Saddam Execution Video...

December 30th, 2006 | execution, hanging, historic, nsfw, saddam, video, warning

Didn't take long for this to hit the Net.

I applaud Netscape for keeping it online. All the majors are avoiding the footage like the plague. It's an historic event to be sure.

Do not click the video if you're easily disturbed.

UPDATE 01/01/2007: I've gotten some mixed feedback from syndicating this video, so I figure I'll explain my position a bit.

I'm enthralled by the power of social news sites and the internet. I believe in the power of information and in the ability of people to judge things for themselves. In the case of such an historic event, I believe the information should be made available without editorial or comment.

This isn't a copy of faces of death where the twisted ow and aw, it's an execution that will be compared and contrasted along side historical events such as Nuremburg. It's a major chapter in the Iraq war, which will be compared and contrasted along side Vietnam. If Iraq emerges a free, functioning society, it will be the symbolic act of their independence -- the trial, conviction and subsequent execution of a brutal dictator by the hands of his own former people.

The video isn't all that high quality. It's a camera phone video (another amazing aspect, from a technology point of view), but it has the sounds of the executioners lambasting their former head of state for forcing them to live in destitution. It's powerful, provocative and historic. If you're not interested, simply don't click play.

I'd also like to mention that I think C.K. deserves a medal for withstanding the pressure to remove this video from Netscape. From day one, Netscape Anchors have been open and transparent about all of their operations. It's not about controlling the content, it's about adding value to the content and policing the TOS. His actions relating to this story have demonstrated this 100%.

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