ICEJ NEWS SERVICE FROM JERUSALEM

Sunday 14 December 2003

*BREAKING NEWS*


SADDAM CAPTURED, IN US CUSTODY

"We got him."

The three words from Paul Bremer, US Administrator for Iraq, brought a
raucous and triumphant response at a news conference on Sunday
announcing that American troops found and captured Saddam Hussein in a
farmhouse 100 miles north of Tikrit late Saturday night.

Iraqi journalists attending the Baghdad news conference rejoiced and
wept when shown a video of Saddam's medical examination after his
capture. And as word spread around the country, Iraqis poured into the
streets, firing automatic weapons into the air in celebration.

"This is a great day in Iraq's history," Bremer said. "The tyrant is a
prisoner."

Officials said Saddam was trapped in a cellar and that he dug a hole and
buried himself as US soldiers moved into the house where he was hiding.

"The American soldiers had to use shovels to dig him out,'' Entifadh
Qanbar, spokesman for Governing Council member Ahmad Chalabi, told The
Associated Press.

Qanbar said Saddam had a salt-and-pepper beard when he was captured.
Soldiers photographed him, shaved the beard and photographed him again
before running DNA tests, he said.

"The DNA test confirmed 100 percent Saddam Hussein's identity,'' he
said.

Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the top US soldier in Iraq, said no shots had
been fired in the course of Saddam's capture and that the deposed
dictator has been "talkative and cooperative" since his capture.

American forces also showed a video of Saddam getting a medical
examination by his captors Sunday, which was loudly cheered by Iraqi
journalists at the press conference.

"This fear is now removed," said British Prime Minister Tony Blair. "It
also gives an opportunity for Saddam to be tried in Iraqi courts for his
crimes against the Iraqi people. "We should try now to unite the whole
of Iraq in rebuilding the country and offering it a new future."

STUNNED ARAB MEDIA REPORT SADDAM'S ARREST, WHILE PALESTINIANS TRY TO AVOID THE NEWS

By Michael Widlanski 
Jerusalem 14 December 2003  1:30 PM

Arab language media reacted quickly, though sometimes in a somewhat
stunned fashion, to American reports that U.S. forces had captured
former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, touching off celebrations in
Baghdad.

But the broadcast media of the Palestinian National Authority which has
been very friendly to Saddam, tried to ignore the news, treating it as a
marginal news item attributed to rumors linked to a scheduled American
press conference in Iraq

"An American military spokesman said there would be a special press
conference soon, and American reports say it is linked to reports of the
arrest of former president Saddam Hussein," declared a one ayem news
bulletin by Voice of Palestine radio, controlled by Yasser Arafat.

The Palestinian broadcasts, which featured the news as the fourth news
item, made no mention of Iraqi crowds celebrating the capture of Saddam,
a big supporter of Arafat and a financial supporter of Palestinian
"martyrs" who have blown themselves up attacking Israelis.

The Palestinian Authority's television station broadcasting from Gaza
ignored the news entirely for several hours, but other Arab media
quickly broadcast details of popular glee at the news of Saddam's
arrest.

"There are signs of rejoicing in the streets, where people are parading
and we hear celebratory shooting in the air," declared Baghdad-based
Rafah Sa'ad, reporter for Abu-Dhabi satellite television.

Similar reports were carried by Al-Jazeera satellite television, which
broadcast its news along with biographical sketches of Saddam Hussein
and his family.

Al-Arabiyya satellite television also featured family pictures and
newsreel footage of Saddam inspecting troops and petting children, while
underneath it showed captions detailing Saddam's reported arrest in his
home town of Tikrit.

The Arab satellite stations aired interviews with Arab security experts
who said they felt the arrest of Saddam, if true, would aid American
efforts inside Iraq.

Even the strongly anti-American Al-Manar tv station, controlled by the
pro-Iranian Hiaballah terror group, opened its news shows with intensive
coverage of the American capture of Saddam.

"Throngs of Iraqi people have rushed to the streets, and there are signs
of joyful shooting in the air inside the Iraqi capital," declared Diah
Nasry, the Al-Manar correspondent in Baghdad.

With Saddam's Capture Will Israelis Still Have To Die To Please?

By Aaron Lerner

With news of Saddam Hussein's capture, it remains unclear if the White
House will continue to pressure Israel to jeopardize its security.

Until the arrest the argument was made that Israel had to sacrifice its
own national security and interests in order to help bolster President
Bush's position.

Israel's "contribution" to the "efforts" have included swallowing the
Bush initiative and the Road Map - both programs aimed at ultimately
leading to the creation of a sovereign independent Palestinian state, an
entity that the Oslo experience demonstrates would ultimately be used as
a deadly effective platform for the continuation of the Palestinian
program for the destruction of Israel in stages.

