My chronicle

When executions of two of Saddam's aides took place today, we had a further indication of the insanity of the Iraqi Government. They ignore international opinion concerning capital punishment. They act in a way which will further inflame communal violence. They use State violence in the most violent of States.

And - barbarous beyond words - Saddam's half-brother is decapitated. This is described by an official as "an act of God".

No further comment is required, apart from the fact that the two prisoners were dressed in Guantanamo boiler suits.

Is this why we have British troops in Iraq?

I oppose capital punishment in principle: even if the victim is a dictator.

The official footage of the execution was chilling.

Now we know what really happened; and I am even more appalled.

The result of the execution will be even more violence.

The reputation of the Iraqi Government is in shatters.

British Government protests concerning the application of the death penalty were so muted that they were inaudible.

The US executes all the time (how civilised a coountry!); so they did not protest in any way.

They were glad about one thing, however: the US collaboration with Saddam was never part of the "court" proceedings.

Now we await further horrors.