Saddam Hussein Executed: Iraq's Dictator Hanged
Saddam Hussein was pulled from a hole in the ground near Tikrit in December 2003. He'd been hiding for eight months since U.S. forces took Baghdad. His sons Uday and Qusay had been killed in July. He looked disheveled in the footage. Three years later, in December 2006, he was hanged for the 1982 massacre of 148 Shia villagers in Dujail. The execution was captured on a cellphone video that circulated within hours. His final words were cut off by the trapdoor. He'd ruled Iraq for twenty-four years, through two wars, and the only exit he found was a rope.
December 30, 2006
20 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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