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CNN Saturday Morning News
Saddam Executed, Tornado Hits Texas
Aired December 30, 2006 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: The death of a dictator -- Saddam Hussein is dead, executed at dawn in Baghdad. That was late last night for us here in the U.S. A hangman's noose ending a dark era in Iraq's history.
From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
It is December 30th.
Good morning to you all.
I'm T.J. Holmes.
MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning.
I'm Melissa Long in today for Betty.
Thank you for starting your weekend with us here.
T.J. HOLMES: We do want to get you updated on the breaking news of Saddam Hussein's execution. He was hanged for crimes against humanity just before sunrise today in Baghdad. In some Shiite areas, people danced in the streets and fired guns in the air to celebrate the former dictator's death.
In a statement, President Bush said bringing Saddam Hussein to justice marks an important milestone in Iraq's course to democracy.
More details now on the execution of Saddam Hussein. We do want to show you some of the latest video we're getting in here.
We do want to caution that this may be disturbing to you, but the video is of Saddam Hussein's body after his execution, after him being hanged this morning, again, just before sunrise in Baghdad. This is some of the latest video we're getting. His body laid and covered in a white shroud. His head uncovered. You can see it's sharply turned to one side.
But that is the former dictator. This is the video that has been aired on Iraqi television today.
And we do want to go to Iraq now, and to Baghdad, specifically, to CNN's Ryan Chilcote, keeping an eye on things for us there -- hello again to you, Ryan.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, T.J. Saddam Hussein is dead. That is the news that Iraq woke to this morning, confirmed by that video you were just discussing, aired on Iraqi TV. It has been shown now for hours, showing the execution of Saddam Hussein, the man who ruled Iraq for more than two decades with an iron fist.
The demonstration of that video on television sparking celebrations in Shiite neighborhoods around Iraq. Right here in the Iraqi campaign in the Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City people taking to the streets, celebrating, scenes of jubilation. Of course, many Shiites suffered under Saddam's rule.
Also, in the south of Iraq, in the city of Najaf, a very holy city to the Shiites, more scenes of jubilation.
Not all Iraqis, however, will be happy with this execution. Many Sunnis feel that Saddam has been unfairly victimized by the Shiite-led government here in Iraq. They will just see this as a continuation of the sectarian divide and sectarian violence that has rocked this country this year.
Meanwhile, T.J. the violence is never far in Iraq. Today, it comes in the city of Kufa, in the south of Iraq. The Iraqi police telling us that a car bomb there struck a busy marketplace, killing at least 30 Iraqis, wounding 45 more -- T.J.
T.J. HOLMES: And, of course, Ryan, car bombings like the one you were just describing are pretty much common occurrences, unfortunately, there in Iraq, and certainly around Baghdad.
But there was fear that Saddam's execution would trigger more violence, an up tick in violence.
Any signs just yet that any violence or any up tick anywhere or that that bombing there was -- had anything to do with the execution of Saddam Hussein?
CHILCOTE: We don't know what the goal of that bombing was in the Shiite city of Kufa. It could be a sectarian attack. It could be aimed at getting at Shiites in that city. But we just don't know. That is often the case in Iraq. The violence can appear to be random. There is just so much of it.
We have not seen a lot of attacks here in the Iraqi capital and as you said, as devastating as that attack is, it is quite common to have those kinds of attacks around Iraq on any given day.
One of the explanations, perhaps, that we have not seen more violence than what we have seen is that this execution took place overnight. In fact, Saddam was executed just before dawn. At that time, there was a curfew in place in the Iraqi city. There is always a curfew at nighttime here. And the idea was perhaps that that would preempt any kind of backlash, any kind of insurgent attacks that might be created by -- by people angered by the execution of Saddam Hussein -- T.J.
T.J. HOLMES: All right, our Ryan Chilcote for us in Baghdad.
Ryan, again, thank you so much. LONG: Iran and the U.S. rarely agree. The U.S. and Afghanistan rarely disagree. But the execution of Saddam Hussein is an exception in both cases. Iran has praised the hanging as the fitting punishment for a tyrant. Afghan President Hamid Karzai was critical of the timing because it comes at the start of the Muslim festival of Eid.
