The Missing 19 Minutes and 55 Seconds

In case you weren't paying attention, Saddam Hussein's trial began today. It was broadcast all over Iraq and around the world...
on a 20 minute delay.

http://tinyurl.com/cvr6l

A few quick searches reveals that there is no shortage of media outlets reporting this fact, but I have yet to find one to answer the question: WHY?

The BEST explanation out there right now is from the New York Times: (The 20-minute delay) “appeared intended to allow the tribunal to censor any untoward developments in the court—an outburst from Mr Hussein perhaps, or a security breakdown”

If you're unfamiliar with the "delay" technique, it's a common practice with live broadcasts (especially in a post-Janet-boob world) to set up a buffer where the events the public sees actually occurred several seconds prior. This is intended to give the censors time to filter out any unseemly language or, in the case of the Oscars, mute any embarrassing political outbursts. A 5-second delay is most common and gives the powers that be ample time to mute over any content them deem objectionable.

Let's do some math... that's 1/250th the time they're using for the Saddam Hussein trial. So, let's see, the powers that be are planning to need 240 TIMES the amount normally needed for a live delay. Hmmm. I wonder what they intend to DO with it? Surely any foul language (in Arabic, mind you) can be dealt with in less? It would seem that if there were some kind of "security breakdown" that the cameras could be simply turned off. So for what kind of editing, then, would they need such an enormous amount of time? And why isn't the media pressing this question?

Could it be that our government fears Saddam might reveal what sort of relationship he had with members of the current Bush Administration prior to them taking office? (I remind you of Donald Rumsfeld’s meeting with Saddam on December 20, 1983) Might he reveal something of the events leading up to war - information that we are not privy to? Could it be that the "Spider Hole" story we were told about Saddam's capture is, in fact, only US government propaganda? The following stories seem to suggest that something OTHER than the "Spider Hole" account:

http://tinyurl.com/3mfx3

http://tinyurl.com/9w8lr

http://tinyurl.com/z8a1

http://tinyurl.com/4qk5k

http://tinyurl.com/a7d5t

We can only speculate, but we’ve been given no other option. Media access to the trial is being severely restricted and their tapes are being censored by the American military as well:

http://tinyurl.com/dru8j

And still, no explanation from our government as to why.

I wish Saddam a fair trial. I hope he gets to tell his side of the story and his victim’s families get to tell theirs. Then, I hope he’s convicted by a jury of his peers and promptly executed for his crimes against humanity. During that process, though, I hope some truth is revealed. I do not know why our government requires a 20-minute buffer between the public and reality, but as elusive as the truth is these days, I think we better find out.