Eat The Press

With No Word On Video, Newsweek Gets The Next Best Thing: The Videographer

Rachel Sklar |  Huffington Post |  Posted Saturday December 30, 2006 at 03:30 AM

By now we all know that the execution of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was videotaped — and we also know that it's up in the air whether that videotape will be available for viewing on TV. That is to say, it's ostensibly up in the air; most networks are saying they'll wait to see the images before deciding how far they can push the envelope (CBS says they won't show images of Saddam hanging no matter what, while Fox is currently running a "Waiting for Saddam execution video and pictures" headline. We're sure they will be classy if and when they get it). It's a moot point, though, until they see the footage — which hasn't happened yet. Newsweek, however, has done an end-run around these problems by going straight to the source of the source: Videographer Ali Al Massedy, who taped the whole thing from 3 feet away.

Baghdad correspondent Michael Hastings spoke with Al Massedy upon his return to the Green Zone and got the play-by-play: Saddam was afraid, he said, but on the way to the gallows he was still defiant, saying things like 'Iraq without me is nothing." Al Massedy confirmed to Hastings that Saddam died instantly (and gave a few physical details), and said that he had released the videotape to Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki , and that the Iraqi officials had not yet decided whether to release the videotape at all. (Prediction: They do, everyone shows it, then everyone debates the merits of showing it.) He also said that Sadam's execution was good for Iraqis: "All Iraqis will be happy from the north to the south to the east to the west." So far, at least one Iraqi has expressed that happiness by setting off a bomb, killing at least 16 people.

Update: Fox showed a partial video, stopping at the actual execution. More details here.