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Your World Today
Somalia Conflict; Former President Gerald Ford Dead at the Age of 73; Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Hamas-Led Government Insists Month-Long Cease-Fire is Still Intact; Inside Iraq's Justice System
Aired December 27, 2006 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: A ring around Mogadishu. Ethiopian troops move in to surround the Somali capital.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: He assumed the U.S. presidency after one of the worst government scandals in history and helped heal a nation. Gerald Ford dies in California at age 93.
GORANI: And an inside look at justice, Iraqi-style. Saddam Hussein is far from the only Iraqi convict to face execution by hanging.
HOLMES: And as hundreds of thousands of Muslims descend on Mecca for the Hajj, a massive effort to keep them all safe.
8:00 p.m. in Mogadishu, also in Mecca. It is 9:00 a.m. in Rancho Mirage, California.
Hello and welcome to our report broadcast around the globe.
I'm Michael Holmes.
GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani.
From Baghdad to Riyadh, wherever you're watching, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.
HOLMES: Ethiopian-backed troops advancing on Mogadishu, but they say they will not attack, opting to surround in order to force surrender.
GORANI: Well, we begin in Somali, where Islamists are digging in, saying the war that has split world opinion is entering a "new phase."
Here's the latest.
HOLMES: Yes, Ethiopian and Somali government troops have seized the last major town on the road to the capital after hours of fighting.
GORANI: As tanks and troops advance to within 50 kilometers, most Islamist militia have withdrawn to the capital, calling it a strategic retreat. HOLMES: The African Union says it supports the Somali government but says Ethiopian troops trying to defend it should leave and all sides to enter into peace talks.
GORANI: Well, the U.N. Security Council, meantime, will try again today to agree on a statement calling for a cease-fire.
The U.S. is calling for a negotiated settlement in Somalia but clearly doesn't want the Islamists in control of that country. It accuses them of links to al Qaeda and says Ethiopia has "genuine security concerns" having them as neighbors.
As Jeff Koinange reports, Washington is no stranger to conflict in Somalia, a country that's had no fully functioning government since 1991.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This may be the most iconic image the world has of Somalia: a U.S. military Black Hawk helicopter shot down in the capital, Mogadishu, followed by scenes of U.S. servicemen being dragged down the streets by angry Somalis. It led the U.S. to withdraw from the country more than a dozen years ago, and the world pretty much forgot about Somalia until now.
Somalia is back in the headlines fighting what can only be described as a confusing war. Ragtag bandits patrolling the streets of the capital in pickup trucks mounted with anti-aircraft artillery. The country actually has a government, but it has been holed up in the town of Baidoa in the east, unable to govern and unwelcome in the capital, Mogadishu.
Mogadishu is controlled by the Islamic Courts Union, or ICU. Their goal, to create a Taliban-style government with strict rules on everything from dress to doctrine. Their ultimate objective, establishing strict Islamic law.
Experts say the Islamists are funded from various sources including, perhaps, al Qaeda. They control large swathes of Somalia and succeeded in recent weeks in slowly choking the government into submission.
Enter Ethiopia, home to one of the world's oldest Christian traditions but also many Muslims. It views the Islamists as a threat.
It stepped into the fight to help the Somalia government drive out the Islamists, and this is where things get complicated. Ethiopia has the full backing of the U.S., part of the war on terror. Ethiopia right now has the upper hand, with more troops, more experience, and superior air power. But the Islamists vow to fight for as long as it takes.
The last time these two nations fought each other was during the 1970s and '80s over a tiny strip of desert known as the Ogaden. It lasted more than 10 years. The big fear now, this war could become an all-out regional conflict, not about land but about religion.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: All right. Well, Jeff Koinange joins us now live from Johannesburg, South Africa.
