Imagine what will happen if those weapons of mass destruction turn up.

Do you think finding WMDs would get as much reaction from around the world?

Yes - in the UK and US where the leaders are under pressure to find them - but for Iraqis and the rest of the world, isn't the capture of Saddam what they have been waiting for, more so than finding weapons of mass destruction?

I would be interested to hear - anyone have a comment?

The invasion destroyed Saddam Hussein unlike anything else could have. Sure, he'll be tried for his crimes, but the truth of the matter is that the man is finished as the notorious dictator he was. Hiding in a hole in Tikrit is about as low as one can go... hiding from his own people, hiding from everyone.

Strangely, I imagine being caught may be something of a relief for him. The Iraqis seeing Saddam as he was shown today was pretty good for the Iraqi people - but did it really benefit them?

Point is - so what that Saddam is caught? That's mainly political mileage, and that hardly benefits anyone but politicians. Yet if there are WMD and they are found, THAT affects a lot more than some dictator-turned-hobbit. And if there aren't - then there has to be a real question posed to the invading countries about why they did it, as well as why they went in without UN backing. There's a dangerous precedent there, where might is associated with right in much the same way that wrong can be associated with strong.

Does the capture of Saddam have any true value other than PR? Not really. Is trying him for crimes against humanity going to deter someone like Mugabe? Hardly likely. Will it bring back the dead? No. And how much will it cost the Iraqi people? How much *has* it cost the Iraqi people? How much has it cost the American people, the British people, the Spanish people, and everyone else?

In the grand scheme of things, a lot of progress was lost for this one dictator-turned-hobbit. Money spent could have been spent on other things.

WMDs have more value than Saddam. Always did. Always will.

But that's just a bit of my opinion...

No matter how much pain he caused to his arab brothers, and his own iraqis, the american shameless dehumanizing treatment of a war prisoner is disgusting

Remember when 5 american soldiers, who came to occupy a sovereign nation, Iraq, were captured and shown on TV, the whole western world was screaming : CRIME!!! this is against the Geneve Covention for POWs, and now???

The whole western media has been showing Saddam, a presiden of a nation, invaded by foregn troops and held hostage, with one of their soldiers tastelessly with his fingers deep in the mouth of an Arab president, counting his teeth, just like one counts the teeth of a donkey at the animal market!!!.

And no one remembers the the same western media shouting like a bunch of hysterical women about the parading of the 5 american POWs, whise mouths were not fundled!.

Shame to You all

No matter how much pain he caused to his arab brothers, and his own iraqis, the american shameless dehumanizing treatment of a war prisoner is disgusting

Remember when 5 american soldiers, who came to occupy a sovereign nation, Iraq, were captured and shown on TV, the whole western world was screaming : CRIME!!! this is against the Geneve Covention for POWs, and now???

The whole western media has been showing Saddam, a presiden of a nation, invaded by foregn troops and held hostage, with one of their soldiers tastelessly with his fingers deep in the mouth of an Arab president, counting his teeth, just like one counts the teeth of a donkey at the animal market!!!.

And no one remembers the the same western media shouting like a bunch of hysterical women about the parading of the 5 american POWs, whise mouths were not fundled!.

Shame to You all

And Donald Rumsfeld has said that he will be treated as a "Prisoner of War". Therefore the Geneva Convention says that all he needs to say is his name and rank. So should he be cooperative when interrogated by Americans?

And now!?! What this capture make to the world!?! When will we see a free Irak!?!

Shame on all of you ...
ur happy coz The cow boys have captured ur president ??? shame on arabs shame on shi3a shame on kurd shame on all of you !!!
Saddam is not a good person but ur worse ...
كما تكونوا يولّ عليكم

The resistance is the only way to obtain a free iraq ... we don't want a7mad al kalabi to be president nor baker al 7akim ... those are jo7oosh este3mar who doesn't mean anything to the free arabs !!!

Terrorism is a terrible thing to be, most of us agree on that. Bur who is the real terrorist???

Does being a Muslim make me a terrorist?

there is a significant number of decent people arround this troubled and Bush & Blair burned world, who believe, so do I,that in fact, Bush, Blair, Rumsfeld & all their other minor european short sighted allies to be the real enemies of mindkind, and the greatest danger to the world peace.

