Hussein Living on Borrowed Time
COLLINS: This information just into us now here at CNN. We have been following the developing story all day long about the possibility of Saddam Hussein's execution and the fact that it is imminent. This information now according to Reuters News Service. We are learning that Saddam Hussein has apparently been handed over to Iraqi authorities. He has, as you know, been in custody with the United States, and apparently has been handed over to Iraqi authorities. What exactly does that mean? at this point, we are not exactly sure. This could mean a bit of a faster process moving towards his execution. But once again, according to Reuters News Service Saddam Hussein has been handed over to Iraqi authorities and in their custody now. We're checking with all of our sources on the ground in and around Baghdad and at the Pentagon to find out whether or not this information can be confirmed here at CNN. Again, Reuters saying it has turned over Saddam Hussein to the Iraqi authorities. We will stay on top of it and bring you the very latest just as soon as we get it here.</s>COLLINS: Once again, want to remind you the story we are just getting in here to CNN. According to Reuters News Service. We are learning that Saddam Hussein has been handed over to Iraqi authorities. As you well know, he has been in the custody of the United States for quite some time now, as all of these court proceedings took place, to determine what his sentence would be. That sentence coming down on November 4th, that he would be sentenced to death by hanging for the 1982 Dujail massacre; 148 Shiite men and boys were massacred in 1982. And as we have just reported here, according to Reuters, the U.S. says it has turned over custody of Saddam Hussein to Iraqi authorities.</s>HOLMES: All right. We're also getting word, of course, now from the A.P. wires, that a judge, an Iraqi judge saying that Saddam will be executed by Saturday at the latest. This is some information we're now just getting, and this seems to be moving a lot faster. The word was -- speculation was that once he was officially handed over from U.S. custody to Iraqi custody, that it wouldn't be that much longer before the execution took place. We do have Aneesh Raman standing by. And, Aneesh, what can you tell us?</s>ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a dramatic development. Reports now suggesting that Saddam Hussein has in fact been handed over from U.S. custody to Iraqi authorities. These are reports at the moment that CNN is looking to independently confirm. But it suggests the final step, essentially, before Saddam Hussein could be executed. That means that this execution could take place any time now. We had heard reports earlier today from one of Saddam Hussein's chief lawyers that indications on the ground suggested to him this execution would take place on Saturday, during the day Friday in Baghdad. Rampant speculation, on the ground, that speculation has neared an obsession among the Iraqi people trying to figure out when this execution would take place. We had heard both from Saddam's lawyer saying Saturday seemed to him to be the day. Also, another of Saddam's lawyers said that he had been contacted by U.S. military personnel to make arrangements to pick up Saddam's belongings. But what had been slowing us down throughout the day, was that we had a number of confirmations from officials that Saddam was still in U.S. custody. As we say now, the dramatic developments just in the past few minutes, reports that Saddam Hussein has in fact been handed over from U.S. authority to Iraqi authority. Again, the final step essentially in the handover before the Iraqi process begins. That process, we don't know how long it could take. Leads ultimately to Saddam Hussein's execution.</s>COLLINS: Aneesh, we know that the defense attorneys for Saddam Hussein have been asking for quite some time to meet with their client. Will that meeting in fact happen as well?</s>RAMAN: Unlikely. What we had heard from Saddam's defense lawyers was they were hoping to meet with him on January 6th. That of course now seems unlikely. There's no estimation on the ground that Saddam Hussein will linger in Iraqi custody for any lengthy period of time. Again, all indications, once this handover has happened -- reports now saying that it has -- it will be a swift process between the handover and when Saddam Hussein would be executed. His lawyers have been out in the forefront of the global press after the sentencing on November 5th calling for the appellate process to be upheld in their mind to reject the death sentence. That did not happen. Just days ago, the appellate chamber of the Iraqi high tribunal confirming the death sentence for Saddam Hussein. After that, his lawyers called upon the international community, who were and are, largely divided over the use of capital punishment, to try and put a stay to this execution. We saw governments from capitals around the world suggest that the Iraqi government should itself intervene and put a stay on this execution. Wondering whether if even you believe this is the right thing to do, this is the right time. But keep in mind the execution of Saddam Hussein. Since that day that the appellate court upheld the death sentence, is purely essentially a political exercise. All legal procedures had up until that point been exhausted. The appellate chamber confirming the sentence, saying Saddam Hussein had to be executed by January 27th. That political realm is where you find a number of Iraqi politicians who, just like the Iraqi people, many of them seething with anger still over Saddam Hussein's tyrannical decades-rule of Iraq, many of them eager to see swift justice. Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, had earlier before the appellate process even ended, suggested he expected Saddam Hussein to be hung by the end of the year. Those comments that happened weeks ago resonating loudly on the streets of Baghdad in the past few days as everyone looked to the government, who weren't providing many clues as to when this execution would take place. But saw all indications that it could perhaps happen by the end of the year. Again, a dramatic perhaps development. Reports that we are waiting to confirm that Saddam Hussein has now been handed over from U.S. custody to Iraqi authorities, a final step before his execution -- Heidi.