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Saddam Execution Expected Soon; Colorado Faces Snow Emergency; Service for President Ford to Be Held in California

Aired December 29, 2006 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

When will Saddam Hussein be executed? Confusion and secrecy surround the process. Iraqi officials say it could take place within hours.

You're live in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Saddam Hussein will very likely die this weekend. Our sources in Baghdad believe so. Hussein's lawyers believe so. The White House is preparing diplomatically. The Pentagon, military.

Let's go to Baghdad, where it's just after 9 p.m. and CNN's Aneesh Raman is there.

Aneesh, what can you tell us?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, good afternoon.

The clock is really ticking now for Saddam Hussein. One of his defense lawyers confirming to CNN that he has been handed over from U.S. custody to Iraqi authorities. This is one of the final steps before Saddam Hussein is, in fact, executed.

We understand, as well, within the past hour or so, an emergency meeting has been held by Iraq's prime minister and other ministers, discussing how and when this execution will take place. And on Iraqi TV, just a short time ago, they announced that two sites are being prepared for the execution, one inside the heavily fortified Green Zone, one outside.

Now it is all, at some level, still speculation. The Iraqi government has been remarkably and perhaps uncharacteristically secret in the plans for this execution. They haven't even made public the security plans that will be in place following the execution. One can assume, though, those will be exhaustive.

And so what we've been hearing, mainly today, are from Saddam's defense lawyers. Earlier today, one his defense lawyers said the indications he had on the ground was that Saddam Hussein could be killed as early as Saturday.

But, again, now that he has been handed over from U.S. to Iraqi custody, that coming to us from another defense lawyer, the clock really is ticking. No one assuming that Saddam will linger in Iraqi custody. The execution now seems all but imminent.

LEMON: Aneesh, you said as early as Saturday. And that's important. Timing is important here. Tell us about the importance of the day on Saturday.

RAMAN: Yes, in the Iraqi penal code, it is forbidden, Don, for defendants to be executed during a Muslim holiday of their faith. Saddam Hussein is a Sunni Muslim. For Sunnis, the holy period of Eid begins tomorrow, Saturday.

We have about three hours left until Friday ends here in Baghdad. And that is sparking further speculation that Saddam could be killed before this day is out.

We are getting information and indications from those inside the government that it could happen very soon. They're not specifying any timetable.

But if the government wants to escape criticism that has been mounting outside and within of whether Saddam would be killed during that holy period of Eid, they would essentially have to do it before midnight tonight in Baghdad -- Don.

LEMON: Aneesh Raman, keeping us updated. Aneesh Raman, reporting from Baghdad. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: With Hussein's execution all but certain, one big uncertainty remains: how will the toppled dictator's death be met around the world? How will Iraqis react?

American troops in Iraq are bracing. Let's go to the Pentagon and our correspondent, Barbara Starr.

And Barbara, what do we know about how this handover took place involving U.S. military personnel?

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know very little officially at the moment, Fredricka. In fact, the U.S. military itself is not yet confirming this. They want to make sure that the world sees this as an Iraqi process. So we do not expect any comment from the Bush administration until after the execution is completed.

But for the 134,000 or so U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq, the question, of course, is what will it mean to them. The U.S. military certainly expecting in the hours following any public announcement of the execution of Saddam Hussein that there could be demonstrations, that there could be an uptick in violence in Baghdad in some of the Sunni areas, out in the west in Al Anbar province. They are prepared for that.

But commanders also tell us that, frankly, bluntly, they do not expect the execution of Saddam Hussein to mean very much to the overall outlook for the war at this point. Violence has been up for months. Sectarian violence is really what is driving so many of the attacks in Iraq. Saddam has pretty much been discounted, they say, as a factor now.

This is really Sunni on Shia violence that is plaguing this country that U.S. troops are dealing with.

So what most U.S. troops are waiting for is to see any announcement from President Bush in the coming days about a new direction for U.S. strategy in Iraq and then they will try and figure out what it means for them -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Barbara, how will the U.S. military be informed of the execution or any moment by moment detail?

STARR: Well, it pretty much appears at this point that the Iraqi government will make a formal notification to the U.S. government. Probably, most likely, through the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, through formal diplomatic government to government channels.

I think you can assume that top U.S. military commanders in Baghdad, behind the scenes, have their own channels of communication, of course, and they privately will know and pretty much know every step of the way.

