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Need to capture Saddam to stop resurgence of Ba`athists: Bremer
New York, Jun 02: The United States` failure to `collar` ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is `one of the reasons that we are now seeing a renaissance of the Ba`athists in small groups,` the American governor of Iraq Paul Bremer has said.
New York, Jun 02: The United States' failure to "collar" ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is "one of the reasons that we are now seeing a renaissance of the Ba’athists in small groups," the American governor of Iraq Paul Bremer has said.
"I think it's important that we capture or kill Saddam, because it affects the political psychology of the place," he was today quoted as saying by a magazine.
Bremer said the problem the US has with finding Saddam is that "we are not getting actionable, timely and accurate intelligence. It's a hard job." Referring to the huge reconstruction task ahead of him, Bremer told the magazine, "You have to be patient. None of us has any experience in this."
"I admit I don't think our communications with average Iraqis have been good," said Bremer, whose frequent travel around the country, according to the magazine, seems to be an attempt to compensate.
The magazine says it is an age problem -- young men in uniform, eager to get home, dismissive or just plain ignorant of local customs and unable to express themselves with anything more than a vein-popping scream and a brandished machine gun. "The American soldier is, please excuse the word, very high-handed," says Abu Mousa, a veteran Iraqi journalist.
And then there are the cases of what at least to Iraqi eyes are tragic misunderstandings. In Samarra last week three Iraqi teenagers were killed and 10 injured in what the US describes as a fire-fight with American troops. But staff members at the local hospital say the Americans responded to innocent firing from a wedding party. Bureau Report
Bremer said the problem the US has with finding Saddam is that "we are not getting actionable, timely and accurate intelligence. It's a hard job." Referring to the huge reconstruction task ahead of him, Bremer told the magazine, "You have to be patient. None of us has any experience in this."
"I admit I don't think our communications with average Iraqis have been good," said Bremer, whose frequent travel around the country, according to the magazine, seems to be an attempt to compensate.
The magazine says it is an age problem -- young men in uniform, eager to get home, dismissive or just plain ignorant of local customs and unable to express themselves with anything more than a vein-popping scream and a brandished machine gun. "The American soldier is, please excuse the word, very high-handed," says Abu Mousa, a veteran Iraqi journalist.
And then there are the cases of what at least to Iraqi eyes are tragic misunderstandings. In Samarra last week three Iraqi teenagers were killed and 10 injured in what the US describes as a fire-fight with American troops. But staff members at the local hospital say the Americans responded to innocent firing from a wedding party. Bureau Report