American military officials confirmed today that Saddam Hussein had been captured alive in Tikrit on Saturday night.
They confirmed that it was him based on DNA evidence.
In Baghdad, huge crowds celebrated in the streets with gunfire.
The most emotional aspect was watching the Middle Eastern reporters reaction during the announcement. The other members of the press started taking pictures of them.
L. Paul Bremer III, the U.S. administrator in Iraq, was greeted by cheers today upon announcing the capture of Saddam Hussein.
The Washington Post has more:
The capture of Hussein has been a high priority for U.S. forces since last spring’s invasion, but the former Iraqi leader had proven elusive despite a $25 million reward that the Bush administration offered for information that led to him.
U.S. authorities had received numerous tips about possible hiding places for Hussein and suspect they were close to nabbing him on a few occasions. Hussein’s two sons, Uday and Qusay, were found in July in a house in Tikrit and died in a firefight with U.S. troops.
From his hideouts, Hussein continued to taunt U.S. authorities, issuing periodic audio tapes urging resistance to the American-led occupation. To spearhead the search for him, the Pentagon established a group of Special Operations forces known as Task Force 121. In recent months, U.S. forces have focused on hunting down mid-level former Iraqi officers and mid-ranking onetime Baath Party operatives in hopes they could provide intelligence that might lead to Hussein.
That would be the same Task Force 121 that Seymour Hersh had written this alarmist piece about in the New Yorker. Hersh’s next book should be “How to be Wrong About Everything All the Time.”
How are Democrats going to spin this as an administration failure? My guess is the “But where is Osama catcalls will begin.”
*** Update ***
Atrios’s only remark is to title a link to the story as ‘Something Right.’ The first comment underneath that post is: “Now if only someone would come and capture our ‘leader.'”
I am not exagerating when I say the members of the Atrios ‘moderate’ left have lost their collective minds.
*** Update #2 ***
The Command Post is on the Saddam Capture like ugly on an ape.
neil
So, Atrios isn’t showing sufficient enthusiasm for your tastes, eh? How Soviet of you. If only it were the good old days, you could get him thrown in the gulag for a few years.
John Cole
I am not saying he should be jailed. I am saying this is indicative of how bitter, short-sighted, and mean-spirited the Atrios left is. Go check Oliver Willis’s response. Go check out Jesse’s response. Go check the response of any normal human being.
Don’t start your Soviet shit with me… People can say whatever they want- and then I can mock them for it.
neil
Yes, indeed, how bitter of him to say that this is “something right.” Sheesh. Who’s the one who’s taking this positive piece of news and using it as a shrieking condemnation of his enemies, now?
John Cole
Go read the comments section.
And something right is meant to frame it as a moderate succcess in the midst of failure. Quit being a pissant.
drew
Atrios’ response was fine. To quote Atrios:
Something RIGHT!!!!
drew
Cole-
I am sick of your hate speech!!!:
Way to go Cole. YOU POLITICIZED this capture not the Dems. Lets see what the frontrunner has to say: Statement by Governor Dean on the Capture of Saddam Hussein
This is a great day for America and Howard Dean has recognized it as a great victory. Hate Speech nothing more than Hate Speech.
Kevin
Drew,
You have a pretty broad definition of what constitutes, “hate speech.”
drew
Any one who suggests a person is rooting against their country for political gain is guilty of hate speech in my opinion.
Lets say its October 2004 and the election is looking close, but if a major terrorist attack occurs the Bush would win for sure because we would want continuity after a major terror attack. Lets say, God forbit, that happens. If a Democrat were to say Bush wanted the terror attack to happen this Dem would be guilty of hate speech.
Mr. Cole is practicing this same type of divisive and idiotic hate speech.
Kevin
Like I said, a pretty broad definition of what constitutes “hate speech”.