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BBCNEWS|Politics|Blair'sappealtoSaddam'smen

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LastUpdated:Tuesday,16December,2003,19:06GMT
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Blair'sappealtoSaddam'smen
TonyBlairhasurgedformer
membersofSaddam
Hussein'sBaathPartyto
startworkingforthe
reconstructionofIraq.

WATCHANDLISTEN

PrimeMinisterTonyBlair
"ThehardtaskofrebuildingIraq
remains"

Hesaiditwas"extremely
important"togiveastrong
messagetoSunniMuslimsand
evenformerSaddamsupporters
MrBlairwasappealingdirectlytoSunni
thattheywouldnotbe
Muslims
excluded.

STRUGGLEFORIRAQ
KEYSTORIES

FreshbombingshitIraqpilgrims
DeadlybombingshitIraqpilgrims
Blair'misread'IranviewonIraq
USsoldieronIraqleakscharges

FEATURESANDANALYSIS

Dayattheraces
Theremarkable
survivalofBaghdad
racecourse

InaninterviewwiththeBBCArabicService,MrBlairsaid
SaddamshouldbetriedinIraqiftheIraqishavea"proper
independentjudicialprocess".
MrBlairsaidhehadnodoubtthatSaddamhadweaponsof
massdestruction.
Continuethesearch
Inaseparateinterview,theUKprimeministergavethanksto
Britishtroopsacrosstheworldforthe"fantasticjob"theydid
inwinningthewaronIraqandalsoforkeepingthepeacein
thatregion.
HereiteratedtheIraqSurveyGroup'sOctoberreportwhich
found"massiveevidence"ofa"huge"systemofsecret
laboratoriesinIraq.
Buthewaskeentooffer
reassurancetothose,like
SaddamHussein,whoare
SunniMuslims,thattheywill
notbeleftoutofeffortsto
reconstructthecountry.

Whatisextremely
importantisforustogivea
verystrongmessagetothe
SunnipopulationinIraqthat
theyhaveaplaceinthisnew
Iraq

Dangerousstalemateafterelection
WaterstillmuddyafterSadrvote
SadristvotecouldanointnewIraq
PM
Iraqviews:Voters'uncertainty
lingers
CanAllawihealIraq'swounds?
TheIraqibridgetostability
Baghdaddiary:Threegenerations
GUIDESANDBACKGROUND

Iraq:Keyfactsandfigures
GuidetogroupsinIraqipolls
Q&A:Iraqiparliamentarypolls

VIDEOPROFILES

Paperseller:'God
knowswhowillwin'
Tailor:'Businesswas
goodunderSaddam'

TonyBlair

InhisappealthroughtheBBCArabicService,MrBlairsaid:
"Whatisextremelyimportantisforustogiveaverystrong
messagetotheSunnipopulationinIraqthattheyhaveaplace
inthisnewIraq."
Hesaidtheywere"notgoingtobeexcluded"andhewanted
thecountrytobe"trulyrepresentativeofallthepeoplein
Iraq".

Tennisplayer:'Ihave
thesamedream'
SPECIALREPORT

StruggleforIraq
SEEALSO:

Activistswarnabouttriumphalism
15Dec03|MiddleEast

"Anditiseventruethattherearepeopleinthe...whowerein
theBaathPartyunderSaddam,whowerethere,notbecause
theywantedtobe,butbecausetheyhadtobe,andweshould
alsobereachingouttosomeofthemalso,"MrBlairsaid.
'Triedathome'
BritishministershopethatthecaptureofSaddamHusseinwill
removeafigureheadforthoseopposedtotheUSledcoalition
andalsoremoveanelementoffearwhichmayhaveprevented
somefromcooperatingwiththerebuildingofIraq.
HesaidthefuturetrialofSaddam"shouldbelefttotheIraqis
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3325539.stm

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BBCNEWS|Politics|Blair'sappealtoSaddam'smen

todecideprovidedtheyhaveaproperandfairand
independentjudicialsystem".
Inaseparateinterview,hetold
Whateverpeoplethought
BritishForcesBroadcasting
ofthedecisiontogotowarin
Iraq,everybodysupportsour
Service:"Weonlytrypeople
internationallyifthereisn'tthe troopsthemselvestheyhave
doneafantasticjob
capacitywithinacountryof
TonyBlair
tryingpeopleforthecrimes
theyhavecommittedagainstthecitizensofthatcountry.
"Thereissomethingliketheremainsof400,000humanbeings
thathavebeenfoundinmassgravesalready.
"ThereisaverystrongfeelinginIraqthatheshouldbetried
inIraq."
MrBlairsaidthecaptureofSaddamhadbeen"fantasticnews"
and"agreatday"forIraqipeoplewhofinallyrealisedtheyhad
beenliberatedfromSaddam.
'Developedforapurpose'
Hesaidterrorists,someforeignandsomeSaddam
sympathisers,wouldcontinuetheirattacksintheshortterm.
WhenaskedifhehopedthecaptureofSaddamwouldlead
coalitionforcestoIraq'sweaponsofmassdestruction,MrBlair
said:"Thereisobviouslythatpossibilitythere,butIthinkin
anyevent,wehavegottocarryontheworkthatweare
doing."
Hethenstressed:"TheIraqSurveyGrouphasalreadyfound
massiveevidenceofahugesystemofclandestinelaboratories,
workingsbyscientists,planstodeveloplongrangeballistic
missiles.
"Nowfrankly,thesethingsweren'tbeingdevelopedunless
theywerebeingdevelopedforapurpose...
"Ijustsaytopeoplecontinually,whenacountrywitharuler
likeSaddamtriestohidewhatit'sdoinginalargecountrylike
Iraq,itisrelativelyeasytohideit."
Christmasmessage
LaterDowningStreetsaidtheprimeminister'sremarks
referredtotheinterimreportpublishedbytheIraqSurvey
Groupearlierthisyearandnottoanynewfindings.
AskedwhathisChristmasmessagetoBritishforceswas,Mr
Blairreplied:"Thisyear,morethananyother,togivethanks
tothem,notjustonmybehalf,butonbehalfofthewhole
country.
"WhateverpeoplethoughtofthedecisiontogotowarinIraq,
everybodysupportsourtroopsthemselvestheyhavedonea
fantasticjob."

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