You've reported a lot on this region, Jeff. Before I get to you, let's listen to something the representative for Somalia to the United Nations said earlier about this military push toward Mogadishu, and then we'll have you react.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IDD BEDDEL MOHAMED, DEPUTY REP. OF SOMALIA TO U.N.: There is no conflict between (INAUDIBLE) and Islamic Courts Union, but there is say conflict between the legitimate government in Somalia and Islamic Courts Union. The conflict will not lead to a regional conflict but, actually, it will lead to a more stable, acceptable regional peace and stability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right. This will lead to more peace and establishment. Not a regional conflict.
What do people, analysts, experts on the ground say about this type of prediction, Jeff?
KOINANGE: Hala, they're looking at it two ways.
First of all, the Ethiopian troops are barely 20 miles outside the capital of Mogadishu. What does that mean? How long can they hold their positions?
Two, will the Islamic Courts Union just turn around and flee and surrender their arms? Don't bet on it.
The Islamic Courts Union are in this for the long term, and they are going to hunker down and they're going to continue repositioning themselves to attack Ethiopians. This is going to drag out, no doubt.
At the same time, Hala, let's not forget the humanitarian crisis that looms right now. Tens of thousands of people are fleeing Mogadishu. What's going to happen now, if the Islamic Courts Union attacks, you can bet your bottom dollar it's going to get a lot uglier before things settle down -- Hala.
GORANI: All right. And let's talk a little bit about the Untied States, because as you mentioned there in your report, it has a history with Somalia that perhaps some would like to forget. Is it likely to get more involved in the situation now if there's a chance that Islamists supported by, some say, al Qaeda take control of the capital? KOINANGE: Well, as you well know, the U.S. is committed on its war on terror. They're going to try and support Ethiopia as much as they can.
That's why you see the Ethiopian troops with so much confidence. They are well trained, well disciplined. They have superior air power, superior ground power. They're getting the backing from the U.S. government without the U.S. government directly getting involved, and they're not going to directly get involved. At the end of the day, the U.S. government would like some kind of victory on the planet on its war on terror -- Hala.
GORANI: All right. Jeff Koinange joining us live from South Africa.
Thanks very much -- Michael.
HOLMES: Tributes are pouring in for a former U.S. president who brought the country together in a time of turmoil. Gerald R. Ford, the nation's 38th president, has died. He took office in 1974 after Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace over the Watergate scandal.
He was an accidental president, the only one neither elected to the office nor to the office of the vice presidency. And at 93, he was the longest living U.S. president.
President George W. Bush called limited a true gentleman who reflected the best in America's character.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: On August 9, 1974, he stepped into the presidency without ever having sought the office. He assumed power in a period of great division and turmoil. For a nation that needed healing and for an office that need a calm and steady hand, Gerald Ford came along when we needed him most.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Gerald Ford died Tuesday at his home in Rancho Mirage, California. His wife Betty said in statement that his life was filled with love of god, his family and his country.
Ted Rowlands joins us now from the former president's home with more on his life and legacy -- Ted.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Michael, according to the family, President Ford died peacefully at his home here in Rancho Mirage, where he's lived for the past 30 years with his wife Betty. They basically came out here to California to the desert after leaving Washington in the late 1970s and have been here ever since, entrenching themselves in this community. And this morning, this community, along with the world, is reacting to the president's death.
He leaves behind four children, seven grandchildren, four great grandchildren. What is unclear at this point is the specific schedule, if you will, over the next few days. It will be a week long of remembering the former president, not only here, but in his Washington and in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Here in Rancho Mirage, he's expected to lie in repose. He will then be taken, his body, to Washington, D.C., where he will do the same.
And there will be funeral services as well in Washington, D.C., public to some extent in Washington, D.C. And then private funeral services in Grand Rapids when he is moved there. That will be the president's formal resting spot.
Overnight in Grand Rapids, his hometown, well-wishers came out and brought candles and flowers to the Ford Library. And that is expected to continue to take place throughout the day as people react to the passing of President Ford.
At Fort Myer, in Virginia, the traditional cannon salute has been going off all day. This is a tradition that on the half-hour one cannon is fired off for the entire day after the announcement of a fallen president.
