Editing Decapitation (section)

==== Iraq ====
[[File:Assyrian military campaign in southern Mesopotamia, beheaded enemies, 7th century BC, from Nineveh, Iraq. The British Museum.jpg|thumb|Assyrian military campaign in southern Mesopotamia, beheaded enemies, 7th century BC, from Nineveh, Iraq. The British Museum.]]
Though not officially sanctioned, legal beheadings were carried out against at least 50 prostitutes and pimps under [[Saddam Hussein]] as late as 2000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article10190019.ab |title=Saddam halshögg 50 prostituerade |date=11 December 2000 |language=sv |trans-title=Saddam beheaded 50 prostitutes |access-date=25 February 2017 |archive-date=26 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226132339/http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article10190019.ab |url-status=live }}</ref>

Beheadings have emerged as another [[terrorism|terror]] tactic especially in Iraq since 2003.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/14/movies/14TERROR.html |title=The Terrorist as Auteur |first=Michael |last=Ignatieff |date=14 November 2004 |access-date=25 February 2017 |work=[[The New York Times]] |archive-date=28 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528045132/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/14/movies/14TERROR.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Civilians have borne the brunt of the beheadings, although U.S. and Iraqi military personnel have also been targeted. After kidnapping the victim, the kidnappers typically make some sort of demand of the government of the hostage's nation and give a time limit for the demand to be carried out, often 72 hours. Beheading is often threatened if the government fails to heed the wishes of the hostage takers. Sometimes, the [[beheading video|beheadings are videotaped]] and made available on the Internet. One of the most publicized of such executions was that of [[Nick Berg]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Beheading video tops web searches The decapitation of American Nick Berg and the Iraq war have replaced pornography and pop stars as the main internet searches |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2004/5/18/beheading-video-tops-web-searches |website=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]] |date=18 May 2004 |access-date=26 October 2021 |archive-date=8 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608031707/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2004/5/18/beheading-video-tops-web-searches |url-status=live }}</ref>

Judicial execution is practiced in Iraq, but is generally carried out by [[hanging]].