</s>COLLINS: Aneesh, it seems important to talk at this time about Eid, the he festival. The second largest festival on the Muslim calendar. We have learned from one of our guests here, international law actually prohibits an execution happening during the time of Eid, learning this would almost be equivalent to killing a leader in the Christian faith on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Can you speak to that?</s>RAMAN: Not only international law but, Heidi, Iraq's own criminal law prohibits executions during Eid. Eid comes at the end of the holy Hajj that is taking place in Saudi Arabia that begins -- and, again, it various on your sect of Islam -- for Sunnis, essentially tomorrow, for Shia on Sunday. Saddam Hussein, as you well know, is a Sunni, which is why that would add argument that Saddam Hussein could be executed within the next few minutes. It's now creeping on 8:00 p.m. here in Baghdad Friday evening. But Eid is thought to be one of the holiest auspicious moments in Islam. There had been suggestions that not only would it be against Iraqi criminal law to execute Saddam Hussein during Eid but, at the same time, that it could be something the government might do, a sense that for the Shia people of the world -- and we heard it from some within, some of them looked at al-Sadr, the Shia cleric's camp, for the Shia people, a gift from the Iraqi government to execute Saddam Hussein during the Shia Eid. But again, if we trace the calendar, Sunni Eid, as far as I understand it, will begin in earnest tomorrow. That adds, if you will, credence to the argument Saddam Hussein could have mere hours to live if they do it by midnight tonight. It's now 8:00 p.m. here local -- Heidi.</s>COLLINS: All right. Aneesh Raman reporting to us live with this breaking news that we are learning from Baghdad. Aneesh, we know we'll see you back here in just a few minutes. Thank you.</s>HOLMES: Meanwhile, our Barbara Starr standing by for us at the Pentagon. Barbara, what more can you tell us from the U.S. side about what they knew and just what the buzz is around there now?</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, behind the scenes, this has all been held very close to the vest, very quietly. Here at the Pentagon for days now, military officials have been saying they will not comment, they will not react on it. They are being quietly kept informed about the process of these events. They had expected the turnover, but all of the information really coming through State Department channels between the Iraqi government and the Bush Administration. What the Bush Administration wants to do is show the face of the Iraqi government to the world. They want this to be a process carried out under the Iraqi law and by the new Iraqi government. They think it's very important that the Iraqi people believe that this was done by their elected government, that the Bush Administration, if you will, had no hand in it per se except of course that the Bush Administration, the U.S. military has been handling much of Saddam's security arrangements while he's been in custody these many months. Now, all of this comes, of course, as President Bush is contemplating that change in strategy in Iraq. Top military officials throughout the holiday period have been working with the new Defense Secretary Gates, with the president, on trying to come up with that new strategy, trying to decide if they want to surge troops in Iraq, have a troop increase, what it would accomplish, what kind of political and economic progress they want to have in Iraq from the new Iraqi government. Trying to get the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to make that commitment to that kind of process because what they really strongly believe is that the execution of Saddam Hussein fundamentally will unfortunately not make a difference to the situation of the violence and unrest in Iraq. The situation in Iraq really, of course, has moved far beyond simply the existence of Saddam Hussein. You know, since that bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, since the eruption now for so many months of sectarian Shia on Sunni violence, that is really what the U.S. military is dealing with. That's what Iraqi security forces are dealing with. So while they may all have their views and their feelings about Saddam Hussein's impending execution, the feeling here and the feeling by military commanders is that fundamentally unfortunately it will not make a difference to the security situation on the ground --</s>T.J. HOLMES: All right. Our Barbara Starr for us at the Pentagon. We now want to turn and quickly bring in Mike Newton, who's a former adviser to the Iraqi tribunal. Mike Newton, thank you for giving us a moment here. Tell me your thoughts and what you're thinking about this -- the quick developments. And this appears to be about to happen on Saturday.</s>MIKE NEWTON, FMR. IRAQI TRIBUNAL ADVISER: Well, I would think that what you just heard is essentially a correct conclusion, that it won't make a huge difference in the short term fundamentally in the level of violence. It does mark a definitive end to the institutionalized oppression of the Baathist Party. And so for that reason as part of the historical record it's important. The big thing is, remember that this trial process will go on with other trials and other defendants and the historical record of the trial will be established when more Iraqis go back and read the 283-page trial judgment. And so this is just a step in the long-term process of healing Iraq.</s>HOLMES: A step -- are you surprised though that they didn't want to wait a little bit. I guess, we were talking to another guest earlier, who said, hey, let's get it over with and let's get this part of Iraqi history behind us. Can you quickly give me your thoughts on that.</s>NEWTON: Well, the Iraqi law requires that the sentence be implemented within 30 days of the conclusion of the appeal. So they really have no choice to wait. The Anfal genocide case, which is a major, major case involved hundreds of thousands of victims began on August the 21st and is essentially at it's two-thirds point. The defense case in chief is about to begin. But, remember, Saddam is the only common defendant of those two cases. So there are many more cases, many more defendants, many more trials to come</s>HOLMES: All right, Mr. Newton, former adviser to the Iraqi tribunal. Thank you for giving us a minute here. We'll continue to be all over this story here.</s>COLLINS: That's right. In fact, our coverage of the impending execution of Saddam Hussein continues right now with our sister network, CNN international.