A lot of remembering still to go, but it is just beginning as people now getting word by now, at least out here in California -- they've woken up and heard the news and reacting to the death of President Gerald Ford -- Michael.
HOLMES: All right. Ted, thanks very much.
Ted Rowlands there reporting -- Hala.
GORANI: Israel's prime minister says his military will use "pinpoint action" to respond to the latest Palestinian rocket attack from Gaza. But despite repeated truce violations, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the Hamas-led government insists that the month-long cease- fire is still intact.
Matthew Chance has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The gruesome aftermath of this latest rocket attack, for many Israelis evidence a month-long truce with Palestinian militants is a sham.
Two Israeli teenagers, both 14, were seriously injured. A makeshift rocket launched from Gaza slamming into the southern Israeli town of Sderot. The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad says it carried out the attack, a response, it says, to Israeli aggression in Gaza and the West Bank. Israeli officials say attacks on Palestinian rocket-firing squads must now resume, but will be limited attacks to give Palestinian president Abu Mazen a chance to fully implement the cease-fire.
MIRI EISEN, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESWOMAN: We've been giving him a few weeks. It's already been a month. And we're continuing to be restrained. Right now, the only change that we've made is to really go against the ones that we see are about to fire against us.
CHANCE: Israel's ministry says close to 70 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel since the cease-fire was agreed at the end of November. Hamas, the Palestinian governing party and militant group, says as far as they're concerned, the cease-fire remains in force.
GHAZI HAMAD, HAMAS SPOKESMAN: We still believe that this agreement is alive and both sides could respect this agreement because of its interest for our people. And also, we have proved as a Palestinian faction that we should work together. And we want -- when we want to react, we will react together.
CHANCE: Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, who only last week held this landmark meeting with Abu Mazen, has been under intense pressure in his country to react with force. But U.S. and European officials have been urging restraint. Their focus, bolstering the Palestinian president at a crucial moment.
(on camera): With his moderate Fatah faction now locked in an increasingly bitter power struggle with the hard-line Hamas, more is at stake at the moment than the need to stop Palestinian rocket attacks. If Israeli-Palestinian violence is allowed to escalate, it could further weaken the Palestinian president in the eyes of his people. And Hamas, currently under international sanctions and struggling even to pay wages in its own government, could be strengthened once again.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: All right. A race against time in Indonesia.
HOLMES: Yes. Emergency personnel there struggling to help more than 200,000 people stranded by flooding and mudslides. More than 200 people are missing in Indonesia's Aceh Province, where torrents of water washed away villages and roads. In neighboring Sumatra, flash flooding and landslides killed more than 100 people. Emergency workers struggling to provide food and shelter to residents forced from their homes.
GORANI: Also in other stories we're following, Iran's parliament has sent a message to the U.N. nuclear agency. It voted to urge the Iranian government to review its cooperation with the IAEA, but it stopped short of proposals to stop nuclear inspections by the U.N. The vote comes after Saturday's U.N. Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend its nuclear program.
HOLMES: The fans of singer James Brown can pay a final tribute to the legendary musician at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York, on Thursday. The man know as the "Godfather of Soul" died Christmas Day at the age of 73 in Atlanta. James Brown recorded the best- selling album, "Live at the Apollo," back in 1963.
GORANI: A short break here on YOUR WORLD TODAY.
When we come back, death by hanging.
HOLMES: Iraqi criminals face execution. Most of their faces we'll never see. And as they prepare to head to death row, so, too, a high-profile convict. There he is.
Stay with us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Welcome back. You're watching CNN International.
You're with YOUR WORLD TODAY.
HOLMES: Yes, an hour of the latest news from all around the globe.
Let's update you.
GORANI: On our main story, the death of former U.S. President Gerald Ford at the age of 93.
HOLMES: Preparations for the annual Muslim pilgrimage known as the Hajj.
GORANI: And some parting words from Saddam Hussein on death row.
HOLMES: A letter attributed to the deposed leader calls on Iraqis not to hate the invaders of their country. Now, that message was posted on a Ba'ath Party Web site.
