 |
 |
 |
|
|
Saddam after capture: "needing a shave, a haircut, and a good flossing." (US Army)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| By israelinsider staff December 14, 2003 |
|
| |
Israeli Minister of Defense Shaul Mofaz congratulated his American counterpart, Donald Rumsfeld, on the capture of Saddam Hussein. He said in a letter that the capture of the former Iraqi dictator is "further proof that the nations of the free world, led by US President Bush, are determined to bring to justice any and all terrorists who cause the world destruction and anarchy."
"The successful operation proves that the war against terrorism and its leaders demands steadfastness, patience and resilience, and a belief that our way is just and in the end will bring about the victory of the democratic world against the empire of darkness," Mofaz told Rumsfeld.
|
|
|
|
"The whole world breathes easier...." --PM Ariel Sharon
|
|
Mofaz, a proponent of removing Yasser Arafat by force, may have been seeking to imply the need for a similar treatment of the Palestinian dictator.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon phoned the White House on Sunday to congratulate the American President on Saddam's arrest. "I told President Bush that this is a great day for the Iraqi people, for those that fought for freedom and justice, and for those who opposed terror. The whole world breathes easier now that the dictator who destroyed Iraq can no longer interfere with its rebuilding and rehabilitation."
"I congratulated Bush for his brave standing against world terror. I believe all dictatorships, especially those contaminated with terror, have learned an important lesson today. The enlightened international community has shown that when it is asked to do so, it can protect freedom and defeat terror," Sharon said.
Meanwhile, a senior cabinet minister of the Palestinian Authority said that the Arafat-appointed government of Ahmed Qurei would refrain from an official response to the capture, Israel Radio reported.
"We don't want to give any reaction," a senior minister in the PA told Agence France Presse. Asked if a statement would be released, the minister added, "No way."
Mohammed Horani, a legislator from Arafat's Fatah faction, said he expected that many Palestinians and Arabs would have mixed feelings. "Saddam is a dictator and the Iraqi people suffered under him, but on the other hand, it was the (American) occupation that caught him," he said. "There will be a sense of confusion in the public."
An Associated Press report quoted Horani as saying he had expected Saddam to be braver. "I had expected him to have fought back, or at least end his life," he said. "But then again, all dictators are cowards."
Over the past decade of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Saddam dispatched tens of millions of dollars to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, providing $25,000 for the family of each suicide bomber and $10,000 for each Palestinian killed by Israeli security forces or in explosive "work accidents."
In the 1991 Gulf War, Saddam hit Israel with 39 SCUD missiles. When the missiles flew over the West Bank, en route to civilian targets in Israel, Palestinians would cheer.
On Sunday, an AP reporter visited a pool hall in Gaza City while the news was being broadcast on a television in the corner. No one turned to watch.
"I love him so much, I can't stand watching it while he's in custody," Raafat Logman, 23, said as he lined up his cue. "We are surprised. We are so sad," Sameh Aloul, 22, told the reporter.
"It's a black day in history," Sadiq Hussam, 33, a taxi driver in Ramallah, headquarters of the Palestinian Authority, told Reuters. "I am saying so not because Saddam is an Arab, but because he is the only man who said no to American injustice in the Middle East," he said.
|
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
|
