The current head of the U.S.-backed Iraqi Governing Council, Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim, said Hussein's capture is significant not only for the Iraqi people, but for everyone, because Hussein had committed crimes against humanity during his rule.
Iraqis and their neighbors in the Middle East are welcoming the capture of Hussein as a step forward for the region. The IRNA report was from Qasr-e Shirin in Iraq. Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted Jalal Talabani, the head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, as saying that Hussein has been captured in his northern Iraqi hometown of Tikrit. Defense Department said it could not confirm the arrest reports.įirst reports of Hussein's capture were carried by Iran's official news agency IRNA. forces were acting on intelligence but refused to confirm whether any reward had been paid.Įarlier today the U.S. Sanchez said Hussein is currently under U.S. According to Sanchez, Hussein was captured in a cellar in the town of Al-Dawr, which is about 15 kilometers south of Hussein's hometown Tikrit.Ī video showing Hussein's hiding place and the former Iraqi president receiving a medical examination was shown. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez said they had received positive identification from a number of sources. In Baghdad, there were street celebrations with many people firing guns into the air. "We got him," Bremer said at the news conference, prompting claps and cheers from some members of the audience.īremer told a news conference "This is a great day in Iraq's history. forces captured deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein yesterday. civilian administrator in Iraq, has confirmed that U.S. Media observers however, suggested that although parading Saddam Hussein in front of the cameras is a violation of the Conventions, it serves as evidence that news organisations will be treated differently depending on what images they decide to air, and who the POWs are.Prague, 14 December 2003 (RFE/RL) - Speaking at a Baghdad press conference, L. Officials were quick to accuse Aljazeera of violating the Geneva Conventions by airing the controversial images.Īljazeera officials declined to comment on the whether or not they felt there was a double standard in how news organisations were treated after airing images of POWs. That’s all I have to say.”īut absent from Darley or Sanchez’s comments was any criticism towards media organisations that published the unauthorised photos.ĭuring the war on Iraq, US military officials specifically lashed out at Aljazeera TV for airing images of American POWs and dead soldiers. There are on other websites that are out there, and those are not official photo releases that were done by the coalition. “There are no photos of Saddam Hussein on an authorised army website. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez added to Darley’s comments: Sanchez did not single out anynews organisations for criticism We do not have any other photos,” said military spokesman Colonel William Darley. “We released the pictures we thought were appropriate and dignified. US officials denied having any involvement in the release of the unauthorised photos. “Public interest has guided us to publish the pictures I wouldn’t have wanted to be the first person to produce this, but the fact is that they are widely published – has made it easier for us.” Other BBC journalists, who wished to remain anonymous said wide circulation of the images made it easier for the BBC to publish them as well. Saddam Hussein is an easily identifiable person and we are convinced that the pictures are authentic,” Clifton said. “We have taken an editorial judgement and decided to run the images. POWs are not allowed to be shownaccording to the Conventions “Article 13 of the Geneva states that POWs should not be subject to public curiosity or humiliation – and while the media is not legally bound by the Conventions, we expect it to be an ethical issue for them, that they uphold and respect dignity for all individuals.”īut Pete Clifton, editor-in-chief of BBC news online defended the corporation’s decision to publish the unauthorised Saddam photos regardless of the ICRC concerns of Geneva Convention violations. The International Committee of the Red Cross was quick to condemn the publication of the images, which appeared on the BBC and CNN websites. The soldier’s face has been blacked out.Īnother picture shows the ex-president, hair a mess, slumped dejectedly in an armchair.Īfter the 13 December capture of Saddam Hussein, the US military released an “official” picture of the captured ex-president – both bearded and shaven, and receiving a medical examination. Images released on Thursday show a bloody-mouthed Saddam Hussein pressed to the ground with a US occupation soldier holding him up for a joint photo.