But any public announcement will come, first, from the Iraqi government, and then there will be government to government communications between Iraq and the United States -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thanks so much.

LEMON: Will Saddam Hussein see the new year? Will he see Saturday? We're getting minute by minute updates from Baghdad, some confirmed, most not. Few people have been as involved with the former dictator's trials as Greg Kehoe -- he's an American lawyer enlisted to advise the judges and prosecutors in the case. And he joins us now live.

We want to reiterate that it's Saddam's attorneys, Mr. Kehoe, who are telling us he that has been handed over.

GREG KEHOE, ATTORNEY: That's probably pretty accurate information if you're getting it from that source.

LEMON: Yes, it is. So tell us about the timing in this. Some people are saying now it's really not a legal decision but it's more of a political decision since the appeals did not go through earlier this week.

KEHOE: Well, I mean it really is just a political decision. I'm sure they're looking at it how can they not offend people by doing it in a proper -- at a time that the Sunnis are not going to find offensive. And that's a purely political decision.

They can, in fact, wait until after Eid is over and conduct the investigation -- the execution at that point. So we're not necessarily locked into this weekend, but it seems like they want to do it sooner, as opposed to later. LEMON: You're seeing the possibility of waiting. Some are calling this a rush to execution. Do you believe this?

KEHOE: I don't know if it's a rush to execution. The final judgment of the appellate court is the final judgment of the appellate court. If it's -- if the individual is executed today or the individual is executed a week from now, it really doesn't make that much of a difference, one way or the other. The decision is the decision.

According to the Iraqi penal code, no one can commute that decision. The president can't commute the sentence; nobody can. So it's just a matter of time as to when it takes place.

LEMON: Yes, there are some leaders who come out recently saying it may be better for the country, better for the world at least, that Saddam Hussein remain in jail are to the rest of his life, just to show that, I guess, we're not as violent as he was. Do you agree with that? Or do you think he should be executed?

KEHOE: Well, the decision as to whether or not Saddam Hussein is executed is completely up to the Iraqis, and it is a function of their background, their judiciary, their mores for generations prior to this.

I will say this: the problem with Saddam Hussein staying in jail ad infinitum is the idea, and the fear of people within Iraq that he's going to come back, that it's just a matter of time before Saddam comes back into power, maybe after the Americans leave, maybe the Americans will bring him back in -- these are all rumors, of course, but it infuses the entire population, because Saddam's had such a devastating impact on the psyche of this country.

LEMON: There is concern, legitimately, about violence there. How does this play into that if he is, in fact, executed before the start of Eid?

KEHOE: Well, I think there will be maybe an uptick in violence in some of the Sunni -- Sunni towns, no matter what happens. Certainly a place like Tikrit, his hometown, there will be an uptick in violence. Maybe in other places within the Sunni Triangle.

Do I see this as a cause celebre throughout the entire area? No, I don't. I think that the insurgency has been in existence for a couple of years now. It's so far down the line that it's taken on different goals, different measures. And with regard to the goals of the people that are involved in the insurgency, they really don't involve Saddam.

LEMON: And Saddam, his attorney has said that he doesn't believe this was a fair trial and that this was political. Let's take a quick listen to it. And then we'll talk about it.

KEHOE: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) NAJIB AL-NUAIMI, SADDAM DEFENSE ATTORNEY: We have been denied totally! This court was biased! And we are not doing anything -- you know, within the legal framework of international law. To my surprise, as the commitment to a number of international convention of human rights...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Legitimate, Mr. Kehoe?

KEHOE: The issue with regard to these trials is did they have a fair and open trial where Saddam Hussein was given due process, the right to counsel, the right to challenge witnesses, the right to see the evidence that was presented against him? Saddam Hussein got the type of trial that he never gave to anybody that went through his secret courts.

Is this a perfect trial? It's probably not a perfect trial, by any stretch of the imagination. But very few are. The question is, was he present and allowed to receive and comment on the evidence that was presented before him? And the answer to that is yes.

I don't -- I don't think that any court in the United States could have withstood the scrutiny that this court was put under on a day to day basis.

So according to -- allowing due process and allowing a persons to be represented by counsel and have his say in the courtroom and meet the evidence that was presented to him -- these cases met all those safeguards, and more. As you saw on a daily basis, Saddam Hussein had his say in court on more than one occasion.

