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12/18/2003
Good riddance, Saddam
[Back January 8]
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, 12/14/03
The shadow of Saddam is finally lifted from the Iraqi people.
We give thanks for that, but let this be more than a cause simply
for rejoicing.
Let it be a moment to reach out and to reconcile.
To the Sunnis whose allegiance Saddam falsely claimed, I say
there is a place for you playing a full part in a new and a
democratic Iraq.
To those formally in Saddam’s Party, there by force and not by
conviction, I say we can put the past behind us.
Where his rule meant terror and division and brutality let his
capture bring about unity, reconciliation and peace between all
the people in Iraq.
Saddam has gone from power. He won’t be coming back. That
the Iraqi people now know and it is they who will decide his fate.
And in Iraq today we work hard, the coalition forces from 30
different nations and Iraqis who love their country and who work
hard with us to rebuild Iraq to nurture its wealth for all its people,
to bring prosperity and freedom to those people.
In the timetable we have established, power will be handed over
to Iraqis to run Iraq as a sovereign independent state based on the
principles of justice and democracy and the rule of law.
And let us lay one myth to rest today. We have a common
interest, coalition forces and Iraqi people.
Our purpose is a shared purpose. Our victory a shared victory.
The coalition needs an Iraq that is stable and prosperous for the
good of Iraq, the region and the wider world.
The Iraqi people who were reduced to poverty and to penury by
Saddam and his sons, they desire no more than to live in peace to
develop their nation’s wealth and to put freedom in the place of
dictatorship.
We’re on the same side.
And who is against us?
The tiny minority of Iraqis who wanted Saddam back and must
not know that their cause is a futile one, and assorted foreign
terrorists who have entered Iraq whose greatest fear is that a new
Iraq spells the end of their vile campaign of terror and
propaganda against the Arab and the Western world working in
partnership together.
The rebirth of Iraq is the death of their attempt to sell the lie that
we are fighting Muslims.
Muslims were Saddam’s victims. Muslims today in Iraq are the
beneficiaries of his demise.
Let’s remember all those Iraqis that died under Saddam.
The remains of 400,000 human beings already found in mass
graves.
So this is a time for celebration, but it’s also a time to look
forward to unify and to reconcile.
Our thanks go to the coalition forces and the intelligence services
who brought about Saddam’s capture.
Once again they have proved their professionalism, their courage
and their commitment.
But let us give thanks to those brave Iraqis who have helped in
his capture, who in the new Iraqi administration, police and
defense forces risk their lives daily for the good of their people.
They are the representatives of the new Iraq in action today.
So now is a time of great opportunity. Let us seize it and use it
for the good of the people of Iraq, for the people in the Middle
East and for the people of our world.
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Other comments:
Kuwait Information Minister Mohammed Abulhassan
“Thank God that he has been captured alive, so he can be tried
for the heinous crimes he has committed.
“Kuwait today feels more relaxed and assured after the departure
of this tyrant and after all are certain now that he will never
return. The Kuwaiti people are happy for the Iraqi people.
“It is the end of the rule of tyranny Saddam’s capture is a
turning point and an opportunity for Iraqis to unite.”
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder:
“It’s with great delight that I learned of Saddam Hussein’s
capture. 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.”
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
“Today is a great day for the democratic world. We are relieved
that this murderer and dictator can no longer stand in the way of
rebuilding the country he destroyed.”
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar
“Saddam Hussein is the cause of all the poverty and suffering of
the Iraqi people. Today, the moment has arrived for him to pay
for his crimes.
“Happily, today the main obstacle to peace, freedom and
democracy in Iraq has disappeared.”
French President Jacques Chirac
“It’s a major event that should strongly contribute to democracy
and stability in Iraq and allow the Iraqis to master their destiny.”
Senator Joseph Lieberman
“Praise the Lord This is a day of glory for the American
military, American intelligence, and it’s a day of triumph and joy
for anybody in the world who cares about freedom and human
rights and peace.”
Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi
“The capture is a big step forward for the progress of security
and the reconstruction of Iraq, and I welcome it.
“I strongly hope it will bring Iraqi people closer together to
realize a free and democratic Iraq. Japan will do its best to
support the reconstruction of Iraq.”
Afghan Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali
“What happens in Iraq is also something to do with the situation
in Afghanistan. Since the war in Iraq, the terrorist organizations
have tried to open a new front in Afghanistan, so any failure of
terrorism in Iraq is going to effect the situation in Afghanistan.”
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Your editor needs to carve out some time to work on a few
projects here at year end. Hott Spotts will return January 8.
Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah.
Brian Trumbore
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