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Washington: US President George W Bush last night (Dec 14, 2003) said the capture of Saddam Hussein was crucial to the rise of free Iraq and marked the end of the road for the former Iraqi dictator.

The capture of this man, said Bush, was crucial to the rise of free Iraq. "It marks the end of the road for him and all who killed and bullied in his name," Bush said in an address from the Cabinet Room, a day after Saddam's capture in his hometown of Tikrit.

Bush told the nation that "the former dictator of Iraq will face the justice he denied to millions".

"For the Baathist holdouts largely responsible for the current violence, there will be no return to the corrupt power and privilege they once held," the President said.

"For the vast majority of Iraqi citizens who wish to live as free men and women", Bush said, "This event brings further assurance that the torture chambers and the secret police are gone forever."

In an "assurance" to the Iraqi people, he said, "You will not have to fear the rule of Saddam Hussein ever again. All Iraqis who took the side of freedom have taken the winning side. 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."

At the same time, Bush warned that "the war continues and so do the risks".

The capture of Saddam Hussein, he said, does not mean the end of violence in Iraq.

"We still face the terrorists, who would rather go on killing the innocent than accept the rise of liberty for the people of the Middle East."

The war on terror, he said, is a different kind of war won capture by capture, cell by cell and victory by victory.

PTI



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