Execution Doesn't End Hussein's Influence

By Dan Murphy, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
Tue Jan 2, 3:00 AM ET

Even in death, Saddam Hussein arouses fierce passions. His execution Saturday was cheered by millions of Iraqis, setting off celebration in Shiite neighborhoods across the country.

"Saddam has left life but he's still on my mind," says Mohamed Abdul Jabar, a Shiite schoolteacher in Baghdad. "I suffered a lot from his severe regime, like millions of other Iraqis.... His only achievement was the destruction of Iraq."

Many Sunnis, however, saw it as a national humiliation - a Sunni Arab leader killed by a US-backed government - and were angered by the fact that the execution took place on Eid al-Adha, Islam's most important holiday.

On Sunday, hundreds of Iraqis flocked to Mr. Hussein's birthplace to see the deposed leader buried in a religious compound. >>>cont

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