In the letter, the former dictator argues Iraq can be a model for love, forgiveness and co-existence. He slams both the United States and Iran, but he differentiates between the governments and the people.
He says, "Do not hate the people of the nations that invaded us. Differentiate between the decision-makers in those countries and their average citizens."
GORANI: Well, a defense lawyer says the letter was written earlier this month, before an appeals court upheld his death sentence for crimes against humanity. By law, by Iraqi law, the execution must take place before January 27th.
CNN's Ryan Chilcote takes us inside Iraq's justice system.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A rare glimpse into the murky world of Iraqi justice. This time it is Iraq's little- seen justice system carrying out the ultimate punishment that its former president now faces: never-before-seen video.
Thirteen inmates condemned to die for crimes ranging from burning bodies to rape and murder. Video provided by Iraq's elected government that it says shows the final steps down death row.
Here, a man ironically named Saddam hears his final judgment. "Saddam," a voice pronounces, "the central criminal court has issued your death sentence."
The men are then seen lined up in Iraq's death chambers. Thick nooses around their necks before the video goes to black.
Every day, Iraqi television is rife with images of ruthless carnages on the streets. Now newscasts are showing these images from death row, the first chance for Iraqis to see their government's ultimate justice.
The images may also provide insight into the fate of Iraq's former dictator. According to law, Saddam's final statement and death by hanging will also be recorded on video.
We don't know for sure how many executions the Iraqi government has carried out since reinstating the death penalty in 2004. They're usually carried out in secret, with numbers believed to be in the dozens.
(on camera): The hangings don't always go according to plan. "TIME" magazine reports one time the rope broke and the condemned man fell to the floor. A development some eyewitnesses called divine intervention and led to a debate as to whether the man's life should be spared. Forty minutes later, he was strung up again.
(voice over): The government isn't saying why this video is being released now. But as Iraq prepares to put its former leader to death, the world is getting to see what it may look like.
Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well, the question is, how much time does the former leader of Iraq have left? What kind of reaction is the Iraqi government expecting from the streets, from Iraqis themselves? We'll talk about that with an Iraqi representative to the United Nations coming up in a few minutes.
HOLMES: All right. When we come back, more on the late U.S. president, Gerald Ford, and what he meant to the country.
GORANI: Also, time share millionaires. Players in Italy come up with a new way to have it all. If not all the time.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And hello, everyone. I'm Rick Sanchez at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
More of YOUR WORLD TODAY in just a couple minutes. But first, a check of the stories that are making headlines in the United States.
Across the nation, flags are lowered at half-staff to honor former president Gerald Ford. He died in his California home at the age of 93. Today he's praised for the dignity and the integrity that he brought to the Oval Office after Richard Nixon had disgraced the office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: President Ford lived 93 years, and his life was a blessing to America. And now, this fine man will be taken to his rest by a family that will love him always and by a nation that will be grateful to him forever.
May God bless Gerald Ford.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Gerald Ford holds a unique place in American history, not just for how he got to the Oval Office, but also for what he did during his brief time as president.
Here's CNN's Bruce Morton with a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GERALD FORD, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I, Gerald R. Ford...
BRUCE MORTON, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): He was our first completely unelected president. Richard Nixon's first vice president, Spiro Agnew, resigned in disgrace, still taking payoffs for crimes he had committed as governor of Maryland. He was allowed to plead no contest to one felony count and resigned.
Nixon, using the new 25th amendment to the Constitution, appointed House Republican leader Gerald Ford, a congressman from Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a reputation for honesty and forthrightness. The Senate and House confirmed him as the new vice president, but then Nixon himself resigned, facing certain impeachment for his role in covering up his campaign aides' burglary of Democratic headquarters, the Watergate scandal.
Ford became president on August 9, 1974. A new day had dawned.
FORD: My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.
MORTON: And it was. The Constitution had worked. The nation, bitterly divided over Watergate, could take a deep breath.
The new unimperial president toasted his own English muffins in the morning, said unimperial, straightforward things.
FORD: I believe that truth is the glue that holds government together.
