MUSCAT — The Saturday morning execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein continued to be the main topic of discussion on Muscat’s streets and elsewhere in the city yesterday.Being a public holiday on account of Eid Al Adha, all offices and establishments were closed, but that did not stop animated debates wherever people got together, such as shopping malls, restaurants and coffee shops. And as expected, there were broadly two, albeit diametrically opposite, views — one wholly supporting the late leader and the other staunchly criticising him.
Meanwhile, there was no mention of SaddamÂ’s execution in yesterdayÂ’s editions of the state-owned Oman daily in Arabic and its sister English paper Oman Daily Observer.
| "Effendi, what shall we write about the Saddam hanging?" "What have we been ordered to write?" "Um, nothing, effendi!" "There's your answer!" |
The privately-owned Oman Tribune too decided to play it down. The paper carried a single-column, three-paragraph story on the front page, and another, with a little more details, inside, accompanied by two pictures.
The Times of Oman, also privately-run, splashed the news on its front page with photos. It also devoted an entire page to the execution and worldwide reactions to it inside with several pictures.
| "What did our competitors write?" "Nothing, effendi, nothing!" "Excellent! Order up an extra printing! Lots of pictures! We'll call it a 'collector's edition'!" |