CNN correspondent Michael Holmes again has reported extensively from Iraq.
He anchors "YOUR WORLD TODAY" on CNN International and joins us now with some insight on the execution of Mr. Hussein -- thanks so much for your time again.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT, ANCHOR, "YOUR WORLD TODAY": Good to see you.
LONG: I know you've been working around the clock.
We appreciate it.
M. HOLMES: It's been busy for everyone. Yes.
LONG: Let's hear, we talked about the situation in Iraq. You outlined the 80 percent unemployment and the situation that of just getting by day to day.
Let's talk in greater detail about that.
What is life like in Baghdad?
M. HOLMES: For the average Iraqi, life is miserable in Baghdad. You can't overstate how difficult it is. People literally tell you that when they leave home and say good-bye to the family, they say I'll see you tonight in'shallah, god willing, because they don't know if they're going to come home.
And I've spoken to doctors and lawyers and ordinary workers who are genuinely afraid they're not going to make it home. And they have relatives who don't make it home.
The amount of killing and violence in the city is difficult to overstate when you're having 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 bodies everyday found in the streets, some them horrifically tortured. People need to understand how bad that is. They're using electric drills to torture these people before they kill them with a bullet to the head. And that doesn't count the car bombings and the roadside bombs and everything else that's going on there.
It's a horrendous life for people.
LONG: You have outlined in gruesome detail what life is like.
Is there concern there for, that this execution could cause a tremendous increase in violence like we've already seen?
M. HOLMES: Well, I think short-term there may be a couple of what they call spectaculars, and that is a large bomb directed at a specific together -- a building or a place of symbolism. Whether it's going to increase the insurgent violence and the sectarian violence overall, I think that's unlikely because it is now at a level where there is up to 100 attacks a day going on in Iraq. It's very difficult to top that level of violence.
It's interesting, one of your guests last hour said that, you know, the reality is that people don't want to be under Saddam Hussein. Well, that's true. But it's also go to be put into context. Just about every Iraqi I've talked to in the last few visits there -- and I was there as recently as September -- they say yes, of course, we hated Saddam Hussein.
But are we better off today?
The answer is no.
LONG: The execution was this morning, just before sunrise. The curfew was in place, as Ryan Chilcote just outlined.
What do we know about additional curfews in place in order to quell the violence?
M. HOLMES: I was actually surprised we -- when I was on air before CNN International. We had a live picture up of Fardus Square, the famous square where the statue was pulled down. And I saw cars there. Because I assumed there would be a curfew.
There wasn't a curfew in Baghdad. There are curfews in some parts of the country, but today in Baghdad -- it is the first day of Eid for Sunnis, and so it is fairly quiet around the city anyway. Families are at home and spending time together.
But there isn't a curfew in the city at the moment. As you say, there was a curfew -- there's a curfew evening, a dusk to dawn curfew, and every Friday there is a curfew, as well.
But no curfew in Baghdad at the moment. We'll see what happens there.
LONG: Michael Holmes of CNN International.
Michael, thank you for your perspective.
M. HOLMES: Thanks.
LONG: Appreciate it.
Now, the Saddam Hussein execution, as you know, was watched closely in Jordan, not only by attorneys there, by his attorneys there, but also two of his daughters who have been loyal to the very end.
CNN's Matthew Chance is now live from Amman, Jordan -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Melissa, thanks very much.
Well, those two daughters, Raghad and Rana, have been living here since about 2003. They've been granted political asylum in Jordan. This country neighboring, of course, Iraq. And there are hundreds of thousands of other Iraqi citizens that have fled to this country over the past several years, as well, because of the appalling security situation, as we've been talking about, in Iraq itself.
Amongst them are Shiites, are Sunnis, are Kurds, people who support Saddam Hussein, people who are his opponents, as well.
What we haven't been seeing here in the streets of the Jordanian capital, Amman, since the execution, are any public displays either of celebrations, as Ryan was mentioning from Baghdad, that they're seeing across Shiite areas of Iraq at the moment. Nor have we seen any displays of particular public sadness, either.
