Many in the Palestinian Authority on Saturday lamented the execution of Saddam Hussein, who received a special status among the Palestinians.
"Saddam was known for his ability to stick to his opinion and say 'no' to a world power," said Husni al-Ajal, 46, from a refugee camp near Ramallah.
The pictures of the "butcher from Baghdad" were hung in many places in the West Bank and Gaza. Some of the pictures featured both Saddam Hussein and former PA Chairman Yasser Arafat.
On Saturday morning, the citizens of Iraq and the entire world were notified that "the criminal Saddam was hanged to death." The Iraqi tyrant, who ruled Iraq between 1979 and 2003, died at around 5 a.m., at the presence of several witnesses from the Iraqi government and a Muslim cleric.
Saddam, on his part, did not forget the Palestinians also during his last moments. Just before the rope was wrapped around his neck, he shouted, "Allah is great. Long live the Iraqi nation. Palestine is Arab."
Iraqi sources who were present at the execution said that the prime minister's office employees began rejoicing and dancing around the body.
For fear of riots, a four-day curfew was imposed on Saddam’s place of birth, the town of Tikrit. The American military said it was prepared for any escalation of violence that would occur as a result of the Iraqi dictator’s death.