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Last Update: 14/12/2003 22:28 |
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PM calls Saddam's capture an important lesson for dictators
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By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and News Agencies |
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Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told reporters Sunday that he called U.S. President Bush and congratulated him on the successful operation by coalition forces leading to the arrest of dictator Saddam Hussein.
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"I told Bush that today was a great day for the democratic world, for those fighting for freedom and justice, and for those who object to terror. The entire world can breath a sigh of relief, because the dictator who ruined Iraq cannot interfere with its reconstruction and rehabilitation," said Sharon, who met earlier in the day with California Congressman Christopher Cox.
"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.
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, in a message to U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, said that the capture of Saddam Hussein again proves that free countries are determined to bring terrorists to justice, Army Radio reported Sunday.
A senior Palestinian cabinet minister said Sunday that the Palestinian Authority will not issue a formal response to Saddam's capture, Israel Radio reported.
Mohammed Horani, a legislator from PA Chairman Yasser Arafat's ruling Fatah movement, said he expected many Palestinians and Arabs to 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."
Bush on Sunday reveled in the capture of Saddam Hussein as an "enchanting day" for the Iraqi people and final proof their long-time leader was gone.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters Bush was calling world leaders, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and would speak to the American people from the White House at noon (1700 GMT).
During the past three years of Israeli-Palestinian fighting, Saddam sent millions of dollars to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including US$25,000 for the family of each suicide bomber and US$10,000 for each Palestinian killed in fighting with Israelis.
World leaders congratulated the United States and the Iraqi people on Sunday, in reaction to the news that U.S. forces captured Saddam Hussein.
French President Jacques Chirac said he was delighted at Saddam's arrest, and added that it would clear the way for Iraqis to rule themselves.
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa called the capture of Saddam an important event and added that the Iraqi people should decide his fate, Sky News reported.
Before American forces had even confirmed the capture of Saddam, British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced it and said it gives an opportunity for Saddam to be tried in Iraqi courts and to rebuild the country.
"It removes the shadow that has been hanging over them for too long of the nightmare of a return to the Saddam regime," Blair said in a statement.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder sent a telegram of congratulations to U.S. President George W. Bush.
"It's with great delight that I learned of Saddam Hussein's capture," Schroeder wrote. "I congratulate you on this successful operation. Saddam Hussein caused horrible suffering to his people and the region. I hope the capture will help the international community's effort to rebuild and stabilize Iraq."
The Australian government, which supported the war, also welcomed the news.
"We're absolutely thrilled that Saddam Hussein has been captured," Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in a statement. "And his capture has the potential to change the situation on the ground."
In Spain, the government of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, which strongly backed the war, also hailed the news.
"It is a great day for humankind," said Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio. "The horrible shadow of this bloody dictator is going to vanish."
Japan's Fuji TV, quoting government sources, reported that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said, "That is a good thing," when he received the news.
In Riga, Latvia, which has about 100 troops in Iraq, Peteris Elfergs, the country's ambassador-at-large to Iraq, called Saddam's claimed capture a victory for the people.
"I think this will solve a lot of the security issues the coalition has been dealing with," he said. "I think this will send a strong message to the Baathists that Saddam is not coming back."
In the Swedish capital, Stockholm, shoppers along a busy street gathered to watch the breaking news and images from Baghdad on televisions inside electronics stores.
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Prime Minister Ariel Sharon shaking hands with U.S. chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security Christopher Cox in Jerusalem on Sunday. (AP)
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