PM calls Saddam's capture an important lesson for dictators

<snip>
"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.

<snip>

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."
<snip>
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/371853.html


_____________________-

Hmmm

that should be brought before justice. There's a few of them among "western" leaders as well IMHO...

Catherine Colonna, spokesperson for President Chirac

"The president is delighted at the arrest of Saddam Hussein. This is a major event which should strongly contribute
to the democratisation and the stabilisation of Iraq and allow the Iraqis to once more be masters of their destiny in
a sovereign Iraq".


Dominique De Villepin, French foreign minister

"(I) have learnt with satisfaction of the arrest of Saddam Hussein. The page of the Iraqi dictatorship has been turned.
France hopes that this arrest will contribute to stabilising Iraq, to the return of Iraqi sovereignty in the best conditions and the reconciliation of everyone. (France) also hopes this arrest will reinforce the will of the Iraqis in to commit resolutely to the reconstruction process."

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0117894E-837C-4030-87D5-763315752F13.htm


Schroeder Congratulates Bush for Saddam Capture

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder sent a telegram of congratulations to President Bush Sunday after U.S. forces announced the capture of former Iraq leader Saddam Hussein.
"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."

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=3988744


Foreign Minister Fischer on the capture of Saddam Hussein

“The German Government welcomes the capture of Saddam Hussein today and congratulates the Coalition on this crucial success. This is very good news for the Iraqi people and the entire region. Saddam Hussein was a cruel and brutal dictator, under whom his own people suffered most. He must now be given the punishment he deserves.

http://www.germany-info.org/relaunch/politics/new/pol_fischer_s_capture.html

Saudi ambassador accuses Iraq war opposers of 'chutzpah'

Countries that opposed the US decision to invade Iraq have no right to protest US initiatives restricting reconstruction contracts to allies, the Saudi ambassador to the US said Friday.

"It's amazing how people who were doing everything possible to derail the success" of the Iraq war now "feel they have the right" to reconstruction contracts, Prince Bandar Bin Sultan said. "It just takes so much chutzpah."

...

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1071300403077

Bush...

who'da thunk...

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.

General Sharon, like Mr. Bush, is another leader whose commitment to democratic ideals is highly suspect. When he deals with Palestinians as equals rather than as people to be subjugated, I'll be more impressed with a remark like this coming from him.

As for those of us who object to terror, Sharon, like all supporters of Mr. Bush's invasion, misses the point; the invasion had nothing to do with terror. Saddam was not involved with the September 11 attacks and had no association with al Qaida. This invasion, if anything, strengthened the hand of Islamists in Iraq and exacerbated the problem of terrorism.

The entire world can breath a sigh of relief, because the dictator who ruined Iraq cannot interfere with its reconstruction and rehabilitation.

We shed no tears for Saddam. He cerainly did his part to ruin Iraq. However, the resistance to US occupation of Iraq rose in spite of him and will continue without him. He is part of Iraq's past and is irrelevant to her future.

Sharon, as to be expected, ignores the fact that Iraq is being reconstructed for the benefit of Halliburton and other US transnational corporations, not the Iraqi people. What he means by "rehabilitation" is beyond me and I rather not hazard a guess.

While Saddam's capture is a positive event and Saddam should pay for his past crimes, we should be careful not to make too much of this event. It will not solve the problems that the Iraqi people now face under colonial occupation. It will not bring democracy or even any kind of self-government to Iraq.

It certainly does not change the fact that the invasion was justified by a pack of lies and that its real purpose is to rob the Iraqi people of the benefits of their natural wealth. Saddam's capture in no way justifies the invasion or the present colonial occupation.

Saddam did his part to ruin Iraq. The task at hand is to prevent Bush from ruining it further.

Your critique of the posted segments completely ignored the section on Palestinian reactions to the capture.

While you think of Palestine as a separate nation from Israel (according to your other posts) you denounce Sharon's comments about democracy saying that he should of had more concern for Palestinians. The animosity between Arafat and Sharon is well known. Having solidarity with the Palestinians (as apparently you do) allows you to set aside the aspect of the conflict which has harmed Israelis. I don't think that should be the PM of Israel's role, however.

The Palestinians are not only refraining from comment on Saddam's capture, they have marked the day as a "Black Day".

The former Iraqi ruler was a hero to many Palestinians for his stand against Israel and its U.S. ally, as well as for giving financial aid to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers and others who died in a three-year-old uprising.

Saddam was their benefactor and hero, allowing them to continue with the "Uprising" against Israel, the suicide bombings were financed and rewarded by Saddam. While Hamas spoksman Rantissi said "What the United States did is ugly and despicable. It is an insult to all Arabs and an insult to Muslims," he told Reuters.
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/371883.html

So perhaps Sharon isn't as kind as Saddam in helping the Palestinians, neither could he reward them for their uprising.

Democracy implies a respect for the equality of all people. When Sharon subjugates Palestinians in their own land for interests of Israelis settling there, he is certainly being no democrat.

Having solidarity with the Palestinians (as apparently you do) allows you to set aside the aspect of the conflict which has harmed Israelis.

That is false. My "solidarity" with the Palestinians in no way allows me to put aside aspects of the conflict that have harmed Israelis, any more than my support for the continued existence of a Jewish state allows me to put aside any aspects of the conflict that have harmed Palestinians.

When a woman's heart bursts in Waterville,
a woman sreams equal in Hanoi.
-- Allen Ginsberg, Wichita Vortex Sutra (1966)

When Sharon subjugates Palestinians in their own land for interests of Israelis settling there, he is certainly being no democrat.

And how does he do this? I'm not sure I understand what you are saying here. Could you give me some examples?

Are Palestinians and the settlers operating in one system separate from Israel or is Israeli government (last 2 years Sharon) responsible that group A (Palestinians) and group B (Settlers) have equal ....(something, not sure what would fit here perhaps "interests").

Note: The Palestinians voted for Arafat (elected leader) while the settlers vote in Israeli election.