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The world’s reaction to the death by execution of Saddam Hussein

While President Bush called it a milestone in the rebuilding of Iraq, he cautioned that the death of Saddam Hussein would not end the violence. It was reported that as Hussein was being readied for the execution, President Bush had to be rushed to a armored vehicle at his Texas ranch used for a tornado shelter. After the threat of tornado had been relieved, the tornado passed within 10 miles of the President’s Texas Ranch, President Bush retired for the night and was not awaken with the news of the execution.

“France, which advocates like all its European partners the universal abolition of the death penalty, takes note of Saddam Hussein’s execution. That decision belongs to the Iraqi people and to the Iraqi sovereign authorities. France calls on to all Iraqis to look forward and to work for reconciliation and national unity. More than ever the aim must be a return to the full sovereignty and stability of Iraq.” French foreign ministry

“(Brazil) does not believe carrying out this sentence will contribute to bringing peace to Iraq.” Brazil foreign ministry

“The rushed execution of Saddam Hussein is simply wrong. It signifies justice denied for countless victims who endured unspeakable suffering during his regime, and now have been denied their right to see justice served. ” Larry Cox, executive director, Amnesty International USA

“The president, the leader Saddam Hussein is a martyr and God will put him along with other martyrs. Do not be sad nor complain because he has died the death of a holy warrior,” said Sheik Yahya al-Attawi, a cleric at the Saddam Big Mosque.

U.S. troops cheered as news of Saddam’s execution appeared on television at the mess hall at Forward Operating Base Loyalty in eastern Baghdad. But some soldiers expressed doubt that Saddam’s death would be a significant turning point for Iraq.

“First it was weapons of mass destruction. Then when there were none, it was that we had to find Saddam. We did that, but then it was that we had to put him on trial,” said Spc. Thomas Sheck, 25, who is on his second tour in Iraq. “So now, what will be the next story they tell us to keep us over here?”

Source:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

http://tvnz.co.nz/

http://www.casperstartribune.net/

Saddam Hussein was hanged at dawn is the report for the past hours in the Mainstream Media groups. However, some are careful and watchful before reporting the incident as truth. While many of the top government leaders around the world have already commented on the news of Saddam’s demise, the stories that are coming out have too many conflicts to be ruled as a fact.

Conflicts in the many articles that have been coming out in the past hours:

Where the execution was held. There were reports of two places where the execution was to be held and now as the stories are released it appears that he was hanged at both places.

Three men were executed. There have been reports that all three men scheduled to be executed were hanged at dawn, one was Saddam’s half-brother Barzan Ibrahim, while other reports say that the only one executed was Saddam Hussein.

The news of the death of Hussein did spring up a series of events in Iraq and around the world, however the good news is that none of the events reported have been violent. For me, it is still a wait and see at this time. I am not convinced at the series of articles that have been released as to the completeness of the reports , but the official witnesses seem to agree on one fact and that is that Saddam Hussein remained calm and refused to have his face covered before the hanging.

Source:

http://www.kwtx.com/breakingnews/5042821.html

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/947603

http://news.google.com

It is interesting to see the different outlooks of the MSM (Mainstream Media) about what we do as the people of the Internet. The individuals that have chosen to commit time to the world wide web by writing a blog, and using video and photography to report news to readers.

In a article written by Wall Street Journal editorial assistant, Joseph Rago, he appears to either be uneducated to the blogging web or feels threatened by the same. The article he titles “The Blog Mob“, Rago lashes out at the blogosphere saying

“The blogs are not as significant as their self-endeared curators would like to think. Journalism requires journalists, who are at least fitfully confronting the digital age. The bloggers, for their part, produce minimal reportage. Instead, they ride along with the MSM like remora fish on the bellies of sharks, picking at the scraps.”

This is just one man’s opinion, the opinion of Joseph Rago, and maybe his opinion is not as significant as he would like to think. At least not if one is to judge by the popularity of the blog for the reader as well as the writer. The blog writer of today is not making a post just to read it online! If this is true, then the post would be kept private and password protected. As one writer has put it:

“The blogosphere is a celebration of citizen journalism and the freedom
of speech.”

While further down the article, writer Rago, seems to point more to political blogs that seem to be a thorn in his side, calling most blogs “pretty awful” and without naming names, refers to the more popular blogs as “downright appalling”. Certainly, Mr. Rago would not be wise to reference popular blogs such as the WSJ Law Blog or could not have read the WSJ special report Find A Blog.

Near the close of the article, the true heart of Mr. Rago’s message; he is not to fond of the computer, nor Internet:

“Certainly the MSM, such as it is, collapsed itself. It was once utterly dominant yet made itself vulnerable by playing on its reputed accuracy and disinterest to pursue adversarial agendas. Still, as far from perfect as that system was, it was and is not wholly imperfect. The technology of ink on paper is highly advanced, and has over centuries accumulated a major institutional culture that screens editorially for originality, expertise and seriousness.”

While the rant of one mainstream writer is now buried days into the archives of the Opinion Journal, Time Magazine cover page was released naming the person of the year for 2006, You. Yes, You that control the information age. Quite the reverse of the previous, Time Magazine sees things such as the blog, You Tube and My Space as a major contribution not only to changing the world, also to change the way the world changes.

Time looks at the way we, as citizens of the Internet report on things saying:

“And we didn’t just watch, we also worked. Like crazy. We made Facebook profiles and Second Life avatars and reviewed books at Amazon and recorded podcasts. We blogged about our candidates losing and wrote songs about getting dumped. We camcordered bombing runs and built open-source software.”

So, congratulations to you and all of the people that work hard on their place on the web! You chose to entertain and inform us, reporting to your readers on information that you find important. You have delivered us a honest and unbiased account of the world as it happens blogging from home on your computer, at the airport on your lap top and even directly from your cell phone. Time magazine has pointed out a very important factor in what shapes the world wide web, You.

So while many of the people that contribute to the Mainstream Media feel threatened by You, there are others that reconize that it is You that makes the choice in what you read and watch. It is what you find important that matters. The people that want to rail you for putting what you believe in or what you report on will only make you stronger.

Time Managing Editor, Richard Stengel, wraps it up by saying:

“Some have called it an “amateur hour.” And it often is. But America was founded by amateurs. The framers were professional lawyers and military men and bankers, but they were amateur politicians, and that’s the way they thought it should be. Thomas Paine was in effect the first blogger, and Ben Franklin was essentially loading his persona into the MySpace of the 18th century, Poor Richard’s Almanack.”

Merry Christmas and thanks to YOU for reading.

Source:

http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110009409

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1570743,00.html

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1569514,00.html

http://www.webproworld.com