Saddam was handed over by US army to Iraqi hang-men just minutes before he was executed. Even US army understood the repercussions and the possible fall-out effect of Saddam's execution and that is why US army reportedly cautioned against quick execution, as this would have serious backlash from the Sunni community. But US army warning was ignored.

It was Nuri-al-Maliki who was determined to carry out the execution. He himself signed the execution order at midnight on Friday, December 29, as he earlier vowed publicly that Saddam would not live to see the light of the New Year 2007.

But according to Iraqi constitution it was the president of Iraq who was to sign the execution order. Maliki reportedly talked to President Jalal Talabani who refused to sign the order on capital punishment i.e. execution by hanging. This is why Maliki himself took the responsibility to sigh the execution order. It was a personal vendetta -- execution carried out with full vengeance.

No US representative was directly present at the execution, but it probably watched from the wings. Bush administration wanted to make sure that this was the execution of an Iraqi by Iraqis in Iraq -- and Maliki was most eager to make it happen.

Regardless of what happened, Saddam was undoubtedly a dictator and he died as a dictator. He would have done better, perhaps, if he had fought the occupying forces and been killed in action.

Saddam's execution order was confirmed not only by the specially appointed Iraqi court, but also finally by President Bush before he went to bed on December 30 at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Maliki informed the US ambassador in Baghdad, who informed the White House and the White House informed President Bush who was holidaying at his ranch.

Bush, as it seems, gave final nod to the execution and went to bed, obviously for a good sleep (after all it was a personal revenge not only for Maliki but for President Bush too). However, he left a message saying it was a fair trial, an important milestone on the road to establishing democracy in Iraq.

Saddam's defense lawyer Ramsey Clark said that Saddam's execution "was a tragic assault on the truth and justice." Indeed, the defense lawyers did not get enough opportunities to put up the truth before the court -- truth like which country supplied the gas and anthrax in 1980s.

Three defense lawyers were assassinated, reportedly by state-run death squads. Judges were changed on the plea that some were not fit to deal with Saddam (at least one judge was found to be somewhat lenient). So changes were made until one was found who was truly fit for the job i.e. to ensure Saddam's death.

It was a bizarre trial where the judge visibly showed high temper to the accused and turned him out of the court. This was a trial by enemy judges and by enemy government headed by the enemy Maliki, a key leader of the Dawa party, who had to remain in exile for long after the party was banned for attempting to assassinate Saddam.

All these facts were known to the US and the world, but the trial was allowed to continue with the sole purpose of putting Saddam to death in the quickest possible time.

One has to wait and see how the American public in the days ahead reacts to such a miscarriage of justice. American public finally realizes the truth, but it takes time, as they are often not provided with the facts on time. Anyway, having known all the facts himself, President Bush said it was a fair trial, though his military's understanding about the trial was apparently different.

Apart from the fact that majority of Americans disapprove of Bush's war against Iraq, majority of the US military stationed in Iraq also disapprove of President Bush's handling of Iraq war (42% disapprove and only 35% approve). This puts a dark spot on the wisdom and the intention of a president of a super-power and undoubtedly diminishes the prestige of a country which has been known to the world for its fair justice system.

There were not very many responses from the Arab governments. However, Saudi Arabian government reportedly criticized the execution as it was carried out on a holy day of Eid. Iran said it would increase ethnic tension, but be good in the long run. Hamas said it was a political assassination.

There have been serious reactions from the Muslim communities around the world and more security measures were taken against all US embassy personnel. Undoubtedly, the US will continue to be blamed for such a hasty and unfair trial against the president of a country, regardless of his past brutality. Many brutal heads of states were and are still good friends of successive US governments.

The way the trial was conducted and execution was carried out with so much hurry and with so much open vengeance, finally turning into ethnic brutality by a leader of one community against another, it would haunt US administrations for a long time to come.

The sane world looked for a trial of Saddam in the international court at the Hague under internationally accepted judges. If Milosovich could be tried at the Hague, why not Saddam?

It did not happen as both the US and Iraqi regime wanted to have it within Iraq through their own specially appointed judges in the quickest possible time so that other issues like involvement of other countries in Saddam's long rule are not raised by the defense lawyers and also to be sure about the final act -- the execution of Saddam.

The entire episode will be counter-productive for the US and Britain. The division between Sunnis and Shias has certainly widened, putting the Arab world into a highly uncertain political situation. The most damaging will be the future of Iraq. Under the present situation, there is hardly any chance to keep Iraq in one piece.

Iraqi Shia regime will join Iran and thus Iran's hand will be strengthened in the Middle East. As Iran is likely to unofficially join the nuclear club soon, this would create serous strategic problems for the US and Israel. With Middle-East being virtually in civil war, the political situation will continue to remain terribly unsettled.

Muslehuddin Ahmad is a former Secretary and Ambassador and founder VC of North South University.