It seems that certainly the expatriate Iraqi community that lives here in Amman has very much taken this in their stride. It was an expected development, of course, although I have spoken to a number of Iraqis living here in Jordan and all of them, whether they're Shiites or Sunnis, have expressed a degree of sadness because love him or hate him, the fact is that Saddam Hussein, for 24 years, was the ruler of Iraq.
He was a symbol to many Iraqis and his execution represents the sign that that era has well and truly come to an end -- Melissa.
LONG: Matthew, you mentioned the reaction, or lack thereof, apparently, on the streets of -- from people from Jordan.
What about leadership there?
CHANCE: There's been no comment from the Jordanian leadership so far. It's a holiday period here, of course. It's the start of Eid for Sunnis, Sunni Muslims. And so it's meant we've had a virtual sort of silence coming from the authorities here.
And, again, that's replicated amongst the Iraqi civilians, the Iraqi expatriates that are living here. Nobody is really talking about this much. In fact, we've had a lot of problems speaking to Iraqis, trying to get them even to appear on camera, because this is such a sensitive issue in Iraq and people who have fled Iraq, of course, to Jordan, are very sensitive about the possible threat to their lives.
They left Iraq for that reason, mainly. And so they're very reluctant to talk on camera, because they believe someone, somewhere will identify them and whatever their views may be, they may be targeted for them.
And so it's very difficult to get people's opinions on camera here -- Melissa.
LONG: Matthew Chance live from Amman, Jordan.
Matthew, thank you.
T.J. HOLMES: Well, what does Saddam think about his death?
In a farewell message posted this week on the Internet, Hussein said he faces "martyrdom with a content and peaceful soul." He also reflected publicly back in October of 1990, three months after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
CNN's Bernard Shaw interviewed the then Iraqi dictator about his legacy.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE, OCTOBER 29, 1990)
BERNARD SHAW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Saddam, we are all mortal beings.
When you die, how do you want to be remembered?
SADDAM HUSSEIN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF IRAQ (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): My overriding preoccupation is how I am going to face god and the true believer is always dreaming that god almighty is satisfied with him. And it is important to me that good people on this land will have understood me in the right way and in as sufficiently right a manner as is possible. And I am confident, indeed, I believe -- in fact, I think people -- the great people of Iraq and the people of the glorious Arab nations will remember us with -- favorably. Will remember us favorably, with good memories.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LONG: That clip from 1990, an interview with Bernard Shaw of CNN.
T.J. HOLMES: Well, it's sure fascinating to look back like that.
But while we have a moment here, let's stop talking about Saddam for just a moment.
we do want to say hello, good morning, to Melissa Long.
LONG: Good morning.
T.J. HOLMES: And a lot of folks will recognize Melissa from CNN Pipeline, which is a huge hit. And you're educating me this morning about Pipeline, etc.
LONG: Well, and for those not familiar with Pipeline, Pipeline is CNN's online news network.
T.J. HOLMES: Yes.
LONG: Take everything you've ever seen on television, put it on your laptop, on your desktop...
T.J. HOLMES: That's a lot.
LONG: ... in the form of a player. And what you're looking at right now is the Pipeline player.
You can see live events, four stream. So if you get bored with one, you go to the other. Choose the news you wish to watch. And the other wonderful feature about Pipeline is you have access to CNN's vast archives. If you have a report you want to see about Michael Holmes and his extensive reporting tonight in Baghdad, as we've been talking about, type in Michael Holmes' name and a slew of stories will pop up about him.
T.J. HOLMES: Well, that's fascinating stuff. And thank you for educating us all, me included.
But thank you for being here.
You're going to be here with us...
LONG: You need to log onto Pipeline.
T.J. HOLMES: I do, don't I?
I'm bad. I'm paying attention to you this morning, though.
LONG: OK. All right.
T.J. HOLMES: But stick around, folks. We do want to continue with our coverage this morning of the execution of Saddam Hussein, executed just before sunrise this morning in Baghdad.
Stay here with CNN for in-depth continuing coverage.
You are with CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: If you're just waking up on this Saturday, here's what's making news.
A somber milestone for American troops in Iraq. The military says 108 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq this month. That makes December the deadliest month of the year for Americans -- 2,997 U.S. troops have been killed since the war began.
