BAGHDAD — The U.S. military is bracing for major strikes in Iraq following the execution of ousted President Saddam Hussein.
Military sources said the Saddam execution was seen as a Shi'ite attempt
to demoralize the Sunni community on Id Al Adha, the most joyous holiday on
the Islamic calendar. The sources said they expect Saddam loyalists as well
as Al Qaida to conduct major strikes against the majority Shi'ite community
as well as assassinate members of the Shi'ite-dominated government of
Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki.
[So far, Sunni insurgents have been targeting Shi'ite civilians in wake
of the Saddam execution, Middle East Newsline reported. More than 120 Shi'ites were killed in explosions in
the Baghdad area in weekend attacks attributed to Al Qaida.]
The sources said the U.S. military sought to delay the execution of
Saddam until after Id Al Adha. But the sources said Al Maliki insisted that
Saddam be executed without delay. He was hanged on Dec. 30.
"Their refrain — and we have heard this before whenever they want to
make a point — was 'It's our necks. It's our decision.'" a U.S. officer
said.
"The execution, particularly the video that is available to anybody, has
been seen as an attempt by the Shi'ites to humiliate the Sunnis," a military
source said. "It's gone beyond Saddam."
Sunni Arab states were stunned by the execution of Saddam on the first
day of Id Al Adha. Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia issued criticism of the
hanging on the holiday.
The sources said Saddam's death would not quell the insurgency war in
Iraq, where U.S. casualties exceeded the 3,000 mark. They said many Saddam
loyalists have become aligned with Al Qaida and financed by Saudi Arabia.
"There's going to be one or several major strikes, although it probably
won't take place immediately," another source said.