Very unfortunately, there is no balance of power, and most leaders of the Muslim world have deposited their dignity and sovereignity at the white house and downing street 10 respectively.

God Almighty is the greatest guardian of all his people of all religions.

By the way, one recent news of the day struck me, and as time goes, I am beginning to recon that it seems absolutely correct, that is:

President Saddam Hussein was in fact captured in the early days of the war, and Bush, cynically, waited till now to make all this fuz, in order to deceive the american people as election time is closing in!

And what about the reliable informations telling that, the whole area near Tikrit has been gassed prior to the capture concert, well i have no prove but I think Bush & co. are capable of doing so.

Dualeh

I am really interested to hear more from bush al ar3an - this is an important point of view which isn't heard very often. If you read this, could you please email me at [email protected].

For me, saddam is just a criminal and the interesting point is that the Americans did the job Iraqis were supposed to do years ago. if u can't get to hold ur officials accountable and if u dont have the freedom to elect them, it means that u r living ur life in fear and that fear takes away the meaning of being a citizen and a human being. The people of Iraq might be kind and loving- like most Arab people- but they didn't do anything to stop their agony. We can blame the americans and the brits for invading Iraq despite international law but again should'nt we blame ourselves for putting up with rulers like Saddam in the first place.
It seems that lacking democracy for too long made us the way we are. I think that we should let the ghosts of 400,000 people lying in the mass graves be the judges and jury in the trial of Saddam. SET YOUR MINDS FREE

Dear Ahmad Reda!
please decolonize Your mind!

Sure President Saddam was a ruthless leader, but You are indeed wrong claiming we should blame ourselves because we put him there, you couldn't be more wrong on that.

The colonial powers put him there, Donald rumsfeld gave him the mustard gas and refining equipment he used to process and produce those evil products.

Successive american administrations chose, put in place, protected used and, once they became obsolete, named them tyrants, dictators..... and all sorts of nonsense. Just try to remember Mobutu sese Seko, Daniel Ortega, Jean Bedel-Bokassa, Melesovic, Shah Pahlavi resa and many more.
others are still in service and for the time usefull, but they too will soon become obsolete and disgraced by their present bosses at the white house and no. 10 downing Street.

So, brother Ahmad reda: DECOLONIZE YOUR MIND!!!will you please????

In the history of mankind,the forces of occupation have never been will never be liberators. They have always blundered and raped the nations they invaded, and Iraq will not be different!

KEEP THAT IN YOUR(hopefully by now decolonized)MIND!!!

Blaming it all on colonial powers! this is a typical arab argument. Did these colonial powers force him to kill all those people? did the colonial powers tell to invade kuwait? and if what u r saying is true - though i dont beleive in conspiracy theories- should'nt the Iraqis have done something? again the Americans and the Brits invaded Iraq despite international law but it seems that u enjoyed the ride with Saddam that u laid back and done nothing. It is about time to forget about the colonial powers and start thinking about what we can do to save ourselves. If Donald rumsfeld told u to use mustard gas against ur own family, would u do it and what should ur family do to deter u from using it??!! Or maybe u want them to sit back and enjoy it and if any of them survived, he would blame it on ur "colonial powers".

I think we should not drag ourselves to talk about the effect of Colonial powers on our policies in the Arab World at this stage, becasue there is no doubt that they had a major role in changing the geo-political stiutaion in the region.
However, i think the question to be asked now is what is the American role in Iraq after capturing Saddam? Is there any need for the Americans to stay longer in Iraq, especailly after "libarating" the country and getting red of Saddam and his regime?
I probably agree with who said it is a PR, the American adminstration was seeking a victory, after the increasing of political pressure put on them because of the military operations against their soldiers in Iraq.
Saddam was this sort of a victory for the American public opnion in States. And for sure capturing him will boost president's Bush reputation in States.
But the question is till when?

I'd like to quote Chantelle, Manchester, UK from the BBC Talking Point web page - "Well done America. Wow, you managed to sacrifice between around 8,000 innocent Iraqi civilians, 458 US troops, 53 Brits, 17 Italians, 1 Dane, 1 Pole, 1 Spaniard and 1 Ukrainian, all for just one man, oh, and his oil! I don't think many US citizens are aware that it was the US government who created this monster, by arming him, funding him and supplying biological weapons which he used to gas the Iranians all back in the 1980's."