It is day two of national mourning for former President Gerald Ford. Ford's body is being flown to Washington, D.C. today, where it will lie in the state Capitol. You're looking at live pictures now from Saint Margaret's Episcopal Church in Palm Desert, California.
As you know, yesterday mourners paid their respects at that church in Palm Desert where Ford and his family worshipped after leaving office.
After thousands line the streets outside Harlem's famous Apollo Theater in New Year, family and friends of the godfather of soul held a private service in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia. A public funeral is scheduled there a little later in the day. James Brown died of heart failure on Christmas morning. He was 73. T.J. HOLMES: A car bomb rattling Madrid's airport this morning. The bomb detonated in a parking lot near a terminal building. Police were warned, allowing them to evacuate the area. And we're now learning from the Spanish government that the Basque separatist group, ETA, is taking responsibility.
A second winter storm now rolling east across the Great Plains. Denver escaped the worst of it, with about seven inches of fresh snow. Nothing like last week's crippling blizzard.
CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf will have a live update for you Denver later on this hour.
We do want to head over and check in with Bonnie Schneider -- and, Bonnie, that sounds weird to say they escaped, but they still got seven inches of snow. But...
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, ATS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it could have been so much worse.
T.J. HOLMES: Yes.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LONG: Just hours after the execution of Saddam Hussein, dozens of people were killed in a car bomb attack. Iraqi officials say the bomb exploded in a local market in Kufa. It's a mostly Shiite town south of Baghdad. At least 30 civilians were killed, 45 others wounded. Now, Kufa is part of the Najaf Province. U.S. troops transferred security control to Iraqi troops and police there just last week.
T.J. HOLMES: The U.S. approaching a grim milestone in Iraq. Nearly 3,000 U.S. service members almost killed there since the war began. The military says 108 U.S. service members have been killed in Iraq this month alone and that makes December the deadliest month of the year for Americans in Iraq. Two thousand nine hundred ninety- seven U.S. service members have been killed since the war began.
Saddam Hussein's execution aside, President Bush still trying to decide whether to send in more troops to beef up the force in Iraq.
CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr takes a look at possible military plans and the effect it could have.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. military commanders have developed an option to increase troop levels in Iraq by 20,000. But it requires some combat units to extend their tours on the front line and other units might have to cut training short in order to deploy more quickly.
Military officials emphasize this is just an option.
President Bush has yet to make a decision about whether to increase troop levels. There may also be incentives to put young men to work and reopen Iraqi industries and businesses.
GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The key to success in Iraq is to have a government that's willing to deal with the elements there that are trying to prevent this young democracy from succeeding.
STARR: One military official said there is a proposed course of action. Two Marine Corps regiments scheduled to leave Iraq in February would remain. Marines serve seven month tours, unlike the Army, which deploys for one year.
Army brigades scheduled to go to Iraq in the spring may go more quickly, rather than extending the Army units already on the ground. An 82nd Airborne Division brigade already scheduled to go to Kuwait would move into Iraq.
These moves would result in an increase of up to 20,000 combat forces. There are about 134,000 troops in Iraq now.
Senior commanders are concerned such a major disruption in the rotation schedule will only strain the force further and fundamentally, many say, more troops may not improve security in Baghdad and Al Anbar Province without significant progress by the Iraqi government.
MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, SPOKESMAN, MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ: Significant challenges do remain and violence is likely to remain at unacceptably high levels in the very near-term.
STARR (on camera): Still, commanders emphasize all of this is just a proposed course of action. President Bush has yet to announce his decision.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LONG: And if you are just waking up, the big development this morning that we're sharing with you is that Saddam Hussein was put to the gallows just before sunrise, just before 6:00 a.m. Baghdad time, executed for crimes against humanity, for his role in the 1982 massacre in Dujail. This is a story we're following in great detail this morning on CNN SATURDAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: If you are just waking up, Saddam Hussein has been executed, put to the gallows, before sunrise, Baghdad time. Now, his brutal regime killed countless Iraqis and now Hussein, as I mentioned, has been tried, convicted and executed.
But will he be even more dangerous in death?
CNN's Brian Todd takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE) BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even in custody, no one cut a more menacing figure. Like his time in power, Saddam Hussein's M.O. at trial was intimidation, a psychology that runs deep through his country's emotional veins and why some experts believe Iraqi authorities wanted to execute him quickly.
