The Pentagon defended its release of grim photographs showing corpses belonging to Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay, saying the images were proof the father's dictatorship in Iraq was over.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the decision was difficult, but "I feel it was the right decision and I'm glad I did it.
"The brutal careers of Uday and Qusay Hussein came to an end, sending a very clear signal to the Iraqis that the Hussein family is finished and will not be returning to terrorize them again," he told a press conference.
"Coalition forces will continue to root out, capture and kill the remnants of the former regime until they no longer pose a threat to the Iraqi people."
Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin on Thursday rejected a renewed U.S. appeal for more international military support for Iraq, saying that sending in French troops would only prolong a tense situation.
De Villepin also said the deaths Tuesday of Saddam Hussein's sons signaled "the end of an era" but warned they could spark more resistance from some Iraqis who might try to "avenge" the two sons, AP reported.
"To build on a system that now exists (and) to add foreign forces to the coalition forces doesn't appear to us the best way to guarantee security in Iraq," de Villepin told France-Inter radio.
"Only the United Nations can bring the guarantees of reconstruction necessary for the full international community to take part," de Villepin said. "Reconstructing Iraq is not easy."
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
