Operation Red Dawn completed:
Former Iraqi dictator and
most wanted man by the US, Saddam Hussein, was captured on Dec. 13, according
to BBC News. He was found in a six to
eight foot deep hole underneath a two-room mud shack on a sheep farm, 10 miles
from Tikrit, Hussein’s hometown.
The hole in the shack was
sealed by a Styrofoam plug. A rug,
dirt, and bricks covered the entryway of the hole. The hut he was hiding in contained two tiny rooms: a bedroom covered
with disarrayed clothes, some new and some old, and a kitchen with running
water.
“I was really happy they got
him because it’s going to be a lot better for Iraq,” said junior Becca
Smith. Junior Stephanie Brady said, “I
was ecstatic and quite shocked- but in a good way. I was happy about it.”
Freshman December Muhammad thinks differently. She said, “I don’t know who I think he is, but I don’t think that
he is Saddam. It’s too simple for it to
be him. He had a lot of look-alikes.”
It wasn’t easy finding
Hussein’s location, as he had formerly been moving around in disguise with the
aid of his family members. Also, one
person did not give the information of Hussein’s location, according to FOX
News. It was a collection of information
that was gathered by hostile questioning of Hussein’s family members and former
bodyguards. Approximately five to 10
family members were questioned, and one disclosed important information on
Hussein’s hideout.
As a precaution due to
previous failures, about 600 US soldiers searched Al-Dawr, south of
Tikrit. The soldiers were supposed to
find a rural farmhouse and enclose themselves around the area. Their mission, dubbed Operation Red Dawn,
was to either capture or kill Saddam Hussein.
Just before the troops were
going to throw a hand grenade into the hole, Hussein left his hideout, tired
and without resistance, according to CNN.
He appeared to be bewildered and barely said anything. Even though he carried his gun, he did not
attempt to use it. He was arrested at
8:30 PM.
A DNA test confirmed that he
was Saddam Hussein.
According to US media, the
Iraqi people started celebrating his capture in Kirkuk, in northern Iraq and in
the streets of Baghdad. They fired into
the air and sounded their horns.
According to CNN, Hussein
will be tried at a war crimes tribunal.
For Hussein’s trial to be just, international jurists will be involved,
along with Iraqi judges. Hussein will
have the right of appeal. If he is not
able to afford an attorney, one will be provided for him. The court sessions will be open to the
public, including the press.
According to CNN, Hussein is
being accused of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity from Jul.
14, 1968 up to May 1, 2003. These
crimes include killing thousands of Kurds by the use of chemical weapons.
Council members who spoke
with him described him as tired, unrepentant, sarcastic, and demeaning to his
people. Hussein excused his bad actions
by saying the thousands he had killed and dumped in mass graves were merely
thieves.
Hussein is currently in US
custody, and it has not been decided where his trial will take place, nor who
the judges or administrators will be.