The Hindu : Saddam's fate unclear, says Bush

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 09, 2003

International

International

Saddam's fate unclear, says Bush

Anti-war protesters confront police in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Tuesday. — AP

HILLSBOROUGH (Northern Ireland) APRIL 8. It's unclear whether the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, is still alive after coalition forces dropped four bunker-busting bombs on a restaurant where he was believed to be meeting with his sons, the U.S. President, George W. Bush, said on Tuesday.

``I don't know whether he survived,'' Mr. Bush said at a joint news conference with the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair. ``The only thing I know is that he's losing power.''

A U.S. warplane dropped the bombs on Monday afternoon on a western Baghdad restaurant, blasting a crater several stories deep. At least three buildings were destroyed.

Mr. Blair said Mr. Hussein's regime is collapsing under the weight of allied attacks in Iraq and that ``the power of Saddam is ending.'' The two leaders offered personal assessments of the war after a meeting at Hillsborough Castle outside Belfast.

In addition to showcasing military progress in Iraq, the two leaders — holding their third meeting in three weeks — were looking ahead to the post-war period while seeking to minimise splits on who should govern and rebuild the country. They also sought to boost peace talks in Northern Ireland.

A key component of the talks on Tuesday was to be on U.N. resolutions that would define what role the international body would play in reconstruction and governing.

Mr. Blair sought to downplay the divide, in which the British leader seems to want a more influential U.N. role than what Mr. Bush favours. Mr. Bush has said he supports a U.N. role and the creation of an interim governing authority for Iraq. But he has not provided key details, such as the exact nature of the U.N.'s role and the make-up of the authority.

Mr. Bush added a complex set of issues by heeding Mr. Blair's call to meet in Northern Ireland and by backing Mr. Blair's peace blueprint, due out later this week.

``I support and my Government strongly supports their efforts,'' Mr. Bush said. ``This is a historic moment. I ask all the communities of Northern Ireland to seize this opportunity for peace.''

Mr. Blair said progress being made toward peace in Northern Ireland would have a positive impact on the West Asia peace process. ``To those who can sometimes say that the process in the Middle East is hopeless,'' he said, ``I say we can look at Northern Ireland and take some hope from that.''

Both leaders looked ahead to issuing a ``roadmap'' to restart peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. That plan is to be released after the new Prime Minister for the Palestinian Authority is confirmed.

— AP

Related Stories:
Bush, Blair to review war

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

Stories in this Section

Iraqis struggle to recover bodies

'End game is near'

Saddam's fate unclear, says Bush

Hunt for regime targets will go on: U.S.

Chalabi flown into Iraq

Arabs call for U.N. meet

Snipers triggered U.S. action?

We will respond to Agni-III: Pak.

Ivanov cancels U.S. visit

Scholar who loved India

U.S. forces stumble upon weapons of mass destruction?

Endangered wild cattle cloned

China upbeat on ties with India

Report on sinking of Chinese trawler biased: Chandrika