LEMON: Greg Kehoe, an attorney, a lawyer who has been enlisted to advise the judges and the prosecutors in the Saddam Hussein case. We thank you for joining us today.

KEHOE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: With this shroud of secrecy over Saddam Hussein's planned execution, what are Iraqis saying and feeling about now?

Arwa Damon is in Baghdad, getting the pulse of the city there in Baghdad. And what is the reaction already?

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the city, Iraqis, you know, the entire country, in fact is really bracing itself for this execution to take place and for any potential violent consequences that may happen thereafter.

There is a very real fear amongst Iraqis, whether they support the killing of they former leader or not, that has death will bring a certain increase in violence, a certain increase, even, in the sectarian violence that we have seen claim so many lives here today.

Iraqis have been watching the developments here very closely. They are waiting for the announcement from the government. They're waiting for those, hoping, some of them, for those first images of seeing their former leader in the gallows. That is what they are bracing themselves for.

We did just hear from a Shia member of parliament, in fact, a member of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's bloc, Farah al-Adaji (ph). He is saying that he saw inside the highly fortified Green Zone a scaffolding with a doctor, a cleric and a judge there standing by.

Really this entire nation is bracing itself for this execution of Saddam Hussein and two of his co-defendants to happen at any time.

There are a lot of mixed emotions, though, really, surrounding this entire trial, and outcome of it. There are those, of course, who suffered most under his regime, mainly Iraq's Shia and Kurdish population. They believe that this is their former leader being brought to justice.

They are others, mostly Iraq's Sunni population, some of them who did not necessarily support Saddam Hussein, but who viewed this trial as being fundamentally flawed. They viewed the judges and prosecutions as having just been pawns of the Iraqi government. They do not feel that it should be going forward at all.

Again, a lot of mixed emotions on the streets of Iraq, a lot of anticipation. The entire nation really bracing itself for that announcement that will bring an end of an era in Iraqi history, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Arwa Damon, thank you for that update from Baghdad.

Of course, we will continue to watch the developments of this planned execution there in Iraq throughout the day.

LEMON: Remembering a president, a true gentleman, a devoted public servant. Memories of the man who was never elected to the White House but served there anyway. Stay with us here in the CNN NEWSROOM for more on the late Gerald Ford.

WHITFIELD: And talk about deep in the end zone. Winter's piling up on Denver once again. Somebody throw the flag, will you? We'll go there live in a moment. And we'll check in with Colorado's governor on the state's emergency plans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: This just in to CNN. You're looking at a commercial that is actually Iraqi state television. They're in a commercial. But Iraqi state television now reporting that Saddam Hussein has been turned over to the Iraqis, no longer in U.S. custody.

As we have been reporting all morning lawyers in Jordan, representing Saddam Hussein, told CNN that they had been informed by U.S. officials that the former Iraqi leader, the former Iraqi dictator, is no longer in U.S. military custody. Iraqi state television now reporting that Saddam Hussein has been turned over to the Iraqis. WHITFIELD: Now in this country, the big story, the big snow in the midsection of this country, bearing down on Denver and beyond. Colorado's governor has declared a statewide disaster emergency.

While the airport is still open, government offices and some businesses are closed, and so are highways out of Denver.

So much snow has fallen in the past week that the roof of a dairy barn near Gilcrest collapsed. No animals or people were inside, thankfully. Governor Bill Owens is on the phone with us now.

And Governor, give us an idea of just how serious this weather is.

GOV. BILL OWENS, COLORADO: Well, we've -- we've certainly had a tough challenge over the last couple of weeks. This is the second major storm in eight or nine days to hit us.

So far so good on this one. Denver International Airport remains open. Most of the local and state roads are open. Interstate 70 Eastbound is closed.

But what's really going to be the challenge for us is what's happening in the next 24 hours to 48 hours. We expect quite a bit more snow in the next hours. And that's going to be when it's going to get a little bit challenging here.

WHITFIELD: So how do you prepare for that? Because I think a lot of folks associate Colorado with places that would know how to deal with big snow. But you know, two feet at a time this really seems pretty ridiculous.

So over the next 24 to 48 hours, how do you prepare or brace yourself or get all the equipment in check to try to move that snow out of the way?

