In The News

Saddam in Custody Offers New Opportunity

Shada Islam December 17, 2003
When Saddam Hussein was in power and was defying the UN, the US and its European allies wrangled over how to bring him into compliance. Now with the Iraqi leader in American custody there is a new opportunity to repair transatlantic relations. But there is also a fresh new hurdle. Writing from Brussels, veteran EU watcher Shada Islam says that the Pentagon's announcement that only nations...

France and Germany Join U.S. in Effort to Reduce Iraq's Debt

Craig S. Smith December 17, 2003
US President George W. Bush's envoy on Iraqi debt relief, James Baker III, seems to have already proved his credentials. After talks with officials in the French and German governments, Baker received assurances that those two countries would do what they can to lessen Iraq's debt burden, which is estimated at $120 billion. $40 billion of that is owed to nations within the so-called...

Iraqi Planners Hope to Start Trial by Spring

Rajiv Chandrasekaran December 16, 2003
Only days after the capture of deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, Iraqi leaders have already begun planning for his legal prosecution in an Iraqi courtroom. Vowing to choose only a manageable number of charges to bring against the former dictator, Salem Chalabi said the process would not be rushed, but that the trial could begin as early as the spring of 2004. "We don't want to...

Justice for Saddam

Harold Hongju Koh December 15, 2003
The capture of Saddam Hussein on December 13, 2003 marks an historic moment in the US-led effort to re-shape Iraq and the Middle East. To many of his foes and friends alike, Saddam's ignominious surrender to US forces was unexpected. Now, says Harold Koh, Dean-Designate of the Yale Law School, the world must face the question of what to do with this former dictator who chose to go...

Among Arabs, Embarrassment Over the Surrender of a Figure Who Once Defied the West

Neil MacFarquhar December 15, 2003
Across the Arab world, reaction to the capture of Saddam Hussein ranged from joy to frustration, according to this New York Times article. That Saddam was captured with no resistance – despite having weapons at his side – shocked and embarrassed many who had for decades looked to him as a leader of anti-foreign resistance for the region. "He did not fight like his sons; he went like a dog...

European Press Review: Saddam Captured, but Iraqi Problems Still Persist

December 15, 2003
Reacting to the news of Saddam Hussein's capture, newspapers across Western Europe see both hope and continued difficulties ahead. This review of press commentary in Germany, France, the UK, and Spain highlights the problematic future for Iraq and the US. The British Guardian emphasizes the opportunity to hear Saddam's testimony and hopefully settle questions about Iraq's weapons...

Editorial: Window of hope opens for Iraq

December 15, 2003
Saddam Hussein's capture by US forces has taken the world by storm. For Iraqi politics, says this editorial in the United Arab Emirates' Gulf News, the news could not be better. The paper encourages Iraqis to take control of their own political futures and "build a new political momentum looking for peaceful political development." Noting that the Iraqi Governing Council...