The troublesome irony now, they say, is that Saddam in death may be more dangerous than he was alive.
HISHAM MELHEM, AL-ARABIYA: For certain, there will be a spike in the level of violence. This violence could be (UNINTELLIGIBLE) violence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Allah al-akbar!
TODD: Sunnis will almost certainly attack Shias, experts say, especially if the Shia population engages in widespread rejoicing at the death of their long time torturer.
(on camera): But regardless of the Shia reaction, observers say, minority Sunnis, who enjoyed privilege and power under Saddam, will be pushed further into a corner.
MELHEM: This is going to be seen by the Sunnis as another insult, as another qualitative leap in the attempts of the Shia of Iraq to have a monopoly on government in Iraq at their expense.
TODD (voice-over): But Shias aren't the only ones in danger. The Baath Party, which Saddam led, has issued a statement that his execution will lead it to "retaliate in all ways in all places that hurt America." And this comes as President Bush is about to announce a change in U.S. strategy in Iraq, and a possible influx of American troops -- the face of the enemy for Sunni insurgents, some allied with al Qaeda.
KEN ROBINSON, MILITARY INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: The information operations objective of the insurgency is to make it felt at home, in the United States. And to do that, you need to send soldiers home in body bags. And that's pretty much what they're going to do.
TODD: Other experts point out much of the insurgency has never relied on Saddam for direction or inspiration. But this could fit their pattern of looking for any excuse to attack fellow Iraqis or Americans.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
T.J. HOLMES: And a lot happened while you were sleeping. If you are just joining us, the news overnight, Saddam Hussein hanged. The former dictator is dead.
You're looking at video we got overnight of him being taken to the gallows. A lot of developments, reaction from around the world, including here in the U.S. in Washington, D.C. All of that for us this morning, coming to us fast and furious. We'll bring it all to you.
You're watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Saddam Hussein executed. The last moments of a brutal dictator. And we have extraordinary new details for you this morning.
Welcome back to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.
LONG: Good morning. I'm Melissa Long. Betty is off today. Thanks for starting your day with us. Busy news day.
HOLMES: It is a very busy day. And this is what you may have missed overnight. We want to get you updated now on the breaking news, on Saddam Hussein's execution.
He was hanged for crimes against humanity just before sunrise today in Baghdad. In some Shiite areas people danced in the streets and fired guns in the air to celebrate the former dictator's death.
Meanwhile, in a statement, President Bush said, "Bringing Saddam Hussein to justice marks an important milestone on Iraq's course to democracy."
Meanwhile, U.S. troops in Iraq again on the front lines, this time ready for what comes next after the Saddam Hussein execution.
CNN's Kathleen Koch live for us at the Pentagon this morning.
Good morning to you, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, T.J.
And certainly there was a lot of concern, both here at the Pentagon, at the White House, that there could be an escalation in violence because of the execution of Saddam Hussein. There had been threats already by Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party that there would be serious repercussions if this execution was carried out. But, again, so far we have not seen any major dramatic attacks.
Now, the federal government is downplaying any U.S. role in Saddam Hussein's execution. White House spokesman describing the U.S. as a, quote, "observer in the process."
Now, again, certainly U.S. forces here in Iraq, 134,000 of them, are on high alert just in case there is any increase in violence. So it's certainly hard to imagine the situation getting much worse.
At this point, a grim milestone has already been reached in Iraq for the month of December, the death toll now hitting 108. That with the deaths of two U.S. soldiers in Iraq on Friday, making December now the deadliest month this year for U.S. forces in Iraq. When it comes to official U.S. reaction to Saddam Hussein's execution, that is coming strictly from the White House. President Bush at his ranch near Crawford, Texas, was informed around 7:15 Eastern Time by national security advisor Stephen Hadley that the execution would be carried out in a matter of hours, that after the word had come to the U.S. from the Iraqi prime minister, again, that the execution was impending.
