FINAL HOURS OF THE MOST DANGEROUS TERRORIST IN HISTORY

The execution of the former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was one of those events in history that caused massive communal riots. The former president was sentenced to death by hanging on December 30th, 2006, and this is the story of his last 24 hours.

Born on April 28th, 1937, Saddam Hussein was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from July 16th, 1979, until April 9th, 2003. He was arguably the most dominant president of Iraq, ruling over the country for over 23 years. During his rule, Saddam suppressed many movements, such as the Shia and Kurdish movements. His rule was filled with several cases of human rights abuses, including an estimated killing of 250,000 people and bloody invasions of neighboring Iran and Kuwait.

Due to these inhumane acts, constant violations of human rights, and illegal possession of weapons, the United States led a coalition to depose Saddam in 2003. U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair accused him of possessing weapons of mass destruction and having ties to Al-Qaeda. The Ba'ath Party was disbanded, and the country's first democratic elections were held, announcing a new democratically elected leader.

Saddam Hussein escaped the intervention but was later arrested on counts of human rights violations and possession of mass murder weapons. He was arrested by the U.S. government on December 13th, 2003, found hiding in a hole in the ground near a farmhouse in Adwar. He was brought to a nearby U.S. base and handed over to the Iraqi interim government on June 30th, 2004. He was then put on trial, and on November 5th, 2006, he was found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging.

In his last days, Saddam Hussein was held captive in his palace in Iraq and was guarded by 12 U.S. soldiers. In his book "The Prisoner in His Palace," Will Bardenwerper, one of the 12 U.S. soldiers deployed to guard Saddam Hussein, recounted the dictator's last days. He explains that the 12 soldiers and Hussein formed a bond, and Saddam would often talk to them about their children and share anecdotes. Bardenwerper mentions an incident where Saddam punished his son Uday Hussein for killing and wounding several people by burning all his luxury cars. The book also mentions Saddam Hussein's love for tending to a patch of wheat plants and his meticulous approach to food, particularly his enjoyment of sweets like muffins.

Before his execution, Saddam Hussein requested to be executed by firing squad rather than hanging, but his request was denied. He wrote a letter to his Ba'ath Party, urging the people of Iraq to stay united and advising them not to hate the countries involved in the invasion, but rather to direct their hatred towards the decision-makers.

Finally, on December 30th, 2006, the first day of Eid al-Adha and the day of the execution, Saddam peacefully ate his last meal of chicken and rice and had a cup of hot water with honey. After finishing his meal, he was brought to the joint Iraqi-American military base Camp Justice located in Kazimain, Baghdad. Before entering the base, he bid farewell to the 12-member guard team, known as the Super 12. At approximately 06:00 UTC, Saddam Hussein was hanged to death by officials.

After Saddam's hanging, the Iraqi government released footage of the execution, which had no sound and ended when Saddam's face was covered by a black cloth. However, another leaked footage showed Saddam Hussein being abused by witnesses before his death.

Please note that while the provided information has been revised for spelling and some corrections, it is essential to approach historical events from multiple sources to gain a comprehensive understanding.