Another valuable opinion on the BBC Talking Point website by Fernando - Brazil - " He should be fairly judged as any other human being. Furthermore, if he must be judged for war crimes, so must be USA that have helped Saddam and even Osama bin Laden in the past. Justice for all!"

Excellent comments by Dana, Columbus, Oh USA - "If anyone believes that Mr. Hussein will be brought to trial prior to the US election in 2004 they are dreaming. The idea of Hussein being allowed to testify in an open, fair international court about his relationships with US regimes prior to 1991 strikes fear in the hearts of the Bush administration."

And I also strongly agree to Ahmad Dualeh's statement! Shame to all those who celebrate such events!

When a man has a point, give it to him.
Dear Ahmad Reda, You do in fact have a good point here.
No, we neither should keep blaming all our national and international problems on others, not even the colonial powers, nor should we sit back and let these same powers decide the path to our destiny and good self governance.

That said, we never forget the fact that, these old and new colonial powers never left us.
Yes we got colourful flags hoisted instead of theirs, but it is undisputed fact, that they kept their grib and control of our nations in all aspects.

In most countries, they installed a puppet regime with a head of state, totally under the control of these colonial masters. Regimes put there not because they were the joyce of the people, but because they were found fit to facilitate the perpetual colonial control over our nations, culturally, politically, socially & economically.

These puppet heads of state are entirely under the control and at the mercy of their colonial masters, every decent person, who has paid attention to world affairs the last 40 years know that.

By virtue of this fact, these enslaved heads of state are hated by their people on whom their cruel rule is imposed at gun point.

My point is, dear brothers, they, the colonial powers, put them in place, train them and arm them, so these tyrants or whatever names they give them, keep terrorizing their own people, on behalf of and under direct orders from their masters.
As time goes, they grow old, opposition takes form and as they seem getting weak in front a growing awareness and opposition from within the population, the colonial powers always get rid of them same way. They invent an excuse then invade the country to “liberate” the nation from this “inhuman tyrant!!!” a product of their own.

Brothers, it is here we have say stop, and it is here we have to stop dancing to this false colonial tune!. They are the real tyrants! Ours are nothing more than misguided greedy poor souls.
That is and remains the real and undisputable fact.

No, brothers, they do not come to rescue our nations nor do they invade the countries to liberate, they come to replace one old burnt out tyrant nearing his fall, with a fresh new and more obedient one.
Under the cover of fighting terrorism and the old guard extreme and overwhelming brute force is exercised, and they do not give a damn about how many thousands or millions of god fearing innocent civilian people they massacre in the process.

Since Sunday morning, throughout the world, the western media, tv stations, radio and news papers were repeatedly, minute by minute showing in a perverted pornographic manner, footage of a prisoner of war, a fellow Arab president, President Saddam Hussein, captured by using poisonous gas, a product he was accused of using against his own people, but this time used by his old suppliers the American armed forces on orders of Bush & Rumsfeld, dehumanized humiliated, putting fingers in his mouth counting his teeth etc. and all the western reporters keep calling him acoward, that he did not put up any fight, that he did not have the courage to commit suicide.

It appears now that it is a fact, that President Saddam Hussein and the whole region of Tokrit area was gassed!

My question is to these lyres: who is the coward ?

600 green berets excessively armed, with air cover by helicopter gun ships, which did not have the courage to face one single man armed with a pistol, but had to gas the whole region, or president Saddam Hussein who has been gassed?????.

I am sure that neither “Rambo” Ramsfeld nor the western media reporters will be able to give any meaningful answer.
A.F. Dualeh

Muslums are just plain Shithouse Crazy and should be erradicated from history. Dont' blame us, you degenerates from the land of sand strarted this shit! Take your medicine!

The reality is that the most of Arabs are like some one with very poor mentality, but I would like to know how it is possible that the civilize world to accept enemies of mankind,killing children and innocent people, then calling them the terrorist? Of caurse the terrorist has been created to be very stupid and will remain to be stupid, but who is the terrorist?

There are millions of people whose have been victims by the brutal policy of colonisation, discrimination,seggrigation and more and more around the world, in many generations, where is their voices?