Israel also has repeatedly "contributed" to Mr. Bush by reducing
security measures to make it easier for Palestinian terrorists to
complete their missions.

Put bluntly, since the time the idea of a campaign against Hussein first
developed, literally hundreds of Israelis have "died to please
Washington" in terrorist attacks that exploited reduced security
measures.

With the capture of Hussein Mr. Bush no longer needs a
Palestinian-Israeli photo op for his re-election campaign. The capture
may also change America's need to sacrifice Israel to Arab "allies".

14 December 2003 marks a milestone in the liberation of Iraq.  It
remains to be seen if it will also may the end of the subordination of
Israel's security and future to Washington's perceived temporary
political and regional needs.

Terrorists Fire 10 Mortars at Israeli Community in Gush Katif

IDF Spokesperson

14 December 2003

This afternoon (December 14, 2003), terrorists fired 10 mortars at an
Israeli community in Gush Katif (Gaza Strip). No injuries were reported,
but light damage was caused to property.

Terrorists also fired a mortar at another Israeli community in Gush
Katif. IDF forces returned fire.

IDF forces come under fire in Gush Katif

Last night, terrorists fired intense barrages of light arms fire and
anti-tank missiles at IDF positions as well as Israeli communities in
the Gaza Strip.

It should be noted that 10 anti-tank missiles and 10 mortars were fired
at IDF positions in Gush Katif.

IDF forces returned fire.

IDF forces encounter armed terrorist north of Ramallah

Last night, IDF forces operating south of the village of Na'ama, north
of Ramallah, observed the approach of a terrorist armed with a rifle.
IDF forces opened fire, killing the terrorist. An M-16 assault rifle and
ammunition was discovered on the body of the dead terrorist, who was
found to be an Islamic Jihad operative.

Following the above-mentioned event, IDF forces conducted searches of
the immediate vicinity and apprehended two wanted Islamic Jihad
operatives. In addition, IDF forces seized a Kalasnikov rifle found in the area.

PA mufti rejects recognition of Jewish rights to Western Wall

By Aaron Lerner                 

Jerusalem Post correspondent Khaled Abu Toameh reported in today's
edition that Arafat's appointed mufti of Jerusalem, Ikremah Sabri, said
in his Friday sermon at the AL Aksa mosque broadcast on PA radio that
"Seventy years ago the Committee of the League of Nations recognized the
Burak Wall (Western Wall) as being part of the walls of the Aksa mosque"
and thus belongs to the Muslim wakf (religious trust).  Sabri went on to
attack those who refer to the Burak Wall as the Western Wall.

The following is 23 November, 1997 with the late PA Minister Of Waq And
Religious Affairs, Hassan  Tahboob:

IMRA: Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, the Mufti of Jerusalem, said recently  that
the "Al Baraq Wall ", known to Jews as the Western Wall, and  the plaza
before it, is an Islamic Waqf and that the Wall itself is  part of the
Al Aqsa Mosque. What is the practical ramification of  this status?

Tahboob: It was already decided by an international committee  that came
to Palestine after the events of Baraq in 1929. And  there was a case
and it was decided that it was Waqf property and  it is part of the Al
Aqsa Mosque of course.

IMRA: What is the practical ramification in terms of the use of  that
area by the Jews in prayer.

Tahboob: They are allowed to pray towards the Wall. That was the 
decision. They are allowed to face the Wall two meters from it and  to
pray as they like.

IMRA: They have to stay two meters away from the Wall.

Tahboob: It is the decision in this way.

IMRA: Right now they pray right up against the Wall.

Tahboob: Right now everything is by force.

IMRA: So the Jews should really be about six feet - two meters -  away
from the Wall.

Tahboob: Two meters. Really. Yes.

IMRA: So you think that in the future that will be the set-up.

Tahboob: It's supposed to be so.

IMRA: Practically speaking, what do you see happening? Will  there be
some kind of line drawn on the floor before the Wall or  will there be a
barrier next to the Wall?

Tahboob: To every accident there is a solution.

PM SHARON CONGRATULATES US PRESIDENT BUSH ON CAPTURE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN

(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Sunday, 14 December, 2003

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made the following remarks earlier today
(Sunday), 14.12.2003, at the beginning of his meeting with members of
the US House of Representatives Select Committee on Homeland Security:

"About two hours ago, I spoke with President Bush and congratulated him
on the successful operation which led to the capture of Saddam Hussein. 
Today is a great day for the democratic world, for the fighters of
freedom and justice, [and] for those who fight against terror.  We are
relieved that this murderer and dictator can no longer stand in the way
of the rebuilding and reconstruction of the country he destroyed.  I the
President on his firm and courageous stand against global terror.  We
believe that the entire non-democratic world, especially those that engage 
in terror, will learnfrom this lesson.  The civilizations of the world, if necessary, 
are able to take action to protect freedom and defeat terrorism."

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