Palestinians mark 'black day' of Saddam capture
( 2003-12-15 17:17) (Agencies)
Disbelief and gloom seized many Palestinians on Sunday at news of Saddam Hussein's capture while Israel, which came under Iraqi Scud missile attack in the 1991 Gulf War, hailed the United States for capturing Saddam.
The former Iraqi ruler was a hero to many Palestinians for his stand against Israel and its U.S. ally, as well as for giving financial aid to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers and others who died in a three-year-old uprising.
For Israel, he was a menace overthe horizon who long bankrolled the enemy and the Iraqi leader rained at least 30 Scud missiles on Israeli cities during the 1991 Gulf War.
"It's a black day in history," said Sadiq Husam, 33, a taxi driver in Ramallah, West Bank seat of the Palestinian Authority.
"I am saying so not because Saddam is an Arab, but because he is the only man who said 'no' to American injustice in the Middle East," he said.
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and his government made no comment. But Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, a senior leader of the militant Hamas group, said the United States would "pay a very high price for the mistake" of capturing Saddam.
"What the United States did is ugly and despicable. It is an insult to all Arabs and an insult to Muslims," he told Reuters.
Islamic factions sworn to Israel's destruction have taken strength from Iraqi resistance and cautioned on Sunday that Saddam's capture would not end attacks on U.S. forces.
As Palestinians lamented Saddam's capture, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon telephoned U.S. President Bush to congratulate him on "a great day for the democratic world."
"I believe that dictatorships in general and those who support terror in particular learned a historic lesson today," Sharon told Bush in the telephone call.
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, currently visiting Washington, said Saddam's capture proved persistence paid off in the "uncompromising battle against terrorism and totalitarian regimes" and it would promote regional stability.
Saddam paid over $35 million to the kin of Palestinian suicide bombers, militants and bystanders who died in an uprising that began in 2000.
Although far from all Palestinians supported him, militants marched to back Saddam ahead of the U.S.-led invasion in March and Palestinian protesters were often heard chanting: "Oh, Saddam. Oh, Saddam. Bomb, bomb Tel Aviv."
During the 1991 Gulf War, Palestinians cheered as Iraqi Scud missiles crashed into Israeli cities.
Some did not believe news of Saddam's capture even when images of the bearded figure flashed across television screens.
"Maybe they captured someone who looks like him," said Laila Abusharigh, 55, in the Gaza Strip. "Saddam is a real man and all of us are with him."
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