MORTON: And he did one controversial thing to heal the wounds of Watergate.
FORD: ... do grant a full, free and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States, which he, Richard Nixon, has committed.
MORTON: The pardon caused an uproar. Ford's press secretary resigned in protest. But Ford insisted then and years later he had done what was best for the country, even though many thought it cost him the 1976 election.
FORD: It was the right decision then. And I'm even more convinced, some 20 years later, it was the right decision today.
MORTON: His presidency, Saigon (INAUDIBLE), the communists, ending the Vietnam War; Cambodian gunboats captured an American merchant ship, the Mayaguez. He counterattacked and got it back, its crew unharmed.
And he survived two assassination attempts, both by women: Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, a Charles Manson disciple, and Sara Jane Moore.
In 1976, he beat off a primary challenge from Ronald Reagan, but he and Bob Dole lost a close general election to former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter and Senator Walter Mondale.
Carter paid tribute to Ford on his inauguration day.
JAMES CARTER, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land.
MORTON: Did the pardon cost him the election? He would have said, that didn't matter, but doing what was best for the country did.
Bruce Morton, CNN reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: We're going to take you over to the weather center now and check in with Bonnie Schneider to find out what's going on.
(WEATHER REPORT)
SANCHEZ: Ahead in the "NEWSROOM," former president George Bush will talk about the death of former president Gerald Ford. That's coming up at the 2:00 hour.
CNN will have live coverage of that.
Meantime, YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after a quick break.
I'm Rick Sanchez.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK) GORANI: All right. We take our viewers now to Saudi Arabia. More than a million Muslims have gathered in that country for the annual Hajj. It's a spiritual journey. That's one of the five pillars of Islam. Some two million are expected altogether. With that, many people converging on Mecca. Safety and security, of course, always top concerns.
Zain Verjee is there and joins us with more.
Zain, on what Saudi security and forces have set up there to make sure everybody is safe?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Hala, there's a real sense of anticipation, though, here in Mecca among the pilgrims. Pilgrims are really excited. Many of them are emotional for the first time, seeing the Karba (ph) behind me. Some of them are moved to tears.
It's important to remember, though, that the Karba itself is not an object of worship, but really it's a symbol to Muslims that God is at the center of their lives, and so that's why they go around it.
But with three million people here, almost that number, in Mecca, authorities are concerned, as you say, about security, and the pilgrims' safety is key.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE (voice-over): Getting fit to handle the Hajj, 50,000 security forces mobilized to protect pilgrims.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have only the target is the safety of the Hajj.
VERJEE: Bringing in thick pads to soften body blows at a deadly ritual sight. Emergency medical teams ready to react. Preparations at the ritual site in the deserts beyond Mecca.
For the head of Hajj security, crowd control is the key, and using brand new traffic lights could help direct flow.
GEN. MANSOUR AL-TURKI, HAJJ SECURITY CHIEF: Because when you make people stop, the huge crowd, people pushing each other, luggage fall down, then it might create a hazardous situation.
VERJEE: Like this. At the last Hajj, a deadly stampede killed about 350 pilgrims as they were performing a ritual rejection of evil.
(on camera): It's been here on the Jameratt (ph) Bridge where the stampedes happen. To prevent that, the Saudi government has invested $1.5 billion in this huge construction project. They've created two new entry points for the pilgrims to enter, they've made the bridge wider, and they're creating more levels, all of this to ensure the smooth flow of pilgrims to stone those pillars.
(voice-over): Major General Mansour Al-Turki is watching everything carefully. The nerve center of security's command and control, a state of the art, state of the Hajj. Instant images from 1,400 cameras eying Mecca and the ritual sights.
AL-TURKI: Here you look at the crowd density, you look for the flow of crowds through road networks.
VERJEE: New software zooms in to inspect. And if there's a problem, it's e-mailed out to a field commander to check out.
AL-TURKI: They are also supported by helicopters, helicopters provided with cameras which send instant data.