And President Bush put out a statement reading, in part, quote, "Saddam Hussein was executed after receiving a fair trial, the kind of justice he denied the victims of his brutal regime. Bringing Saddam Hussein to justice will not end the violence in Iraq, but it is an important milestone on Iraq's course to becoming a democracy that can govern, sustain and defend itself, and be an ally in the war on terror. The safety and the security of the American people require that we not relent in ensuring that Iraq's young democracy continues to progress."
At this point, the Iraqi leader's execution is not expected to have any impact in the Bush administration plans to come up with a new strategy for the war in Iraq. The president is expected to announce that sometime early next month.
Back to you.
LONG: All right. Thank you very much, Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon. Thank you.
Now, from the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 to the capture of Saddam Hussein and his execution this morning in Baghdad, here's a look back.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (speaking foreign language)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (speaking foreign language)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (speaking foreign language)
SADDAM HUSSEIN, IRAQI PRESIDENT: (speaking foreign language)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Saddam Hussein and his sons must leave Iraq within 48 hours. Their refusal to do so will result in military conflict commenced at a time of our choosing. For their own safety, all foreign nationals, including journalists and inspectors, should leave Iraq immediately.
HUSSEIN (through translator): You notice how Bush, the careless, underestimated your values, that you declared against the war in your call, your honest call for peace. And he committed this shameful crime this day.
We pledge in our name and in the name of the command and leadership, in the name of the people, the fighting people and its heroic army and its history and record of civilization, we pledge that we will confront the invaders. And we will get them to, God willing, to the limit where they will lose their patience and they will lose any hope in accomplishing what they were driven to by the criminal Zionists and those who have agendas. They will go to the lowest levels, and they will be defeated.
(GUNFIRE/SIRENS)
PAUL BREMER, FORMER U.S. ADMINISTRATOR, COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY: We got him.
Saddam Hussein was captured Saturday, December 13, at about 8:30 p.m. local in a cellar in the town of Adwar, which is about 15 kilometers south of Tikrit.
I want to say a few words to the people of Iraq. This is a great day in Iraq's history. For decades, hundreds of thousands of you suffered at the hands of this cruel man. For decades, Saddam Hussein divided you citizens against each other. For decades, he threatened and attacked your neighbors. Those days are over forever.
Now it is time to look to the future, to your future of hope, to a future of reconciliation. Iraq's future, your future has never been more full of hope. The tyrant is a prisoner.
BUSH: And now the former dictator of Iraq will face the justice he denied to millions. The capture of this man was crucial to the rise of a free Iraq. It marks the end of the road for him and for all who bullied and killed in his name.
GEN. RICARDO SANCHEZ, COALITION GROUND FORCES COMMANDER: I wouldn't describe cooperative in the sense of being freely giving us information yet, but we'll continue to work towards that end.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This tiny hole is really small inside. It's concrete, mud on the walls, a wood lintel here, water on the top of the frame. It's very difficult to get in here. It wouldn't have been easy for the soldiers to discover Saddam Hussein.
He came with his hands up. He said, "I'm Saddam Hussein. I'm the president of Iraq, and I want to negotiate," to which the troops, we are told, responded "President Bush sends his regards."
After that Saddam Hussein was whisked out of the hole, pulled up and taken away to a helicopter waiting in the field just across here.
BUSH: I find it very interesting that when the heat got on, you dug yourself a hole and you crawled in it. And our brave troops, combined with good intelligence, found you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Mr. Saddam, are you guilty or innocent?
HUSSEIN (through translator): I said what I said, and I am not guilty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Are you guilty or not? Just say no if you want to.
HUSSEIN (through translator): We cannot sum it up with one word, are you guilty or no? Your Excellency now is standing before Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This is your opinion.
HUSSEIN (through translator): I am the president of Iraq. I was elected by the will of the people. And until this minute, I respect the will of the people, and I will defend it with honor against the traitors and against America and its agents.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The court has sentenced the defendant, Saddam Hussein al-Majid, to execution by hanging.
BUSH: Saddam Hussein's trial is a milestone in the Iraqi people's efforts to replace the rule of a tyrant with the rule of law. It's a major achievement for Iraq's young democracy and its constitutional government.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The appeal court has decided to uphold the ruling against the defendant, Saddam Hussein, Barzan al-Hassan and Awad Bandar for crime -- for crimes against humanity.
