Saddam's Capture -- Good News for Iraqis, Bad News for Tyrants
by Bill Fancher, Jody Brown, and Fred Jackson
December 15, 2003
(AgapePress) - With Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein now in coalition hands, celebrations of freedom-loving people are taking place throughout the world.In a brief address to the nation on Sunday, President George W. Bush chose not to revel in the fact that Saddam had been captured by U.S. forces, bringing to a close a months-long, massive manhunt. Leaving the celebration to American and coalition troops, he simply explained what it means to those who suffered under the tyrant's hand.
"The former dictator of Iraq will face the justice he denied to millions," Bush said. "The capture of this man was crucial to the rise of a free Iraq; it marks the end of the road for him and for all who bullied and killed in his name. For the vast majority of Iraqi citizens who wish to live as free men and women, this event brings further assurance that the torture chambers and the secret police are gone forever."
He addressed the Iraqi people directly, telling them that "a dark and painful era is over" and "a hopeful day has arrived."
"All Iraqis who take the side of freedom have taken the winning side," he said. "The goals of our coalition are the same as your goals: sovereignty for your country, dignity for your great culture, and for every Iraqi citizen, the opportunity for a better life."
The president also took time to praise the efforts of both American and coalition forces for their roles in the capture of Saddam -- but warned Americans that it does not mean the end of violence in Iraq. "We still face terrorists who would rather go on killing the innocent than accept the rise of liberty in the heart of the Middle East," Bush said. "Such men are a direct threat to the American people, and they will be defeated."
Indeed, the violence continues. A suicide bomber driving a four-wheel-drive taxi killed eight Iraqi policemen on Monday when he rolled up to a police station gate north of the Iraqi capital. That was followed several hours later by several large explosions in central Baghdad.
Some Reaction
British Prime Minister Tony Blair says the capture of Saddam Hussein is bad news for Islamic militants. The British leader says it should put an end to foreign terrorists' claims that the U.S.-led coalition is fighting Muslims.
Blair points out that Muslims were Saddam's victims and now are the beneficiaries of his demise. "The shadow of Saddam has finally lifted from the Iraqi people," he says.
The news also prompted elation among Christian refugees from Iraq. Associated Press reports that Michael Kossab, who fled to the United States in 1991, was among 100 Iraqis and Syrians who attended Mass on Sunday at St. Ephrem Syriac Catholic Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Most of them awoke to the news of Saddam's capture, and hugged and kissed in celebration. Kossab rejoiced that, "The symbol of terrorism and evil is now gone."
Retired Colonel Bob Maginnis welcomed the news of Saddam's capture, saying the incident will have far-reaching results. "It will, I believe, have a very positive impact on the efforts by the coalition to bring to heel the remaining resistance in the loyal regime hangovers," Maginnis says. "It's also going to have a positive impact on the rest of the world that has been very hesitant to come to the side of the U.S. and the coalition efforts."
A Cowering Jihadist
One conservative analyst -- while calling it "incredibly good news" -- is predicting mixed results from the capture of Saddam. Gary Bauer of the Campaign for Working Families says taking the dictator into custody will help the Bush Administration with voters and with it critics.
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Gary Bauer |
"[Saddam's capture is] a tribute to the perseverance of our servicemen and women who have kept their eye on the ball under incredibly difficult circumstances -- and now the tyrant is in jail," Bauer says. "This is certainly great news for the White House, but the nature of politics [asks]: 'What have you done for me today?' -- so the good effects will probably fade."Bauer says televisions worldwide are seeing what is going on -- and those who are watching are taking note. "It's a message to every tyrant around the world that if you oppress your people, if you engage in war crimes the way Saddam Hussein did, someday your number's going to be up too," he says. "So I don't think we can downplay the significance of this in the overall war against the Islamic terrorists."
In addition, Bauer says the world should take note of the conditions under which Saddam was found. He says it speaks volumes about the character of Islamic terrorist leaders like Saddam and Osama bin Laden, who he describes as "a bunch of old men [who] are very good at sending young, impressionable men to die for Allah -- but when it comes to themselves, they cower in caves or in holes and at the very end don't put up a fight."
Bauer says Saddam's lack of resistance and his willingness to cooperate with his American captors does not say much for his dedication to a jihad.
A Problem for Democrats?
Meanwhile, Saddam's capture may create some big problems for the Democratic presidential candidates. Political analysts say while it provides a major political boost for the president, the Democratic candidates must now, at least, temper their criticism of Bush's Iraq policy. In fact, one candidate -- Senator Joe Lieberman -- wasted no time on Sunday in using the capture to attack the Democratic frontrunner Howard Dean, who has openly opposed the war.
Lieberman declared that "if Howard Dean had his way, Saddam Hussein would still be in power today -- not in prison."
Analysts say other candidates who supported the war, such as Senator John Kerry, could also be helped by this news -- especially in the short term. The first voting in the Democratic nominating process is less than a month-and-a-half away.
