Report: U.S. tried to delay Hussein's execution
{{date|January 2, 2007}}

{{Saddam Hussein Infobox}}

On Friday, U.S. officials asked Iraqi Prime Minister [[w:Nouri al-Maliki|Nouri al-Maliki]] to delay the hanging of former dictator [[w:Saddam Hussein|Saddam Hussein]] for two weeks, [[w:CNN|CNN]] reported on its website Tuesday.

The story, which CNN posted at 1:27 a.m. EST, cited "a member of the Iraqi parliament close to the prime minister." The account has so far not been verified by other news agencies.

Saddam, a [[w:Sunni Islam|Sunni Muslim]], was executed before dawn on Saturday.

American officials reportedly asked for the delay, fearing the execution could be perceived as "more about [[w:Shia Islam|Shiite]] retribution and less about justice."

Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, saw Saddam as his arch-nemesis and did everything he could to ensure the execution went off without a hitch, the [[w:Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]] reported on its front page Tuesday. Al-Maliki was sentenced to death in 1980 by the government of Sadam because of his activism in the Dawa party. Since then, he lived in exile in Iran, and later in Syria.

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/01/02/saddam.execution/index.html
|title=Top Iraqi source: U.S. tried to delay execution 
|pub=CNN
|author=
|date=January 02, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116769048904764265.html?mod=hps_us_pageone
|title=Iraqi Leader's Past of Shiite Activism Undermines Pledge to Heal Rifts
|author=Philip Shishkin
|pub=Wall Street Journal
|date=January 02, 2007}}

{{published}}
{{archived}}
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Iraq]]
[[Category:Saddam Hussein]]
[[Category:Nouri al-Maliki]]
[[Category:Sunni Islam]]
[[Category:Shia Islam]]
On Friday, U.S. officials asked Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to delay the hanging of former dictator Saddam Hussein for two weeks, CNN reported on its website Tuesday.

The story, which CNN posted at 1:27 a.m. EST, cited "a member of the Iraqi parliament close to the prime minister." The account has so far not been verified by other news agencies.

Saddam, a Sunni Muslim, was executed before dawn on Saturday.

American officials reportedly asked for the delay, fearing the execution could be perceived as "more about Shiite retribution and less about justice."

Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, saw Saddam as his arch-nemesis and did everything he could to ensure the execution went off without a hitch, the Wall Street Journal reported on its front page Tuesday. Al-Maliki was sentenced to death in 1980 by the government of Sadam because of his activism in the Dawa party. Since then, he lived in exile in Iran, and later in Syria.
Politics and conflicts United States Iraq Saddam Hussein Nouri al-Maliki Sunni Islam Shia Islam