When a man has a point, give it to him.
Dear Ahmad Reda, You do in fact have a good point here.
No, we neither should keep blaming all our national and international problems on others, not even the colonial powers, nor should we sit back and let these same powers decide the path to our destiny and good self governance.
That said, we should also remember that in most countries, they installed a puppet regimes found fit to facilitate the perpetual colonial control over our nations, culturally, politically, socially & economically.
My point is, dear brothers, they, the colonial powers, put them in place, train them and arm them, so these tyrants or whatever they call them once they find the useless, keep terrorizing their own people, on behalf of and under direct orders from their masters.

As time goes, they grow old, opposition takes form and as they seem getting weak in front a growing awareness and opposition from within the population, the colonial powers always get rid of them same way. They invent an excuse then invade the country to “liberate” the nation from this “inhuman tyrant!!!” a product of their own. That is and remains the real and undisputable fact.

No, brothers, they do not come to rescue our nations nor do they invade the countries to liberate, they come to a fresh new and more obedient tyrant.
Under the cover of fighting terrorism and the old guard extreme and overwhelming brute force is exercised, and they do not give a damn about how many thousands or millions of god fearing innocent civilian people they massacre in the process.

Since Sunday morning, throughout the world, the western media, were repeatedly, minute by minute showing in a perverted pornographic manner, footage of a prisoner of war, a fellow Arab president, President Saddam Hussein, captured by using poisonous gas, a product he was accused of using against his own people, but this time used by his old suppliers, the American armed forces on orders of the RAMBO TWINS Bush & Rumsfeld, dehumanized humiliated, putting fingers in his mouth counting his teeth etc. and all the western reporters keep calling him a coward, that he did not put up any fight.
But who is the coward?
600 green berets excessively armed and with air cover by helicopter gun ships, which did not have the courage to face one single man armed with a pistol, but had to gas the whole region, or president Saddam Hussein who has been gassed?????.

I am sure that neither of the two “Rambos”, Bush or Ramsfeld nor the western media reporters will be able to give a decent answer, in fact they never do.

A.F. Dualeh

Coward?
But who is really a coward?

600 green berets with the most sofisticated arms man can get and with air cover with helicopter gunships, gassing a whole region of Iraq, afraid of facing one single man armed with an old russian pistol, president Saddam Hussein, or

The one single man, President Saddam Hussein, who has been gassed from the air?

And by the way, when mr. Bush so disgustingly is talking about a rapechamper, was he thinking of the Lewinsky valley in the white house???

i only ask.

Ahmed dualeh

Test

off course no body can deny that colonial powers did help the tyrants but again if we were not so passive, those tyrants would have been in their graves long time ago. My point is that we didn't change our destiny and we didn't ask for accountability. this is the key word here "accountability", u can't hold ur officials accountable and u can't have a say in anything. this is not because of colonial powers but it was a result of our weakness in our own lands. I can't understand that some are feeling sympathy and pity for Saddam. The man destroyed his nation, Iraqis are poor people because of him though their country is one of the richest countries in the world. When i watched the american soliders capturing him i thanked God not for the sake of Bush or Blair but for the sake of Iraqi people who suffered alot because of his suppressive practicies. But the Iraqis put up with him for more than 20 years..why?
we are enduring the sufferings imposed on us by our rulers..why?
we keep talking about the American governments and we forget that we live in despair. They support "client regimes" but allow these regimes to live. we accept everything and we don't question anything. The iraqi people didn't do anything for more than 20 years and left a man like saddam go on with his hallucinations and they allowed the americans to do what they couldn't do all these years. The Americans exploited the passive attitudes of Arabs to invade Iraq but would it have happened if the Iraqis overthrew saddam years ago. look at what happened in georgia and see how the people forced a president to resign..will we see a day like this??!!
i despise saddam and i hope they will jail him for the rest of his life and i dont have any pity for him. off course if we tried to overthrow an arab president, many people will be killed but the price of freedom is high and again we have to have alternatives. i mean other rulers that we trust and who are ready to be held accountable. we need to see some change. we need to change the way we look at things and we need to feel for others. we should know that the american soldiers in iraq are normal citizens exactly like us and can be deceived just like us but at least they have a chance to get rid of Bush in the next elections if they want to. we dont have this chance and i m afraid that we ll never have it for a looong time.

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