OWENS: Well, Fredricka, I think -- I think we are pretty good at this. And the professionals within our roads department, we've got the National Guard mobilized. Again, our hospitals are well supplied.

We're -- we'll be in a little bit of a tough situation, as this storm passes across Colorado. But the great thing about Colorado is you then get blue skies and sunshine, and it melts pretty quickly. It's going to be great for skiing, so we're all going to be inside for the next couple of days here in Colorado.

WHITFIELD: Boy, and what timing: at the start of the Christmas season, you got hit hard. And now as folks try to either make their way back home, or get out of town for the new year's holiday weekend, here we go again. So are you urging people to just stay put, stay away?

OWENS: We are. We are not urging people to stay away, just keep an eye on the airline schedules because Denver International Airport is open. And most of the roads are open. For those who live in Colorado, it's a good day or two to stay close to home so that we can keep the roads plowed and not have to come get those who might need assistance. This second storm hasn't been as bad as the first one a week ago.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

OWENS: It's a little bit lighter. It's coming in on a little bit more of a timely basis, over a period of hours, instead of dumping on us all at once. So, so far so good. But check back with us in a day or so.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, Governor Bill Owens, we are wishing you all the best of luck as we enter the new year and, hopefully, your airport will stay open so that people can resume their travels. Thanks so much for your time.

OWENS: Thank you much.

LEMON: An update now and new information about the possible imminent execution of Saddam Hussein.

Let's bring back in Greg Kehoe, who's an attorney who was enlisted to advise the judges and the prosecutors in the case.

Now that Iraqi television, state-run television, is reporting that Saddam Hussein has been turned back over to Iraqis, what is the significance of that?

KEHOE: It's very significant time-wise, because they would not be turning him over to the Iraqis and pulling back if this was going to go on for several days. They just wouldn't take that chance, danger-wise, for everybody that's involved in it. So now that they've been handed -- he has been handed over to the Iraqis, the clock is ticking. And it's going to happen very soon.

LEMON: We're in a matter of maybe two to three hours before the start of Eid. You know, I hate to have you make some sort of a guess on television, but you're saying that it appears to be imminent and fast?

KEHOE: I do believe that, if they were going to postpone this for a week or so, that they would not have turned Saddam over to the Iraqis at this point. I don't think the Iraqis would want to have done that either.

Obviously, the problem with Eid is, there, given the fact that Eid is coming up starting tomorrow and that Saddam is a Sunni and there are some sensitivities in that regard.

But I think you have to look at the safety measures that were involved here for Saddam and everybody else, in the sense that they would not be turning Saddam over to the Iraqis to be held for a protracted period of time. I can tell you that.

LEMON: Yes. And as you can imagine with this situation we're getting a lot of reports. This, just over Reuters. Reuters reports that the State Department, a spokesperson says that he is still in U.S. custody.

Explain to us the intricacies of all of this. We're getting one word from one organization and another word from state-run television.

KEHOE: Well, what happened, and we have to go back to July of 2004, was that Saddam and many of his other co-conspirators were handed over to Iraqi custody. You folks on CNN and others showed the proceedings that took place July the 1st of 2004.

However, he continued to remain incarcerated at an American facility. But under the law, he was in Iraqi custody. And there were documents signed to that regard by the Iraqis to say he is in Iraqi custody. We give orders as to where he's supposed to be and how he's supposed to be treated. However, you, the Americans, can hold him in one of your facilities.

That's the essence of that agreement that goes back to, as I said, July 2004.

LEMON: OK. All right, Greg Kehoe, a lot of reports coming in. Confusing report, one from Reuters saying that he has not been turned over. Again, Iraqi state television saying he has. Greg Kehoe, I'm sure we'll be checking back with you. Thank you for joining us, again.

KEHOE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Over the next several days, Gerald Ford will be honored by presidents, prime ministers, and princes in monumental settings. But official mourning for the man who once described himself as a Ford, not a Lincoln, begins with a small service at the family church.

CNN's Dan Simon is in Palm Desert, California.

And Dan, what is taking place there right now?

DAM SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the stage, if you will, is set for today's remembrance of Gerald Ford.

It's a pretty day out here. It's a clear day. This church sits on a quiet hillside.

