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MALVEAUX: It is almost 2:00 in the morning Baghdad time. And, of course, there are reports, one from The Associated Press, saying that Saddam Hussein's execution could happen as early as before 6:00 a.m. Saturday. We are just hours away from that execution, if, in fact, that is true.

Now, joining us, of course, in Atlanta, senior editor of Arab Affairs, Octavia Nasr.

Explain to us the timing of this. Does this make any sense at all? Why would there be this window?

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SR. EDITOR, ARAB AFFAIRS: Very -- actually, it makes a lot of sense for people who are involved. Saturday morning marks the beginning of a very important holiday in the Muslim calendar, Eid, the Feast of Sacrifice. As a matter of fact, at daybreak, at sunrise, is when Muslims around the world will celebrate that very important feast.

There were very harsh criticisms of this decision to execute Saddam Hussein on such an important holiday. So it seems that after consultations, the Iraqi government decided to -- if, indeed, it is going to carry out this execution, it will carry it out before 6:00 a.m. That means before daybreak, before the actual celebration of Eid begins.

MALVEAUX: So if it doesn't happen before 6:00 a.m., then what is the next logical window where they would decide to execute Saddam Hussein?

NASR: You know, Eid in the Middle East lasts four days. So if it begins tomorrow, you have to count four days after Saturday.

Also, you add one more day, because there's a discrepancy between the Shiites and Sunni celebration of Eid. Shiites will commence the celebration on Sunday, instead of Saturday.

So it will take a few days, if, indeed, they want to wait until after the holiday. In the beginning, it sounded like that was not an issue for the Iraqi government. But at this point, if indeed, they're thinking about, you know, the execution taking place before 6:00 a.m., that means they're taking that into in effect. That means the next logical date would be around the 5th or 6th of January.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0612/29/sitroom.02.html

Several other officials said they had been told to gather early in the fortified, U.S.-defended Green Zone government compound in Baghdad that was once Saddam's palace complex.

A television station run by Maliki's party said a gallows was ready on a parade ground dominated by a triumphal arch -- formed of crossed swords held in hands modelled on Saddam's own.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-12-30T011102Z_01_PAR965996_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRAQ.xml&pageNumber=1&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage1