One of two of Saddam's aides executed by hanging was decapitated. This only re-enforces the horror of the "justice" being handed out in Iraq by the US supported government.

Saddam's half brother, Barzan Ibrahim, was the head of Saddam's intelligence organisation and had his head severed from his body when he was hung this morning alongside the former head of the Iraqi Revolutionary Court for their role in the deaths of 148 in 1982.

The hanging and beheading was filmed by the government, though, as they were taking no chances of the repeat of any abuse being recorded, the filming has no sound. There seems to have been a ban on camera phones also.

Reports state that the two men, who were dressed in bright orange jumpsuits trembled with fear as their hooded executioners brought them to the gallows. The filming captured the hanging and decapitation of Barzan Ibrahim.

Another glorious example of US/Iraqi justice.

Watch the BBC video report here

"I thought the convict Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti had escaped the noose. I shouted that he's escaped the noose, go down and look for him. I went down a few steps ahead of the others to see: I found out that his head had separated from his body."

---public prosecutor Jaafar al-Moussawi on the execution of two of Saddam Hussein's aides one of whom was decapitated by the hanging.

The British Prime Minister has said he completely supports the inquiry and he believes that the manner of the execution was completely wrong, but that should not lead us to forget the crimes that Saddam Hussein committed, including the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

So Tony is opposed only to the manner of the execution and not opposed to execution per se?

Way too late anyway Tony.

It has taken Gordon Brown a long time to decide to condemn the execution of Saddam Hussein. One suspects he decided to wait until the public's opinion had been decided on before venturing an opinion.

Mr Brown told BBC One's Sunday AM show the manner of the former Iraqi leader's hanging was "completely unacceptable".

The UK chancellor said he was personally against the death penalty, and he hoped lessons would be learnt from the mistakes made in Saddam's execution.

Many of us knew that the execution of Saddam Hussein was unacceptable from the beginning and Gordon Brown's late entry into the fold cuts no ice with anyone.

Too little too late Gordon.

Ken Livingstone for Prime Minister

"This is government by revenge. Saddam Hussein is our leader and now he is a martyr of history. We will turn ourselves into bombs to avenge him."

---Sabah al-Shamri, a former colonel in Saddam's Republican Guard,

There is not much time left for Saddam Hussein as he has been handed over by the US to the Iraqi government for execution this evening. It is likely that he will be put to death this evening or tomorrow.

He has already said his goodbyes to his family. You can read Saddam's letter which he wrote when he was sentenced to die on this site.