The Death of Saddam Hussein

My prediction of what will happen (for what it's worth) - His hanging will take place soon and without warning. It won't be broadcast live, but some sort of edited video tape and official photographs will be released - as was done with the gruesome corpses of his sons Uday and Qusay in 2003.

I believe for the ordinary people of Iraq, final and concrete knowledge of his death will prove quite cathartic. However, some sort of 'Live' special broadcast of his execution is in my view unacceptable - it's morbib, distressing and brutal - not the sort of image the new Iraqi government would want to be associated with.

And where on earth is your source for that?

Except that we've kind of had quite a bit of warning today!

Well duh, we knew he was set to hang since November. What I meant is that I believe we will only be told of his execution ex post .

nutcase

The only recent similar precedent (i.e. of a killing shown on the news) I can think of is when the Ceausescu's were killed on Xmas day 1989 although even then I only remember seeing the bits immediately before and after the shooting. I think the whole thing went out on Romanian TV though

I suspect that will happen this time round - we'll see him before and afterwards but not the actual thing itself. Whether the actual hanging itself will even be supplied to broadcasters will be interesting (via the wires services Reuters and AP). Any footage will be heavily controlled by the US.

I don't think that showing it would cause any problems with Ofcom or provoke any backlash. As long as it is shown with warnings, tastefully and at a suitable time there won't be a problem. As for backlash - I don't think there's many people who sympathise with him! As for AJE, it'll be interesting especially to compare the English and Arabic versions

No chance of it being live, they didn't even risk showing the trial live

Actually unusually I haven't watched the news at all today

2am UK Time then... about time too.

Saddam will be dead in the next 2 hours.
The dead bodies of his two sons were shown on TV - in the daytime as well. I think it is likely it will happen to Saddam as well. All famous executions have images of the dead bodies - the Nuremberg Trial defendants for example.

I've head on 5live and a few other places that Saddam will be filmed walking to the gallows, he will be in a black hood and green outfit. The execution its self will be 'documented' but unlikely to be released. The dead body will then be shown.

It is important for the body to be shown for any conspiracy or doubt to creep in that he is dead. I would find it odd that OFCOM rules are involved in Journalism - freedom of press and all.

I highly doubt any of the news channels will broadcast it (even if they could). Perhaps Al-Jazeera, but only on the non-English channel.

What do I know?

The body itself will probably be shown - up to each broadcaster what they do there. But the hanging itself surely won't.