European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 22, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 and stripes thursday March 22 2007 Saddam Deputy hanged buried near dictator condemned former vice president was convicted of murder torture by Qassim Abdulzahra the associated press Baghdad Saddam Hus skins former Deputy hanged be fore Dawn in what was once Iraq military intelligence head quarters was buried tuesday near the ousted dictator who died on the same Gallows less than three months ago Taha Yassin Ramadan who was Saddam vice president went to the Gallows on the fourth anniversary of the Start of the War in Iraq for the deaths of 148 Shi ites in the town of Duvail meanwhile the us military said two american soldiers were killed tuesday in Southern Bagh dad during a combat patrol no de tails were provided Bassam a Husseini an adviser to prime minister Nouri Almalik said the execution went smoothly although Ramadan appeared frightened and recited the two Shahadah a declaration of Faith repeated by muslims there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet a Husseini said precautions were taken to prevent a repeat of what happened to Saddam half brother and co defendant Barzach Ibrahim who was inadvertently decapitated on the Gallows during his january execution Ramadan who was nearly 70 was weighed before the hanging and the rope was chosen accordingly a Husseini said the execution took place at am at a prison at an iraqi army and police base which had been the Headquarters of Sadd ams military intelligence in a predominantly shiite District in Northern Baghdad Ramadan had been in us custody but was handed Over to the iraqis about an hour before the hanging according to a Husseini who saw the hanging it was carried out despite appeals from International human rights groups Russia also criticized the act on tuesday foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said it adds nothing positive to the efforts being made to resolve the situation in Iraq us embassy spokesman Lou Fintor said it was an iraqi Deci Sion but stressed the trial has by most accounts met the Basic Stan Dards of International Justice Almalik has not attended any of the execution but representatives from his office a judge and a prosecutor attended the hang ing along with members of the Justice and Interior ministries and a physician the prosecutor read out the court verdict upholding the death sentence and Alma Likis decision to carry it out the adviser said adding that a defense lawyer who attended the execution received Ramadan written will the contents were not revealed although Yahya Ibrahim a sunni cleric and member of the influential association of Muslim scholars later said Ramadan had asked to be buried near Saddam the body was taken by the us military to ouija on the outskirts iraqi vice president Taha Yassin Ramadan talks to the Media in his Baghdad office on sept 82002 Ramadan was hanged tuesday for his part in the killings of 148 shiites of Cikrit later tuesday police said hundreds of mourners including Ramadan relatives and a Bandars son followed the Cas Ket draped with an iraqi Flag some fired shots in the air Ramadan was convicted in no vember of murder forced deportation and torture and sentenced to life in prison but an appeals court ruled that was too lenient and he was sentenced to death besides the four executed three other defendants were sentenced to 15 years in jail in the Case while one was acquitted one of the highest profile Fig ures remaining to be tried for sad Damera atrocities is a Hassan Almajid among six defendants facing charges of War crimes and crimes against humanity Stem Ming from Baghdad military Campaign in which More than 100000 kurd were killed Almajid who is Saddam Cousin also is known As chemical a for allegedly ordering Poison Gas attacks Ramadan who became vice president in March 1991 and was a revolutionary command coun cil highest Polit ical body under Saddam maintained his innocence saying his duties were limited to economic affairs not Security issues Ramadan was said to have pre sided Over Many purges carried out by Saddam to eliminate rivals and strengthen his political control in violence tuesday at least 15 people were killed or found dead most in Baghdad As the War entered its fifth year the used invasion began in the Early morn ing in Baghdad when it was still March 19 in the United states two parked car bombs struck shiite targets Baghdad one near a main bus station in Central Baghdad killing five civilians and wounding 18 and another at the Entrance of a Tunnel Down town killing three civilians and wounding seven a suicide car bomber also drove his vehicle into an Iraq army checkpoint in a predominantly sunni neighbourhood in Western Baghdad killing one sol Dier and wounding another police said late monday us and iraqi troops also engaged in a major operation As part of a Security crack Down in the volatile Hurriah neighbourhood in Northern Bagh dad state television said witnesses said Many people were reported holed up in two shiite mosques surrounded by us forces the state run iraqi a network said six civilians had been killed the us military did not com ment on the reports unit is Walmart of Western Iraq by Sandra Jontz stars and stripes Camp Tara drum Iraq most of the logistics marines dont lament the fact that their combat comrades who Are outside the wire Hunting Down the bad Guy get More attention there a modest Bunch but without them the infantry and combat soldiers and marines  have the supplies they need to survive its not As sexy As kicking in doors and taking Down the bad Guy but these Guys work their asses off said maj Tiffany Harris commander of Supply company 2nd maintenance battalion 2nd Marine logistics group everyone has their place in this fight and this is ours Harris said the Supply company has about million Worth of inventory stored at Camp Tara drum the logistical Hub for All forces serving in Anbar prov Ince we Are the Walmart of West Ern Iraq joked capt Sean Murray the Stock is divided into 25000 categories everything from uniforms and fire resistant Nome gloves to screws bolts bullets bottled water toilet paper transmissions engine parts tires radios and radio parts All stored in roughly one Square mile of Camp Tara drum the list of what they dont Supply is much Shorter Chow marines have developed a wellor Chest rated method of supplying troops at both Large facilities and smaller outposts that extend to the syrian and jordanian Borders a key facility is the ammunition Supply Point with an inventory of million in ammo said gunnery sgt Walter Andrews not All of those in the logistics Field Are hobbits Slang for those who stay on bases and rarely if Ever Cross into the red zone outside the wire the Supply runs Are risky troops and civilians making them Are susceptible to Roadside bombs car bombs and snipers it took some five hours to make a re cent Supply run from to to Camp fal Lujah a City Only 14 Miles away but the direct route once was heavily mined and is often Laden with Road Side bombs for safety Supply runs use alternate routes the recent 50plus vehicle Convoy included Secu Rity humvee and Upa Mored heavy transport trucks civilians mainly employees of Abr now make a preponderance of the Supply runs with the military transportation companies doing Dou ble duty of hauling goods and provid ing Security for every Abr Driver weve got we can take four of these kids and leave them at Home said 49yearold Tony Poling on his second year As a civilian big Rig Driver in Iraq most of us Are older weve got kids who Are grown up a lot of these kids Haven even had a Chance to get started so if we can do this Why not being scared is one thing being terrified is another said Jack mar ten 37 also on his second year scared keeps you awake Alert being terrified you freeze and dont know what to do you have to Over come being terrified the workload at the logistical Hub is about five to six times greater than what the marines push when in the states and there doing it with fewer marines than usual half of the battalion has remained Home to work inventory and supplies from that end said chief warrant officer 2 John Mojo Simpson the company operations officer Marine logistics leaders work on ways to keep As Many of the troops and civilian Drivers off the roads with air assets were saving 600 to 800 trucks a month on the Road Sim son said that incredible email Sandra Jontz at Sandra and stripes Lance Cpl Germain Maldonado 19 scans loads of lumber bound for Camp Ai Asad Anbar province supplies Are brought to Camp Tara drum Iraq Maldonado is with Supply company 2nd maintenance battalion 2nd Marine logistics group