Mr. Ford's body is going to arrive here about noon local time. There's going to be a brief arrival ceremony. There were rehearsals for that yesterday. And then, at about 4 p.m., local time, Mr. Ford's body will lie in repose, allowing the public to pay its respects to Mr. Ford. We're expecting thousands of people to file into the church.

They are actually going to be bused in from a local tennis facility, because they simply don't have a big enough parking lot to accommodate everyone. And the military tells us they are very well prepared to mark this solemn occasion. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything is rehearsed a number of times. You know, we are the military. So there's a degree of exactitude and precision with something like this, honoring a commander in chief. It has to be done perfectly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON: This church is going to stay open throughout the night. They want to allow everyone the opportunity to pay their respects to the former president. Tomorrow morning, Mr. Ford's body will be flown to Washington, D.C., where he will lie in state on Sunday and Monday in the rotunda in our nation's capitol.

And then on Tuesday there will be a service at the National Cathedral. Wednesday, Fredricka, Mr. Ford's body will be flown to Michigan where he will ultimately be laid to rest.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: And Dan, when the body does make its way to Washington, some want to describe the funeral there or the services there to be rather low key by presidential standards. But it's exactly what he crafted before his death.

SIMON: You're exactly right. This reflects Mr. Ford's desires and his family's desires.

For example, Mr. Ford's body will be carried on a hearse, on a motorcade. In most circumstances, you know, the bodies are placed on a horse carriage. And Mr. Ford wanted things -- wanted to do things a bit differently.

Also, usually, when presidents are laid to rest, there's a flyover, and they have a missing man formation, but there will be no flyover.

And one other interesting point, Fredricka, one of Mr. Ford's favorite songs was the University of Michigan fight song, and apparently, there's going to be a somber version of that played to honor Mr. Ford's desires.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Dan Simon.

LEMON: The clock is ticking. But are there days, hours or only minutes before Saddam Hussein is put to death? Next in the NEWSROOM, the impact of the execution.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in today for Kyra Phillips.

Days, hour, maybe even minutes. It's still unclear whether the U.S. or Iraq now has custody of Saddam Hussein, but one Iraqi lawmaker says he has seen the scaffold where the condemned former dictator will die. We're watching every development here from the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: We've got eyes and ears all over Baghdad, waiting for news on what appears to be the imminent execution of the former Iraqi president.

Here's what we know up to now. Saddam Hussein, in American custody more than two years, has reportedly been transferred to Iraqi control. Now, that's seen as a sign that the wheels are turning on the final stage of the death sentence.

Tomorrow begins a week-long religious holiday in Iraq, a time when, by law, executions are barred. Now, what happens after Hussein hangs, well, that's hard to say. But military and security forces are bracing for an intense public reaction and a flare-up in sectarian violence.

And we want to reiterate we're getting conflicting reports. Reuters is reporting that he has not been turned over to the Iraqis. But we're getting other reports from his lawyers telling CNN that he has, indeed, been turned over. We will stay on top of all this.

WHITFIELD: Now, there is a certain amount of symbolism to what is about to occur. For more on that, we're joined by Octavia Nasr, our senior Arab affairs editor. For one, symbolism because this planned execution if, indeed, it's going to take place between 24 and 48 hours, coincides with this holy period.

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SENIOR EDITOR, ARAB AFFAIRS: Eid ul-Adha, you know, the Feast of Sacrifice, one of the most important feasts in the Muslim calendar.

It begins tomorrow, Saturday, for Sunnis. Shiites will start celebrating it on Sunday. It's a holiday that will take a few days. It's not just a one-day holiday.

According to the penal law -- the Iraqi penal law, you cannot execute a condemned person on a holiday that he celebrates. Saddam Hussein is a Sunni. So this is seen as a very symbolic and basically a slap in the face of not just Saddam Hussein, but all those that believe in him or still support him.

And basically Sunnis around the world are very concerned about this. They see this as a very personal offense. They are urging, as a matter of fact, right now, the Iraqi government, the U.S. government, to interfere and perhaps try to change things around.

WHITFIELD: Why would the Iraqi government want to take such a chance, knowing that this could make for a much more inflammatory...

NASR: Indeed. As a matter of fact, if you watch al Iraqiya, the national Iraqi television, right now, what they're saying, in order to appease a little bit of the, you know, dissent that is going on, they're saying that the Iraqi government is consulting with some clerics to see if, indeed, they cannot carry out the sentence on such a holy day.

