Saddam Captured

Today, the United States military captured one of the worst dictators of the 20th century. He was dug out of a pit on a farm near Tikrit. So much for the man who killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis to stay in power, not to mention starting wars of aggression that killed hundreds of thousands more. Say what you will about President Bush's ultimate intentions in Iraq, but no regime we install will be as bad as Saddam Hussein, and if we play our cards right, when future generations look back they will see this as another example of the U.S. acting in the world as a force for good.

Regarding the immediate future, however, I am unclear. I am unconvinced that Saddam Hussein's capture will significantly disrupt the resistance. Even if he is playing some coordinating role, people who would fight for him would fight for any number of Sunni nationalist groups which have sprung up throughout the country to oppose the U.S. I certainly don't get assertions that this news will help with the capture of Bin Laden and the stabilization of Afghanistan. Still, I'm pumped by this. Whatever happens next, this is a great day for Iraq, and a great day for the United States under President Bush's leadership.

For further reading, check out Angry Arab's rant. (Archives are weird...look for the top three entries on December 14.)

UPDATE: Juan Cole has his reflections, including a laundry list of some of Saddam's atrocities and what will happen next. Also check out Theoria's Daily Kos diary entry.