VERJEE: The men in the control room are on alert for any suspicious activity. General Mansour says the Saudis will handle security, but the pilgrims must help with safety.
AL-TURKI: If people insist they want to do it their way, then put themselves in danger, and they put other people in danger, and they put us in a bad situation.
VERJEE: A situation these young men must be prepared to face.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: There are many pilgrims that I've spoken to today that said they trust the Saudi authorities to handle security and to keep them safe.
And you know, Hala, as we walk around the streets here in Mecca, there are so many different groups and countries. One of the largest presence, though, here, is that of Indonesia. Indonesia, as you know, is one of the most -- or is in fact the most populous nation in the world.
As Hugh Riminton now reports, even there are different and different interpretations of Islam.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Indonesia, the world's fourth largest nation and biggest Muslim state, home to terrorists and anti-Western demonstrations, where even the children brandish guns. Well, look again. The guns are plastic. Men and women stand together in a nation that has elected a female president. And these protests against the Iraq war also feature nuns.
Indonesia has always marched to different rhythms in the Muslim heartland to its northwest. So where does Islam sit in the world's third largest democracy? Philosopher and devout Muslim Donny Gahral Adian says 9/11 forced young Indonesians into deep spiritual introspection.
DONNY GAHRAL ADIAN, NATIONAL UNIV. OF INDONESIA: The question is, is their identity related to violence, and that troubled them a lot.
RIMINTON: He said bombings by Muslim extremists at Western embassies and hotels and the tourist island of Bali sent a false message about the real feelings of young Indonesians.
ADIAN: The whole world regard Indonesian Muslims as radicals, but it's only minority.
RIMINTON: The vast majority of Indonesians, young and old, he says, renounce violence. But even mainstream Muslim organizations, like Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, argue that democracy is incompatible with Islam, because it prefers human laws to God.
ISMAIL YUSANTO, SPOKESMAN, HIZBUT TAHRIR INDONESIA: According to us, democracy is contrary with Islam, because according to Islam, sovereignty belong to God. The authority to enact law belong to God, not belong to people.
RIMINTON: The fight for young minds is a real one. Both democrats and the fundamentalists believe their arguments will prevail. One battleground is the pace of Sharia, or strict Islamic law.
"Sharia is an obligation to Islamic people," he says. "There are a lot of instructions in the Koran to enforce Sharia. God-willing, with commitment, it will come."
Others ardently disagree.
ZUBAEDAH YUSUF, STUDENT: We can follow like a Taliban case (ph), and I think it can cause disintegration of nations.
RIMINTON: In a land of many faiths, Islam dominates. How fundamentalist (INAUDIBLE) will depend on a deep debate right now over the soul of Indonesia.
Hugh Riminton, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERJEE: The Hajj starts on Thursday. The pilgrims here will leave the city of Mecca, and they'll go out to the desert to the Minna (ph) Valley to start their rituals.
And of course CNN, and myself, will be covering the Hajj live from here Mecca, as well as all rituals out in the desert. We're going to be focusing specifically on the Muslim youth, and what are the challenges they face.
Tomorrow, we're going to be talking to U.S. Muslims and see what they have to say -- Michael.
HOLMES: All right. Good to see you, Zain. Thanks very much for that.
Now, let's return to Iraq. In that court ruling on Tuesday, the appeals court said that Saddam Hussein must be hanged within 30 days. Some Iraqis fear such a move would escalate the already volatile situation in the country. Let's get some thoughts now on the verdict and the sentence by going to Feisal Istrabadi. He is Iraq's deputy permanent representative to the U.N. Good to have you, sir.
First of all, let me touch on this letter that Saddam Hussein reportedly wrote before the sentence was handed down. Said that his death will make him a true martyr. It's true that for some in Iraq, that is absolutely true, isn't it?
FEISAL ISTRABADI, IRAQI DEPUTY REP. TO THE U.N.: Well, what Iraqis know very well is that Saddam Hussein forced upon us three wars. He has single handedly responsible for the deaths of 2 million Iraqis. And that doesn't count deaths in countries -- in our neighboring countries as a result of the wars that he started. Just 2 million Iraqis in the 25 years that he ruled us as president.