So basically, they are dealing with the pressure of such a thing. Now, of course, the sentence was read about a month ago. And it says that the execution should take place within 30 days. So that puts us really around this time. It has to be done before the end of the year. The prime minister, Maliki, has said that he would like to see the sentence taken effect before the end of the year.

Now, the question, at this point, is do they carry out the sentence before the beginning of Eid al-Adha, which is sunrise Saturday, or do they carry it during the holiday, or after?

Now, of course, very important to tell our viewers that they can carry out the sentence any time that they want to. They don't have to announce it at the same time. So it is possible, also, that they carry out the sentence now and not announce it until after the holiday.

Of course, very important to say that conflicting information at this point. Which is very, very usual for a case such as this one, I have to say. People are not that surprised that there is confusing information. The lawyers for Saddam Hussein are saying that they got a note from the U.S., saying don't come to Baghdad because he's not in our custody anymore. That's what they're telling us. This is where the information is coming from, that perhaps he's not in the U.S. custody anymore.

WHITFIELD: All right. Lots of confusion, but we're going to try to sort it out all afternoon.

Octavia Nasr, thanks so much.

LEMON: And Octavia mentioned Saddam Hussein's lawyer, joining us on the phone now from Doha, Qatar is Dr. Najib Khalia (ph) al-Nuaimi.

You're telling us, indeed, that Saddam Hussein has been transferred to the Iraqis?

NAJIB AL-NUAIMI, LAWYER FOR SADDAM HUSSEIN: Yes. We have received an e-mail. In fact, I'm supposed to meet with him next week. And the e-mail -- the first e-mail came, said, yes, you can see him in a couple of days. And we have receive a follow-up around one hour and a half. Another e-mail saying, sorry, you cannot meet with him anymore, he's not in our custody, he's not under our hands, and sorry and forget about it, like this, you know...

LEMON: And, Mr. Nuaimi...

AL-NUAIMI: ... which means handed over physically to the Iraqis and expectedly might be executed tomorrow.

Just to correct one word, the Shia and the Sunnis' holiday is tomorrow, not the Shia Sunday and the Sunni on Saturday. They are all together tomorrow, as a Eid celebration.

LEMON: Thank you very much for correcting us on that, or keeping us honest on that.

But you seem to be confirming what CNN has reported earlier, that lawyers representing Saddam Hussein said he had been transferred to U.S. officials and they had received an e-mail from the U.S. officials transmitting that message and saying that the attorneys should not travel from Jordan to Iraq, right, where Hussein's lawyers thought they would be able to meet with the former leader?

So, as far as you're concerned, he is no longer in U.S. custody?

AL-NUAIMI: Yes, this is why we are actually now discussing the matter of handing over the body to the family in the proper and respectful way.

LEMON: Do you see this as timing oriented, that maybe they want to get this done before the start of Eid?

AL-NUAIMI: I think they will -- might start the execution tomorrow, and might be tonight. It probably could happen. But, as you know, it's been -- they did not expect whatever it is, religion or no religion, Eid or no Eid, law or no law. It's just a political wish being expressed by Bush and Maliki and they are carrying on that wish on the time they want it, which is the end of the year.

LEMON: Yes. What's important that we get out of this is that you're one of his lawyers, and that you are saying that, in fact, that he is -- he is no longer in U.S. custody and he is, in fact, been turned over to the Iraqis?

AL-NUAIMI: This is what the e-mails say.

LEMON: All right, thank you.

Najib al-Nuaimi, one of Saddam Hussein's lawyers, we thank you for joining us.

You're watching the most trusted name in news.

Back with more after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Conflicting reports about whether Saddam Hussein has been handed over from U.S. authority to Iraqi authority. We just heard from one of the attorneys for Saddam Hussein just moments ago. And also Iraqi TV is reporting that Saddam has been handed over to Iraqi authorities.

Our Arwa Damon is in Baghdad.

And, Arwa, you told us earlier people are bracing for this kind of news about the planned execution. How are they learning about this handover, whether, indeed, it has taken place? ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the television stations, obviously, being monitored very closely, especially Ali Akriya (ph). It is expected they will be breaking this initial news to the Iraqi people. They are the government-owned state-run national TV station here. They're being monitored very closely.

