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Dawn sees the start of the Moslem holiday of Eid, a period of prayer and forgiveness during which executions would be sacrilegious. So Death Row watchers expected Iraq to hang its former dictator Saddam Hussein before sunrise. All three networks led with the Baath leader's looming date with destiny. However, with only expectation to report on, the execution did not qualify as Story of the Day. The continuing coverage of the death of Gerald Ford received most airtime.

Baghdad was filled with "confusion and rumor with questions swirling," found CBS' Randall Pinkston. That was intentional, ABC's Terry McCarthy (no link) explained, because Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki "wants as few people as possible to know about the execution in advance." NBC's Richard Engel helped the judge who will supervise the execution "keep awake with strong coffee" while he awaited instructions to go ahead.

President George Bush "knows all about the plans," NBC's Kelly O'Donnell told us from the First Family's ranch in Texas, but he does not want to be obviously involved. The White House "wants this to be viewed as the work of the Iraqi government, as an example that Iraq is forming a new judicial system."

From the Pentagon, ABC's Jonathan Karl (no link) was skeptical that the hanging was such a big deal. "It is not that Saddam means much to the insurgents anymore. He does not," Karl shrugged. Saddam is "yesterday's man," ABC News consultant Anthony Cordesman told Karl. "The issues today have moved far beyond Saddam."

Andrew Tyndall 12/30/06 5:19:18 pm

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