothly, although Ramadan appeared frightened and recited the two shahadahs - a declaration of faith repeated by Muslims - “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet.”

Al-Hassani said precautions were taken to prevent a repeat of what happened to Saddam’s half brother and co-defendant Barzan Ibrahim, who was inadvertently decapitated on the gallows during his January execution.

Ramadan, who was nearly 70, was weighed before the hanging and the rope was chosen accordingly, al-Hassani said.