MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Marianna Belenkaya)
Saddam Hussein has been put to death. The execution of a head of state, even if a toppled one, is an unusual event and is bound to provoke a strong reaction.
The trial of the Iraqi dictator became an important signal to all heads of state, a warning that sooner or later they will be called to account for their actions. Nobody will get away with crimes like the ones for which Saddam was tried. Heads of state are not immune and will have to answer for their deeds. However, extremists can now exploit his execution at a time of total chaos in Iraq to escalate the violence in the country and throughout the Middle East.
Moreover, the legitimacy of the verdict is questionable.
Hussein is definitely guilty of crimes against his own people, which is why hundreds of Iraqis crowded around the government building demanding that they be allowed to carry out the court's ruling. They wanted to avenge the deaths of their relatives during Hussein's rule.