President George W. Bush said on Sunday that Saddam Hussein will face the justice that he "denied to millions" but that his capture by U.S. forces will not mean the end of violence in Iraq.
In a brief televised address, Bush said he had a message for the Iraqi people: "You will not have to fear the rule of Saddam Hussein ever again."
"It marks the end of the road for him and all who killed and bullied in his name," Bush said.
Members of Iraq's U.S.-backed Governing Council were taken to see Saddam Hussein in U.S. custody on Sunday and confirmed his identity, prominent Council member Adnan Pachachi told a news conference.
"He seemed rather tired and haggard but he was unrepentant and defiant at times," said Pachachi.
"He tried to justify his crimes one way or another and said that he was a just but firm ruler," the former foreign minister said. "Our answer was that he was an unjust ruler because his crimes were responsible for the deaths of thousands of people."
Bush recieved confirmation at 5:00am Sunday that Saddam Hussein had been captured in Iraq and the president sees the detention as a "major victory," a senior aide said before Bush's address. But the White House is not yet predicting an end to deadly attacks on US troops in Iraq, AFP reported.
Bush first got word of the raid that netted the ousted Iraqi leader from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who telephoned the president Saturday at the Camp David retreat, the aide said.
At 5:00 am (1000 GMT) on Sunday, White House national security adviser Condoleezza Rice gave "final confirmation" that the man captured was Saddam, the aide said conveyed.
Asked whether Bush foresaw an end to the attacks that have taken a heavy toll on US-led forces in Iraq, the aide said: "All I'm going to say is it's a great day for the Iraqi people."
The US president is expected to make some kind of public statement on Saddam's arrest later in the day. (Albawaba.com)
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