The ruling should be carried out -- the sentence should be carried out within 30 days of the date it was issued.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And that is certainly a heck of a look back. And all that brought us to today.
If you are just joining us, just waking up on your Saturday morning, what you missed overnight was another historic milestone for the people of Iraq. Saddam Hussein, the former president, former dictator of that country, was hanged. Saddam Hussein is dead.
We have coverage all morning long, reaction coming in from the Arab world, from Washington, and of course, from the people of Iraq. But stay with us for that all morning long.
LONG: Our other stories that we're following, as well, coming up after the break, we're going to talk about a tornado that hit Texas overnight. And also we're finding out more about the blizzard that's blasted Denver once again.
HOLMES: Yes.
LONG: Reynolds Wolf is out in the thick of it. Making snow angels or working hard?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Doing a little bit of both, honestly.
But it is over. It is all over. All watches and warnings at this time have expired for the Denver metropolitan area. This has been the snowiest, actually the third snowiest December in Denver history, but it's still very cold. Coming up, I'll give you a full report on how the city and the airport handled the snow, if I can feel my face.
You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, we want to say good morning again to our Bonnie Schneider, who's hanging out with us this weekend, since we just saw Reynolds is off in Denver.
And Bonnie, you've got some video to show us now of a crazy twister --twister down in Texas.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it was a very active day yesterday. I was tracking tornadoes throughout the afternoon.
And as we put this loop into motion, we can show you that we had a tornado right around just to the south of the Waco area. And actually, a storm chaser took some incredible pictures of this tornado.
Let's go ahead and show you that video now. And you'll find that the -- you can actually see the funnel cloud and the tornado touching down. If we can roll the video, we'll show you and listen in to the storm chasers working.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry. Damn it! Look at that -- oh, man! I'm sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's all right. It wasn't your fault.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, man!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rotation right there. Moving too fast -- feel the debris falling out of the back of the tornado.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHNEIDER: You're looking at some of the damage. There's a McDonald's sign completely demolished from this tornado.
Now, this tornado in Limestone County, 60 miles west of Crawford, Texas, near the Waco area, actually unfortunately, killed one person in a rural section of the county. But at least a dozen people had to go to the hospital due to injuries. So very severe weather yesterday in Texas.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: All right, Bonnie, thank you so much. That's some fascinating video. Those guys are something else that chase those storms like that.
LONG: Takes a lot of courage.
HOLMES: Oh, yes. And some might say they might be a little nuts. But...
SCHNEIDER: You can say that.
HOLMES: Bonnie, thank you. Bonnie, thank you so much.
LONG: Let's continue to talk about the weather and let's head actually farther out west and talk about the winter storm that has swept through the Rockies, causing some problems, possibly with travel chaos.
Reynolds, you said earlier you couldn't feel your face?
WOLF: Guys, I don't want to be a glutton for punishment. I don't want to -- I don't want to feel pain, but just tell me how warm is it in the studio in here?
HOLMES: We're sweating.
LONG: It's so warm we turned down the fan.
HOLMES: We're sweating back here, Reynolds.
WOLF: OK, it's about 20 degrees here. I've got to tell you, there's -- there's some good things going on. That is, it's over. We're not expecting much more in terms of snow, maybe a half inch of snowfall, at most. But all the watches, all the warnings have expired. As Bonnie mentioned all the action has pushed way off to the east, which is great news for people here in Denver.
We still got quite a bit of snowfall. The official snowfall total for the city of Denver with the storm was actually seven inches. But many communities around the city of Denver had well over that, some places well in excess of two feet of snow.
What's great about this is that the city and the airport handled this beautifully. And what's different about this storm compared with the one right before Christmas is that the one that happened right before Christmas was like one big bomb, an icy bomb that hit the city, one direct shot, where this was kind of like a -- kind of like a shotgun blast, kind of like pellets of snow that went all over the place. So it was really scattered.
And as it came down in different increments, the city was able to keep it off the roadways with the snowplows and with the ice trucks on the runways. But at one time we had only four of six operating at the airport. Now it's fully operational, which is just wonderful news. I will tell you, though, one thing that does give you a little bit of kind of uneasiness is knowing that the first snowstorm took place right before Christmas. The second one, which is the one we just dealt with, just took place right before New Year's. And knowing that Presidents' Day is right around the corner, yes, that kind of gives one pause.