I don't think he's going to be seen as a martyr. I think quite the contrary, he is seen for what he is, which is a brutal tyrant and a despot. One of the worst tyrants of the last quarter or last half of the 20th century. And one whose place is properly the ash bin of history.
HOLMES: What do you think will be the reaction from Sunnis when he is executed? Of course, the Sunni insurgency is among the most fierce of the battles going on.
ISTRABADI: Well, I don't accept your assumption, first, that the Sunnis are somehow in Iraq defenders of Saddam. Nor do I really accept the notion of a Sunni insurgency. That's a topic for another day.
I think that the Sunnis of Iraq like the Shia, like the Kurds, like the Christians, like the (INAUDIBLE), like all of the other of each of the 27 different ethnic and confessional groups in Iraq suffered bitterly under Saddam Hussein.
And the overwhelming majority of the Sunnis, like the overwhelming majority of the Iraqis are more interested in rebuilding their country, rebuilding our country, a country destroyed by Saddam Hussein and his cronies. And I think that a far more important issue to the overwhelming majority of Iraqis, then the fate of Saddam Hussein who really properly belongs in our past.
HOLMES: We spoke yesterday with several experts on international law. And there was a feeling by them that it would be a good thing were Saddam's trial on the Anfal campaign where 180,000 or so Kurds were killed. It would be a good thing for that trial to go on and have him convicted of that because the Dujail trial was so criticized for procedural mishaps along the way. Would be a stay of execution and allow the Anfal trial to go ahead be a good idea?
ISTRABADI: Well, this is a legal question now. It's not clear whether Iraqi law would allow for a stay or not. And I'm not an authority on that, on the statute governing the Iraqi higher tribunal.
But as I understand it, a literal reading of the statute, does not allow for a stay. Now, whether there is some possibility of the use of a judicial power or indeed of some other way of making a stay, that remains to be seen.
But the law, the black letter law, as I understand it, is that 30 days after the appellate chamber has ruled, the sentence must be executed. As for the criticisms to which you alluded. The fact of the matter is that the Nurenburg trials at the time were after World War II were severely criticized by the expert community. And yet in retrospect, 60 years on, it was a seminal moment for holding leadership of a country responsible for crimes against humanity and crimes against the peace. I trust that (INAUDIBLE) notwithstanding, the same will be said of the Iraqi higher tribunal.
HOLMES: Nearly out of time, very briefly if you will, as you look at the broader picture in your country and the violence that is not decreasing, are you concerned that Saddam Hussein's death is going to lead to some sort of increase in violence?
ISTRABADI: I really don't. Those who are bent on destroying the Democratic, or the process of Democratization in Iraq will go on to do their dirty work regardless if Saddam is executed or not. Perhaps, I think an argument can be made, it's better to sort of put him absolutely in the past and move forward, but that is obviously a decision made at a higher pay grade as they say.
HOLMES: All right. Feisal Istrabadi, Iraq's deputy permanent representative to the U.N., thanks so much for your time today.
ISTRABADI: My pleasure, thank you.
GORANI: Well, we're going to take a break on YOUR WORLD TODAY. When we come back, a unique fact to the White House and a unique place in U.S. history as well.
HOLMES: Coming up, tributes for former President Gerald Ford -- dead at the age of 93. You're watching CNN.
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HOLMES: Welcome back, everyone, to CNN International. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.
GORANI: All right. Seen live around the globe, including in the United States. Welcome to you all wherever you are.
We want to return now to the passing of former U.S. President Gerald Ford. His presidency was unique for a variety of reasons. And while sometimes ridiculed or scorned even, virtually all agree on the decent nature of man himself.
Gary Tuchman reminds us of Ford's time
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He was 61 years old when he took the oath of office more than a quarter century ago. It's something that had never happened before and has not happened since. GERALD FORD, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I assume the presidency under extraordinary circumstances, never before experienced by Americans.