There are also a number of other TV stations. And this is a rather interesting little fact to point out. For example, al Furat (ph), the Shia TV station here, that is owned by one of the main Shia parties in Iraq, it has been running images of crimes Saddam Hussein has committed in the past, saying this will be the fall of a dictator, this will be a tyrant brought to justice.

Sunni TV, though, for example, is not even mentioning what is happening right now, it is not even mentioning the pending execution of Saddam Hussein.

The Iraqi people are very anxious about this, though. There is a lot of concern about this on the streets of Iraq that his execution is going to lead to some sort of retaliatory violence, some sort of increase in violence. That is what the Iraqi people are really bracing themselves for.

Remember, they have been suffering for so long. They suffered under Saddam Hussein. Right now, they're dealing with this day to day cycle of violence that has really been relentless. Their main concern right now, whether they want to see Saddam Hussein brought to justice or not, whether they want to see him executed or not, that this will only lead to an increase in violence.

There are also concerns amongst the Iraqi people about the timing. There are fears that if this execution takes place within the next few hours or tomorrow morning, right before the religious holiday that is set to begin here, that because it is happening at that specific point in time that there will be even more violence.

Some people prefer that the Iraqi government wait until after the holidays. Others, though, mainly those that suffered the most under Saddam Hussein's regime, and that is Iraq's Shia and Kurdish population, they predominantly want to see this happen sooner rather than later.

They in fact, will review the execution of Saddam Hussein taking place before the religious holiday as being the Iraqi government's gift to them, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Arwa Damon, thanks so much, from Baghdad.

LEMON: A winter wonderland, if that's what you want to call it in the foothills of Denver, of course, under all this new-fallen snow is last week's snow. And wouldn't you know it, more snow on the way. Reynolds Wolf right in the middle of it. What is going on? Give those folks a break, will you?

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm telling you -- right now, believe it or not, we are getting a little bit of a break. We're not seeing as much snowfall as we did yesterday. We're seeing a few flurries that are moving through the area, but that's about it. We're expecting, though, quite a bit more. The official snowfall total in Denver for downtown was about 8 inches. Many of the surrounding areas had well over 2 feet.

The forecast call for the possibility of another 8 to 12 inches between tonight and Monday morning. So we're not done just yet. We have a little bit of a break.

The latest we have out at DIA, there were, without question, hundreds of flights canceled. What airports are recommending passengers do, simply to the web site, simply call the 1-800 numbers, check out your flight status. Or, if you want to rebook a flight, go to the same two venues. The last thing you want to go do is go stand in lines out at the airport.

I must tell you, though, although we have had some issues at DIA, many of the other airports, say, in places like Bailes (ph), Tivo (ph), Teluri (ph) they have had no issues whatsoever. So if you happen to be tuning in from across the country, you have got an idea you want to go out and enjoy some of this great powder, don't let it stop you. You're going to have no problems getting back there at all.

Meanwhile, in terms of the roads, we have had some closures on i- 70. We've had some issues on i-25 as well. But I will tell you, right behind me, roads are doing pretty well. I mean, we've seen the salt trucks, the ice trucks out there, the plows. They've been on top of this thing the entire time and things are pretty good. That being said, there's still going to be some icy patches out there. And C.D.O.T. has been advising people that if you don't have to get out on the roadways, by no means, don't do it. Just stay at home, enjoy the holiday and take it easy. That's the latest we have from here. Back to you in Atlanta.

LEMON: Yea. Good advice, Reynolds. I wouldn't sure if it was you at first, and then the bib kind of came down a little bit now -- sounded like you, though. Wasn't sure. All right, stay warm out there.

WOLF: There you go, absolutely.

LEMON: This storm could mean misery for a lot of folks outside Denver. CNN's Bonnie Schneider is tracking it in the severe weather center.

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WHITFIELD: Well the clock is ticking, but are there days, hours or just minutes before Saddam Hussein is put to death? Up next in THE NEWSROOM, the impact of an execution.

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LEMON: Well, he has said he'd prefer a firing squad, but the noose awaits Saddam Hussein and from all indications it won't be long now. As executions go, death by hanging is seen as particularly undignified, though, if it's done right, it's quickly and virtual painless.

