The trial would no doubt be useful in boosting the popularity and legitimacy of the Iraq ruling council. Crowds gathered in major cities and people are driving around shooting off rifles in celebration. Provisional government member Adnan Pachachi announced at the conference that Saddam will be tried in Iraq for war crimes against the Iraqi people, and that this day would be an Iraqi national holiday. The threat that he would return, made by Saddam himself in a recent tape, is no longer relevant. The capture of Saddam is undoubtedly a landmark in the American occupation of Iraq, and will help, in the long run, to end the campaign of suicide bombings and murders that has apparently been orchestrated by Saddam supporters. He says Saddam "disappointed a lot of us he's a coward."Ī Saudi student says Saddam should be tried and executed. Saddam had sent checks to families of Palestinian suicide bombers.Ī teacher in Yemen says he expected Saddam to resist or kill himself before falling into American Of the occupation has never been affected and they continued fighting the Israeli occupation," saidĪ Gaza man says he loves Saddam so much, he can't stand to see him in custody. The Palestinian people's symbolic leaders had been either killed or detained, but their resistance Hamas leader Adnan Asfour said the Iraqi people "would learn from the experience of the Palestinian Simple symbolic triumph." However, he continued, "but we are certain that this would never end the Iraqi people's resistance against the American occupation that is taking their lands from them." He said the Iraqi resistance would continue "carrying out painful strikes against the American Islamic Jihad leader Nafez Azzam said that by arresting Saddam, "the United States had achieved a very Palestinian Extremists claimed that the capture would not stop resistance to the US. The Palestinian Authority has made no official comment as yet, taking into account widespread popular support of Saddam and the need to curry favor with the USA.
SADDAM HUSSEIN CAPTURE WE GOT HIM TV
"It is a big defeat for all Arabs and Muslims," said Raji Hassan, 29, watching TV with friends in a Palestinians were saddened by the capture of Saddam, who had been a staunch supporter of extremist movements in the West Bank and Gaza strip, and had bankrolled the families of suicide bombers. Spontaneous celebrations and street demonstrations erupted in Iraq this morning even before the official announcement, as the news spread first in Tikrit, then in Kirkuk, Baghdad and elswhere. Arab extremist nationalist circles are apparently aghast that Saddam allowed himself to be captured without a fight and to be publicly humiliated. The video showed US soldiers searching Saddam's beard and searching his mouth, possibly for concealed cyanide capsules or to take a DNA sample. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez showed pictures of Saddam as he was captured (left) and after being shaved (right). He was not injured in the capture and is cooperating, according to US officials. Saddam was found with two Kalashnikovs and $750,000 in cash. He was disguised in a beard and long hair (apparently real), at about 8:30 PM local time on Saturday, December 13, in operation "Red Dawn" following intelligence tips apparently provided by Kurdish guerilla forces. Saddam was captured hiding in an underground hole near a house near the village of Aghwar, not far from Tikrit. At a press conference that began this moment in Baghdad by the US provisional government, Paul Bremer announced "Ladies and Gentlemen - We got him." President Bush has announced the capture of Saddam. Saddam Hussein, former ruler of Iraq, has been captured alive in or near Tikrit by US forces, apparently assisted by Kurdish guerilla forces.