TUCHMAN: Gerald Ford was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States, a day after the 37th president, Richard Nixon, resigned in disgrace.
FORD: I'm acutely aware that you have not elected me as your president by your ballots.
TUCHMAN: A month after taking office, he made a decision that may have cost him the chance of ever being elected president.
FORD: I grant a full, free and absolute pardon onto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States.
TUCHMAN: His decision to pardon Nixon was controversial. But Gerald Ford was widely perceived to be an honest, moral man who did much to help America heal from Watergate.
Gerald Ford graduated from the University of Michigan in 1935, where he was a starting linebacker on the college's national championship football team in 1933. He got his law degree from Yale in 1941. He served in the Navy during World War II and served in Congress for a quarter century.
His most problematic domestic issue during his 29-month presidency was inflation, which was running at about a 12 percent annual rate. Whip Inflation Now was a slogan coined by his administration.
1975, there were two assassinations attempts against him, both in the month of September. One gunshot missed him by five feet. two women were arrested and imprisoned.
He ran against Democrat Jimmy Carter in the 1976 election. During the debate, he suffered political ridicule for suggesting their was no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe.
GERALD FORD, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't believe that the Poles consider themselves dominated by the Soviet Union.
TUCHMAN: Ford may have meant dominated in spirit, but the Georgian capitalized on the comment.
JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I would like them to Mr. Ford convince the Polish-Americans, the Czech- Americans and the Hungarian-Americans in this country that those countries don't live under the domination and supervision of the Soviet Union behind the Iron Curtain.
TUCHMAN: Jimmy Carter won a close election. Former President Ford, though, almost ended up in the White House again as vice president. The 1980 Republican nominee, Ronald Reagan came very close to putting Ford on the ticket, but at the last minute, gave the job to George Bush instead.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Atlanta.
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GORANI: Well, if you've wanted to live the life of a Donald Trump or a Richard Branson, this could be your chance.
HOLMES: Yes, the accoutrements of luxury without the headaches of ownership.
GORANI: It's such a headache to own a Ferrari.
HOLMES: It is.
GORANI: Alessio Vinci gets a glimpse inside a very exclusive club.
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ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Few people can appreciate the value of choosing between a brand new Ferrari F599 Fiorano, an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, or a Ferrari F430 with Formula One gearbox. But that's exactly the sort of detailed choice that's being offered at the Milan-based Circle Club, where members like the idea that renting luxury is better than dealing with the hassles that come with ownership.
Since most members don't like to be identified, for one day, I was allowed into the exclusive club, compliments of its founder and president, Riccardo Schmid. We met at a villa outside Milan, also available to members, where lunch was a five-course meal offered with a five-star service.
RICCARDO SCHMID, CIRCLE CLUB FOUNDER: You get into the club because you want to share with us this pleasure. I mean, you not only have cars, we have boats. You have planes. You can have private planes. We can give you a helicopter to go from the nicest place. You have the most beautiful mansion and chalet in Europe.
VINCI: All of that available for an annual fee of $26,000. Members receive a set number of points which they can spend on any of the club's goods here in Milan or in Rome. Even if you can afford the membership fee, admittance is not guaranteed. Access to the club is limited to 300 people, and you must be introduced by another member.
The club also offers a collection of paintings. You can hang an $800,000 Balthus in your bedroom for the equivalent of a few thousand dollars a week. The same goes for this $300,000 Andy Warhol.
(on camera): There's something that membership to the Circle Club can't buy you, and that's a quick access out of town. Traffic bumper to bumper, not even a Ferrari can get you through it. But come to think of it, there might be one solution. (voice-over): Club members have access to a fleet of helicopters available to fly virtually anytime, anywhere. And who says that dreams never come true? Well, for a price, of course.
Alessio Vinci, CNN, Milan.
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GORANI: Gosh.
HOLMES: Poor guy, being set off to do that story. All right, that's it for this hour. I'm Michael Holmes.
GORANI: And I'm Hala Gorani and this is CNN. Stay with us.
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