Iowa Public Television

Washington Week

Episode #4325

Moderator: Gwen Ifill. The U.S.-led coalition scored its biggest victory in Operation Iraqi Freedom early this week when soldiers plucked a disheveled-looking Saddam Hussein from his "spider hole" hiding place. The arrest was a key development, but how much impact will it have on the coalition's struggle to secure and rebuild Iraq? Can Iraqis expect the insurgent attacks to diminish in the weeks following Saddam's capture? Will the deposed dictator spill any intelligence on weapons of mass destruction? Martha Raddatz of ABC News has been covering this story from her seat at the Pentagon and she'll be at the Washington Week roundtable to analyze all the developments. Now that Saddam is firmly in the grasp of U.S. forces, what does his future hold? There's no shortage of interest in trying Saddam for his actions as president of Iraq; a number of countries and institutions are vying for the opportunity and generating ideas for his punishment. How will the final decision be made? What are the consequences for international relations, not to mention for the ex-dictator himself? The Los Angeles Times's Doyle McManus will tackle these questions. The president hasn't been shy about admitting the challenges still ahead in Iraq, but a number of polls show a boost to his public image in the wake of Saddam's arrest. David Sanger, White House correspondent for The New York Times, will join Washington Week this time to consider what the big news of the week means to the administration and its wider plans for the war on terror. The capture of Saddam Hussein has captured the attention of the nine campaigns for the Democratic nomination for the presidential race, as well. After spending several months in a competition defined, to a large extent, by support or opposition to the war in Iraq, the candidates now find themselves refining their positions and renewing their attention to the issue. John Harwood of The Wall Street Journal will tell us what the candidates are saying and how the voters are responding.
[26 minutes]

This episode has not aired in the past few months on Iowa Public Television.