The Saddam execution video that we linked to last week is causing a great deal of tension - while the official video portrayed a calm and dignified atmosphere before the hanging (it had no audio), the raw cellphone footage painted a very different picture, with witnesses shouting "Go to hell!" in the few minutes of Saddam's life. Today it's being reported that the person who shot the cellphone video, described only as "an official who supervised the execution" has been arrested and the issue will be investigated.
Despite plenty of fake footage posted online, the cellphone video made its way quickly around the web, with most viewers seemingly finding the version on Google Video - it has so far registered nearly 5 million views. It was also shown on Al-Jazeera television, prompting Sunni Muslims to take to the streets in mainly peaceful protests. There were around 14 Iraqi officials present at the execution, plus three hangmen, and mobile phones had been confiscated before they were transported to the chamber.