An investigation? Now the Maliki government is going to investigate the ‘Moktada’ chants at Saddam’s execution and the leaking of the phone-cam snuff film?
First of all, wasn’t it filmed? And wasn’t it clear that the hooded guys were among the chanters and taunters? Does the Maliki government know who the guys in the masks were? Or were they on special detail from the Mahdi Army?
One question seems to be who got into the room with a cell phone that allowed the surreptitious recording …
Munqith al-Faroon, an Iraqi prosecutor whose job was to convict Saddam Hussein of genocide, was one of the small group of witnesses at the hanging and defended Saddam’s right to die in peace.
He said he knew that “two top officials … had their mobile phones with them” at the execution, although other witnesses had their phones taken away beforehand.
But maybe they should start the investigation down in Atlanta with the folks at CNN. Here’s what CNN reported shortly after the execution …
Many of those who witnessed the execution celebrated in the aftermath.
“Saddam’s body is in front me,” said an official in the prime minister’s office when CNN telephoned. “It’s over.”
In the background, Shiite chanting could be heard. When asked about the chanting, the official said, “These are employees of the prime minister’s office and government chanting in celebration.”
He said that celebrations broke out after Hussein was dead, and that there was “dancing around the body.”
Sounds like that dude had a cell phone, doesn’t it?
This passage makes it a little ambiguous whether this government official was in the execution chamber or somewhere in the prime minister’s office where they took Saddam’s body. Another version of the story that CNN ran a few hours later leaves no doubt …
A witness to Saddam Hussein’s execution in Baghdad said that celebrations broke out after the former dictator died, and that there was “dancing around the body.”
“Saddam’s body is in front me,” said an official in the prime minister’s office when CNN telephoned. “It’s over.”
In the background, Shiite chanting could be heard. When asked about the chanting, the official said
“These are employees of the prime minister’s office and government chanting in celebration.”
I take it that this government ‘investigation’ will be highly impartial.