Here's CNN's Randi Kaye. And you should know, here's a caveat, you may find some of the pictures in her report disturbing.

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RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is what Iraq's government calls the death chamber. Soon Saddam Hussein will be here to meet the same fate as these men. This is what his final moments will look like. But we wanted to know what hanging will feel like.

(on camera): Will Saddam suffer in death?

LARRY KOBILINSKY, FORENSIC SCIENTIST: He certainly will suffer up to the point of hanging. Whether he will suffer during the hanging itself is a question that nobody knows the answer to. My suspicion is that there is no consciousness when a person is hung.

KAYE: We have our hanging victim right here. Once the noose tightens, what is the very first thing?

KOBILINSKY: Two of the cervical vertebra will break, and the spinal cord will become severed. The body will go into immediate paralysis.

KAYE (voice over): Forensic scientist Larry Kobilinsky says paralysis is what protects a person being hanged from feeling pain. Also the trauma from the severing of the spinal cord makes the brain go haywire, Kobilinsky says, so the body doesn't even recognize pain.

KOBILINSKY: When you have this chaotic flow of energy in the brain, I don't see how there can be a consciousness.

KAYE (voice over): Hanging has been used for centuries, dating back 2,500 years to the Persian Empire. Today, it is still used in many Middle Eastern countries. In the United States, New Hampshire and the State of Washington still allow prisoners to be hanged.

WESLEY DODD, CONVICTED CHILD KILLER: Hanging, that's the way I'm gonna go. I'm going to hang.

KAYE: Serial child killer Wesley Dodd was executed by hanging in Washington back in 1993. He told CNN he wanted to hang because that's how he'd killed one of his victims. The last hanging in the U.S. came three years after Dodd, in 1996, when convicted murder Bill Bailey was hanged in Delaware. The outdoor gallows used in that execution were later torn down.

(On camera): Once the vertebra is broken, what would be the next thing to happen to the body?

KOBILINSKY: The next thing is the compression of the major blood vessels that feed the neck, and supply oxygen to the brain. Those blood vessels are compressed. We are talking about the jugular vein and the deeper carotid artery. When you compress these blood vessels, there is no longer any supply of oxygen to the brain. KAYE (voice over): At three minutes, the brain will be dead from insufficient oxygen.

(On camera): With such a tight noose, three minutes seems like a very long time to actually cut off somebody's air.

KOBILINSKY: Well, it's a matter of the brain going into a certain mode, where it tries to conserve energy, and use whatever oxygen is available as efficiently as possible.

KAYE (voice over): When the brain runs out of oxygen, the person will be declared dead, even though the heart may continue to beat for another 10 minutes.

Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And we'll take a look at some of the other high-profile executions throughout the world's history when we come right back. You're watching the CNN NEWSROOM.

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WHITFIELD: The execution of Saddam Hussein imminent and as we await word from Baghdad, we take a work at other executions throughout history, from common criminals to world leaders. Many have shared the ignoble fate of execution. More in this CNN fact check.

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WHITFIELD (voice-over): In 2005, there were more than 2,100 people executed in 22 different countries. But the overwhelming majority, 94 percent, were carried out in just four countries -- China, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United States. The U.S. executed 60 people. Saudi Arabia, at least 86. Iran executed at least 94. China's execution records are kept secret. Based on public records that are available, Amnesty International estimates China executed 1,770 people in 2005.

Saddam Hussein joins a list of world leaders sentenced to death. In 1945, a firing squad shot Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, then strung up his body upside down at a Milan gas station. A military tribunal hanged Japan's wartime prime minister (INAUDIBLE) Tojo for war crimes in 1948. In 1962, former SS lieutenant colonel Adolph Eichmann was also hanged for crimes against the Jewish people. Pakistan hanged its former prime minister (INAUDIBLE) Ali Bhutto in 1979.

In 1989, a Romanian firing squad executed the husband and wife team of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu. The pair served as Romania's prime minister and deputy prime minister respectively. Their trial on charges of genocide lasted two hours. They were immediately sentenced to death by firing squad. In 1996, the Taliban executed Afghanistan's president Mohammad Najabula (ph). Two other Afghan presidents were executed months apart in 1979. (END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The clock is ticking on his death sentence. But will Saddam Hussein really go to the gallows on the holiest day of the Hajj. We'll take you live to Baghdad for the very latest.

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