Back to you guys.
LONG: Let me ask you a question.
WOLF: Yes.
LONG: I was talking to some relatives out in the Denver area. Anybody who lives out there loves to be outside, loves to ski. But I understand the first storm didn't give them the weather they needed, the snowfall for the skiing. What about this storm?
WOLF: You know, it's funny. That's an excellent point you bring up. We talked about that just the other day on Pipeline.
The first storm that came through back right before Christmas really did leave a lot of the ski resorts high and dry. They didn't get much in terms of snowfall. However, this time they did quite a bit of snowfall back into the resorts.
Also, another interesting point is, although they did have some problems out at DIA, all of your airports back in places like Telluride back over to places like, say, Snow Mass, Aspen, they didn't have any issues with any of their airports. They're still operating at 100 percent.
So anyone who's thinking about flying out, enjoying the powder and basically -- take a look at this, guys -- that's what it is. I mean, this is just pure powder that's been coming down. The airports out there are working beautifully. So if you get the opportunity, head out and enjoy it. But you'll be lucky if you can still feel your face.
Back to you.
LONG: Thank you.
HOLMES: All right. Thanks, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet.
HOLMES: Of course, weather is the big story, but there's no question the story of the morning, story of the day is going to be for us the execution of Saddam Hussein. You may have missed this.
Overnight while many of you were sleeping, Saddam Hussein executed in Baghdad just before sunrise, Baghdad time. You're taking a look at video right before his execution. We will continue to follow that story all morning. And coming up next, also, we'll talk about the cost of the entire Iraq war. We'll be taking a look back with our Joshua Levs. Stick around for that. Stay here. You're watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Again, the big story this morning, Saddam Hussein has been hanged. It took a war to oust him, a search to find him, and a trial that lasted more than a year to convict him.
Now Saddam Hussein's death marks a turning point. But what has the cost been?
Joshua Levs joins us now with more on that.
Good morning, Joshua.
JOSHUA LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: hi. Good morning to you. You know, in order to address this question, we decided to look back to before the war began, when the White House was considering whether or not toppling Saddam Hussein would be worth the cost.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS (voice-over): It was five months before the invasion and the White House was deflecting questions about the cost of a possible war.
ARI FLEISCHER, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Well, the cost of a one-way ticket is substantially less than that. The cost of one bullet, if the Iraqi people take it on themselves, is substantially less than that. The cost of war is more than that.
LEVS: The press secretary then said he was being rhetorical, that he wasn't advocating Saddam Hussein's assassination. But his prediction about the cost was proven beyond expectations.
Now the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq is near 3,000. The number of Iraqis killed, well, no one knows for certain. But U.S. and Iraqi officials say it's tens of thousands.
And the money. Four years ago, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget estimated the war could cost $60 billion, though the White House itself refused to guess.
Now many experts say U.S. costs will exceed $100 billion this fiscal year alone. The U.S. has already spent more than $300 billion in Iraq and Afghanistan, most of it in Iraq.
And the war has cost President Bush popularity. But he says the Iraq war has been worth the cost, that Hussein would have given terrorists a base of operations.
BUSH: They would be in a position to threaten the United States of America. This is an important part of the war on terror.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: And there's one more cost to keep in mind. This war has cost the president's party. Starting in January, the Republicans will no longer control the house or the senate. And right now, Melissa, that means the Democrats will be the House or the Senate. And right now, Melissa, that means that the Democrats will be the ones who control the funding of the war.
LONG: Joshua, thank you so much for that reality check.
HOLMES: The death of a dictator. If you're just waking up with us, Saddam Hussein is dead, executed overnight. We have the video of his last moments, plus reaction from Baghdad to Washington and around the world. Our coverage continues after a quick break.
You are watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: A hangman's noose placed around a former dictator's neck. This is CNN breaking news coverage, the execution of Saddam Hussein, a once powerful and ruthless leader meets his end after decades of brutality.
From the CNN center in Atlanta, I'm T.J. Holmes, and this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
LONG: Good morning. I'm Melissa Long, in today for Betty. Thanks for being with us...
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