Iraq bans visits to Saddam Hussein’s grave
January 22nd, 2012 - 11:33 pm ICT by IANSBaghdad, Jan 22 (IANS) The Iraqi authorities Sunday banned individuals from visiting former Iraqi president Saddam Hussien’s grave over two years after having already prohibited organised visits to it in the Salahudin province, a police source said.
“The Iraqi cabinet directed authorities of Salahudin province to take all necessary measures to prevent any visit to Saddam Hussein’s grave,” Xinhua quoted a source from the provincial operations as saying.
Hussein’s body, along with those of his two sons and other relatives, is buried in his hometown of al-Ouja near Salahudin provincial capital city of Tikrit, some 170 km north of Baghdad.
Ousted following a US-led invasion in 2003, Hussein was executed in 2006 after an Iraqi court sentenced him to death for crimes against humanity.
In mid-2009, the Iraqi government had banned all organised visits of people and schoolchildren to Hussein’s grave amid concerns over growing support for the late former leader and his banned Baath party.
However, visits by individuals from different provinces, including Shiite ones, had continued after the first ban.
- TV host killed in Iraq bombing - Apr 04, 2012
- 10 killed, 30 injured in Iraq twin terror attack - Jul 28, 2011
- 2 killed, 16 injured in attacks in Iraq - Nov 13, 2011
- Suicide car bomb in Iraq kills three securitymen - Jun 06, 2011
- 900 bodies found in mass grave in Iraq - Jul 07, 2011
- Iraq sets free Saddam Hussien's loyalist - Aug 05, 2010
- 6 killed, 10 wounded in Iraq attacks - Apr 16, 2012
- Iraq's head of anti-Baath committee assassinated - May 27, 2011
- 12 killed in Iraq suicide attack - Feb 21, 2011
- 25 killed, over 170 wounded in Iraq attacks - Mar 20, 2012
- 800 bodies found in Iraq mass grave - Apr 15, 2011
- Iraq to help Libya in chemical weapons' disposal - Apr 13, 2012
- 23 protesters killed in Iraq's 'Day of Rage' - Feb 26, 2011
- 43 killed, over 190 wounded in Iraq bomb attacks (Lead) - Mar 20, 2012
- Iraqi poll turnout 51 percent, says election panel - Feb 01, 2009
Tags: baath party, baghdad, crimes against humanity, hometown, invasion, iraq, iraqi authorities, iraqi cabinet, iraqi government, iraqi president, necessary measures, ouja, police source, president saddam, provincial capital, relatives, saddam hussein, schoolchildren, xinhua