US military forces caught the Ace of Spades yesterday, hiding in a foxhole under a farmhouse, “like a rat in a hole”.
“The former dictator of Iraq will face the justice he denied to millions,” President Bush said in a short televised address from the White House. “For the Baathist holdouts responsible for the violence, there will be no return to the corrupt power and privilege they once held.
“This afternoon I have a message for the Iraqi people: This is further assurance that the torture chambers and the secret police are gone forever. You will not have to fear the rule of Saddam Hussein ever again.”
Iraqis are celebrating in the streets. The German and French leadership is “congratulating” US forces for Saddam’s capture. There’s a spirit of optimism in the air that hasn’t been seen since April 9th, 2003.
Of course, everyone – including Bush – knows that this optimism is temporary. They’ve got Saddam, they’ll put him on trial and bring him to “justice”… but Iraq isn’t going to emerge as a free, peaceful democracy overnight.
What this does present is a window of opportunity for the US to internationalize the rebuilding efforts. (And it also gives Bush’s election campaign a big boost… but that’s another story.) So we’ll have to wait and see what the Bush administration chooses to do with this.
Gives new meaning to “ace in the hole”
“…the torture chambers and the secret police are gone forever…” What?? Oh, yeah, the Iraqui torture chambers and secret police…the American ones are just getting into gear..read today’s The Gazette on Saddam’s capture, hypocrite! Where are the weapons? Where is the money? Who helped you?
L.P. Breamer steps out of the wings and onto the stage:
“Ladies and gentlemen, they got him. Kurds got him, drugged him, and left him in that hole for us to ‘capture’ on camera.”
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/21/1071941612613.html