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Iraqi Violence Follows Hanging of Saddam Hussein

Several bombings in Iraq after the hanging of Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein. At least 61 people were killed and more than 100 were injured in two bombings that took place on Saturday in Iraq, following the execution of the ousted dictator.

36 people were killed and another 45 were injured when a car bomb exploded in a crowded market in a Shiite town in southern Iraq. A hospital official in the city reported that among those killed were 3 women and 4 children. The same official mentioned that among the injured are also women and children. The explosion in the market took place at 10:00 AM local time, only 4 hours after Saddam`s hanging. The second bombing took place later that afternoon in a mixed Sunni-Shiite community in northwestern Baghdad. 3 car bombs exploded nearly simultaneously, causing the deaths of 25 individuals and injuring at least 65 others, local officials reported.

Despite these tragedies many Iraqis rejoiced the death of Saddam. In many places in Iraq people took to the streets were they celebrated the death of the butcher of Baghdad. But not everyone was happy with the ending of the dictator`s life: "Amnesty International is very disappointed about this decision," the human rights organization said. "We are against the death penalty as a matter of principle but particularly in this case because it comes after a flawed trial." Many of Iraqi citizens hope that the death of Saddam will lead to a new stage in Iraqi history and that reconciliation between the different sides in the Iraqi conflict will begin.