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Captured
Saddam Talkative, Cooperative: U.S.
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During
medical examination
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CAIRO,
December 14 (IslamOnline.net) - Representatives of U.S. occupation
authority and the U.S.-installed Governing Council Sunday, December
14, confirmed the capture of ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein,
during a celebratory news conference aired live by Arab and foreign
televisions.
"Ladies
and gentlemen, we got him," Paul Bremer - U.S. administrator of
the oil-rich Arab country - declared at the start of the news
conference, amid loud cheers and applaud from some of the attending
reporters, and to the apparent satisfaction of Bremer.
"The
tyrant is a prisoner," Bremer said, adding that it was time for
Iraqis to look forward to reconciliation.
Commander
of U.S. forces in Iraq, Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, gave a quick briefing
about the mega-weight capture.
"Today
is a great day for Iraq and Coalition. At 8 pm local time, Saturday,
December 13, a 4th
infantry division
mounted an operation called Red-Dawn to capture Saddam," he said,
adding some 600 soldiers took part in the operation.
The
U.S. commander went on to describe how intelligence came in at 10:50
pm, specifying two possible locations where Saddam could have been
hiding.
Accordingly,
American troops were divided into two teams and moved "under the
cover of darkness and lightening speed".
The
two locations were in and around the city of Addwar, some 30 kms south
of Saddam's northern hometown of Tikrit.
Initially,
the two teams failed to find the ousted leader - on the run for over 7
months now.
As
a result, the U.S. forces cordoned the area and started a thorough
search, according to Sanchez.
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Dusty,
tired Saddam after capture
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Accidentally,
they spotted a small hub-mud, inside which a spider hole was detected,
camouflaged by mud.
Saddam
was hiding at the bottom of the hole - 6-8 feet deep.
Sanchez
added the arrest came with "no resistance, not even a single shot
fired".
Two
other unidentified Iraqis were also captured with Saddam who was then
removed to a secure area.
Sanchez
further said that Saddam was "talkative and cooperative".
When
asked to elaborate on that Sanchez said; "He was cooperative,
resigned, tired man and also a man resigned to his fate".
The
American commander then showed a video clip, filmed by the U.S. forces
themselves, where a dusty, tired Saddam was being given a medical
examination after his capture.
He
was then shown on the video clip after he was shaved. Also, the spider
hole he was reportedly captured in was shown.
Then,
two snapshots of Saddam - one before and after the capture and another
containing a file photo and one after he was shaved.
During
the Iraq invasion, U.S. senior officials, topped by President George
Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld criticized the Iraqis and
Arab news channels for showing
U.S. war prisoners on TV, calling it a war crime and
threatening to hold Iraqi officials accountable.
Upon
the start of the movie clip, the hall of the news conference burst
into loud cheers and screams of joy from some reporters attending,
shouting anti-Saddam slogans.
"We
want to get even (with Saddam)!", "Criminal Saddam!",
"Long Live Iraq"…etc.
Acting
head of the Iraqi Governing Council, Dr Adnan Pachachi, had to use a
handkerchief to wipe his tears (out of joy) while the video clip was
on.
"It
honors me on behalf of the Governing Council to extend the sincerest
congratulations to the Iraqi people on this historic, happy day.
"The
state of fear, secret police and oppression has gone forever,"
said a jubilant Pachachi, a former foreign minister before Saddam came
to power.
"I
call on the Governing Council to declare this a national
holiday," he added.
When
asked whether the transfer of power from the U.S.-led occupation
authority will now be accelerated after Saddam's capture, Pachachi
said: "There will be an independent Iraqi government without
oversight from anyone.
"As
I said, we are working on the law that will administer Iraq during the
transitional period and before the end of June there will be an Iraqi
government with complete sovereignty."
Pachachi
also said that the Iraqi people will have opportunity to vote on new
constitution. "We are at the service of the people of Iraq,"
he said.
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