"To defeat an army, you must capture the leader."
- Du Fu (c.712-c.770), Chinese poet, Tang Dynasty
By now, everyone in the U.S. knows that Saddam Hussein has been captured. In the shots I saw of him on television, he looked pretty bedraggled, which is to be expected if you've been living in a hole. It's a pretty big come-down for a guy who was accustomed to living the "high-life" in his palaces and limos.
DNA tests have been conducted, so we know for sure it's Saddam. Some of the Iraqi Governing Council members were able to visit him, and also confirmed his identity. They had an opportunity to confront him face-to-face about his past deeds, but he was defiant and showed no remorse for the innocent lives he has taken.
Time magazine's Brian Bennett has written about Saddam's initial interrogation which you can read here. Bennett says $750,000 in cash, weapons, and a briefcase containing a letter from a Baghdad resistance leader were found in the hole where Saddam was hidden.
"Contained in the message...were the minutes from a meeting of a number of resistance leaders who came together in the capital. The...names found on this piece of paper will be valuable and could lead to the capture of insurgency leaders around the Sunni Triangle."
We know there are others, but now that we have their leader, let's hope their resolve diminishes and they realize the futility of continuing their attacks. I really believe this will be a turning point in the war despite opinions to the contrary.
The Iraqi people were elated. Josh Chafetz at OxBlog posts a note from Patrick Belton, one of his friends stationed in Nasiriyah, describing their reaction. Read it. It speaks for itself.
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