The pre-dawn silence was broken by the sound of muffled footsteps. These steps, slow and heavy, echo in the long river of history, heralding the end of an era. In some hidden corner of Iraq, a leader who once ruled the country with an iron fist for nearly a quarter of a century is spending the last hours of his life. This is not a grand farewell, no applause, no praise, only humiliation and ridicule, the ultimate insult to a once-formidable dictator, Saddam Hussein.
American soldiers surrounded him, their expressions devoid of pity and respect, only an indifferent observation of the end of power. Saddam's request was simple and human: a quiet sleep, a moment of tranquility in reading the Bible, or the simple pleasure of smoking a cigarette. However, these cravings are ruthlessly rejected and replaced by more deliberate irritation and humiliation. They showed the ropes of the hanging, stabbed him with words to the last of his dignity, and tried to see the cowering and begging for mercy of a ruler who had once intimidated the people.
The twists and turns of the road to power
Saddam Hussein's story begins in an obscure village in Iraq, where living conditions are harsh and far from touching the periphery of the world political scene in the mid-20th century. Growing up in such an environment, Saddam's childhood was far from ordinary, full of stories of struggles for survival. Despite the many difficulties he faced, it was these experiences that fostered in him an indomitable spirit and ambition for the future.
As a young man, Saddam Hussein began to show his interest and talent for politics. Not only was he actively involved in debates and politics in schools, but he also began to reach out and participate in political organizations in Iraq. During this period, Iraq was in a period of political turmoil and social change, with many forces vying for power, providing a stage for people with lofty ideals to showcase their talents. Saddam Hussein did not miss this opportunity, and his intelligence, eloquence, and political insight allowed him to gradually emerge in Iraq's complex political environment.
Saddam Hussein's political path, from his days in the Iraqi Revolution Steering Committee, was destined to be challenging and controversial. When he was officially sworn in as president of the Republic of Iraq in 1979, the country was in the midst of an eventful time. Saddam's rise to power, accompanied by a series of decisions and actions aimed at consolidating power, not only marked a new height in his personal political career, but also heralded a new era in Iraq.
After assuming the presidency of Iraq, Saddam Hussein quickly launched a series of policies and measures aimed at strengthening the foundations of his rule. He is well aware that to rule a country as diverse as Iraq for a long time, it will take a strong stance to maintain power. Therefore, Saddam Hussein began to clean up the political arena and eliminate all potential threats. Political opponents were expelled from public office or even imprisoned or executed. With these actions, Saddam Hussein tried to send a clear message: any action against him would be punished with the severest punishment.
In addition, Saddam Hussein implemented a series of tough political repression measures aimed at eliminating any form of opposition. His government makes extensive use of intelligence systems to spy on citizens, political activists and any suspected dissidents. This pervasive surveillance and repression has led to a social environment rife with fear, where people are afraid to openly express their grievances or criticize the government.
While Saddam's actions did bring stability to Iraq to a certain extent, his government had invested in infrastructure and education, and some areas of the economy had developed. However, this stability has come at the expense of freedom and human rights. The state's vital resources were concentrated on maintaining Saddam's rule and personal luxury, while the standard of living and welfare of ordinary people were not commensurately improved. Moreover, the government's treatment of any form of resistance is ruthless, with massive human rights violations, including torture, arbitrary detention, and executions.
Iraq under Saddam Hussein also experienced several wars, including a protracted conflict with Iran and the invasion of Kuwait. These wars have further depleted the country's resources and exacerbated the suffering of the people, while at the same time making Iraq an isolator in the international community. The war and ongoing political repression have put Iraqi society under tremendous pressure, and popular discontent is brewing behind it.
The ambitious leader was arrested
During Saddam Hussein's time in power, his foreign policy and military actions showed a strong intent to expand and challenge the international order. His ambitions were evident in the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), which was initially aimed at resolving border disputes and expanding Iraq's territory and influence. However, as the war dragged on, it gradually turned into a costly and devastating conflict that not only killed and injured thousands of people, but also severely damaged the economic fabric of Iraq and left the country deeply in debt.
In 1990, Saddam Hussein took another military action and directed Iraqi forces to invade Kuwait. This act is based on the coveting of Kuwait's oil resources and the settlement of Iraq's huge debt accumulated as a result of the Iran-Iraq war. The decision to invade Kuwait further exposed Saddam's expansionist ambitions, but it also directly triggered the Gulf War, which led to the intervention of the forces of the international coalition. The conflict not only forced Iraqi troops to withdraw from Kuwait, but also subjected Iraq to severe United Nations sanctions, including trade embargoes and military restrictions, further exacerbating the economic and social crisis in the country.
Although Saddam's diplomatic and military actions were aimed at enhancing Iraq's international status and influence, their excessive ambitions led to widespread conflicts with the international community. Iraq's economic fabric has been severely damaged by war and sanctions, the national economy is in dire straits, and social stability is threatened. This series of foreign policy failures eventually became one of the important factors in the collapse of Saddam's regime.
In 2003, the US-led coalition invaded Iraq, leading to the end of Saddam's regime. After his arrest and trial, Saddam Hussein faced death by hanging on 30 December 2006. On the night before his death, Saddam's plea reflected his basic desires as a dying man: the tranquility of a night's sleep, the solace of religious faith, and the simple earthly pleasure of smoking a cigarette. However, these requests were not granted.
Rather, the U.S. military's approach is intended to underscore their control and victory over the once-formidable lion of the Middle East through humiliation and provocation. This was not only the final personal humiliation of Saddam Hussein, but also symbolized the end of his former rule in Iraq and his personal role on the international stage.
Six hours of torture
On that night destined to go down in history, Saddam Hussein was trapped in a modest room with American soldiers surrounding him. These soldiers, holding in their hands ropes that symbolize impending death, show him the ruthlessness of fate. Their voices were cold and defiant: "Look, this is where you end, and in a moment you will be strangled to death." The purpose of this provocation is not only to insult, but also to try to break Saddam's last psychological defenses, so that the former iron-blooded ruler will show fear and weakness in the last moments of his life.
However, in the face of the ridicule and provocation of the US military, Saddam Hussein maintained an outward calm, he did not respond to the provocations of the soldiers, but just sat quietly and said something in his mouth. This tranquility contrasts sharply with the noise around him, and Saddam seems to be making his way to a final struggle against the impending fate.
Over time, any request made by Saddam became the object of ridicule from the soldiers. The quietness and dignity he wanted, in the eyes of these soldiers, were nothing more than a sign of his weakness and fear. They constantly provoked Saddam Hussein with words and actions, hoping to see him collapse. But Saddam Hussein did not give them this opportunity, and even in this extreme environment, he tried to maintain his dignity.
As the night deepened, Saddam Hussein's state gradually became tired. The shouting, demonstrating, ridicule, and contempt of the American soldiers were like invisible arrows that constantly attacked his spirit. The prolonged mental stress caused Saddam Hussein to lose the ability to resist, and he appeared extremely tired physically and mentally. Even so, he tried to maintain that dignity as the leader of the country, even if it was not worth mentioning in the eyes of his enemies.
When walking, his steps staggered significantly, not only because of physical weakness, but also as a direct consequence of prolonged mental stress. Every movement, every attempt to stand, became part of the final challenge of his life. Even in this situation, Saddam Hussein did not give up, and in his own way, he faced the imminent end.
During these six hours of experience, the behavior of the American soldiers was full of contempt and humiliation for Saddam Hussein personally.
Face the hanging
In the last moments of Saddam Hussein's life, when preparations for the hanging were in full swing, the state and environment in which he found himself were particularly bleak. In the face of impending death, Saddam Hussein showed a very primitive reaction in human nature – trying to maintain the last of his dignity despite the fact that his physical strength had been exhausted by prolonged captivity and mental stress. Saddam Hussein's attempt to tidy up his appearance, a simple gesture, is a kind of insistence on his identity and past, even at the end of his life, he wants to maintain his image as a national leader. However, his physical weakness prevented him from fulfilling even this last little wish.
His appearance, his untrimmed dirty beard, and his eyes, which seemed weak and barely able to open, became the final annotation of his image. This miserable state has been interpreted by the outside world as a sign of fear and reluctance, and many believe that it shows the fragility of the once formidable leader in the face of death. Despite all the speculations and evaluations from the outside world, Saddam's behavior on the gallows revealed his last insistence on his identity. He refused to remain silent, choosing instead to make his voice heard, faint but full of symbolism.
In the moments before he was hanged, Saddam Hussein lifted his hood and issued his own declaration in a voice that had almost exhausted the last shred of strength: "I am not a bandit, Iraq is nothing without me." This sentence is both a defense of his own political career and a prophecy of Iraq's future. In Saddam's view, he was intimately linked to the fate of Iraq, and even in the last moments of his life, he tried to preserve his place and image in Iraqi history.
In addition, when Saddam Hussein was pushed to the gallows, although his voice was weak, he shouted "Down with the Americans." Although this performance does not have the momentum and strength of the past, it still reflects his insistence on his political position and his resistance to external forces. While these voices could not change anything, they became the last words of Saddam Hussein's legacy in world history, revealing the attitude and choices of the former Iraqi leader in the face of his ultimate fate.
How to try Saddam[J].Journal of Southwest Petroleum University(Social Science),2004(3):12-17