View source for Capture of Saddam Hussein

{{Short description|2003 U.S. military operation in the Iraq War}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox military operation
| name          = Operation Red Dawn
| partof        = the [[Iraq War]]
| subtitle      = 
| image         = SaddamSpiderHole.jpg
| image_upright = 
| alt           = 
| caption       = Samir, a 34-year-old Iraqi-American military interpreter, who helped find Saddam and pull him from his hideaway in December 2003.
| scope         = 
| type          = 
| location      = [[Ad-Dawr]], Iraq
| location2     = <!-- 2 through 10 for more locations -->
| coordinates   = {{coord|34|28|22|N|43|46|53|E|display=inline,title}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/ad-dawr.htm|access-date=April 7, 2024|website=[[GlobalSecurity.org]]|title=Ad Dawr - Site of Saddam Hussein's Capture}}</ref>
| coordinates2  = <!-- 2 through 10 for more locations -->
| map_type      = 
| map_size      = 
| map_caption   = 
| map_label     = 
| map_label2    = <!-- 2 through 10 for more locations -->
| planned       = 
| planned_by    = 
| commanded_by  = {{ubl
  | {{flagicon|United States}} Maj. Gen. [[Raymond Odierno]]
  | {{flagicon|United States}} Col. [[James Hickey (soldier)|James Hickey]]
  | {{flagicon|United States}} Lt. Col. [[Steve Russell (politician)|Steve Russell]]
  }}
| objective     = 
| target        = {{flagicon|Iraq|1991}} [[Saddam Hussein]]{{POW}}
| date          = {{start date and age|2003|12|13|df=yes}}
| time          = 
| time-begin    = 
| time-end      = 
| timezone      = 
| executed_by   = [[4th Infantry Division (United States)|4th Infantry Division]]
*1st Brigade Combat Team
[[Task Force 121]]
*C Squadron – [[Delta Force]]
*[[Intelligence Support Activity|ISA]]
| outcome       = Operational success
* Capture and arrest of deposed Iraqi president [[Saddam Hussein]] and two others<ref name="Two">{{Cite news |title=Saddam Hussein captured |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/dec/14/iraq.iraq1 |website=The Guardian |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=14 December 2003 |access-date=2023-08-10}}</ref>
| casualties    = 
| fatalities    = 
| injuries      = 
| campaignbox   = {{Campaignbox Iraq War}}{{Campaignbox Persian Gulf Wars}}
}}
{{Saddam Hussein series}}
[[Saddam Hussein]], the deposed [[president of Iraq]], was captured by the [[United States military]] in the town of [[Ad-Dawr]], Iraq, on 13 December 2003. The military operation to capture him was codenamed '''Operation Red Dawn''', after the 1984 American film ''[[Red Dawn]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/2003-12-17-red-dawn_x.htm |title=Red Dawn imitated art |date=17 December 2003 |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |access-date=31 December 2015}}</ref>

The mission was executed by joint operations [[Task Force 121]]—an elite and covert joint special operations team, supported by the 1st Brigade Combat Team (led by Colonel [[James Hickey (soldier)|James Hickey]]) of the [[4th Infantry Division (United States)|4th Infantry Division]], commanded by Major General [[Raymond T. Odierno|Raymond Odierno]].

They searched two sites, "Wolverine 1" and "Wolverine 2", outside ad-Dawr, and did not find Saddam. A continued search between the two sites found Saddam hiding in a "[[spider hole]]" at 20:30 local Iraqi time. Saddam did not resist capture.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1377782003 |title=From lavish palaces to a hole in the ground |last=Freeman |first=Colin |date=16 December 2003 |newspaper=[[The Scotsman]] |access-date=19 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016065201/http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1377782003 |archive-date=16 October 2007  }}</ref>

==Background==
Saddam disappeared from public view shortly after the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq]] began. The U.S. military labelled him "[[High-value target|High Value Target]] Number One" (HVT1) and began one of the largest manhunts in history.<ref name=highvaluetarget>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/dec/15/iraq.garyyounge |title=In a hole in the ground, luck runs out for High Value Target Number One |first=Gary |last=Younge |author-link=Gary Younge |date=15 December 2003 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]  |access-date=30 December 2015 }}</ref>

Between July and December 2003, [[Joint Special Operations Command|JSOC]]'s Task Force 121 carried out twelve unsuccessful raids to find Saddam, together with 600 other operations against targets, including 300 interrogations. On 1 December 2003, a former driver divulged the name Muhammed Ibrahim Omar al-Musslit, Saddam's comrade, known to TF 121 as "the source" or "the fatman". Over the next two weeks, nearly 40 members of his family were interrogated to ascertain his location. On 12 December 2003, a raid on a house in [[Baghdad]] that was being used as an insurgent headquarters captured Omar. Early the next morning he revealed where Saddam may be found.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lewis |first=John E. |title=The Mammoth Book of Covert Ops: True Stories of Covert Military Operations, from the Bay of Pigs to the Death of Osama bin Laden |publisher=Robinson |location=London, UK |date=2014 |isbn=978-1-78033-785-2}}</ref> This intelligence and other intelligence from detained former members of the [[Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region|Ba'ath Party]], supported by signals intelligence from the [[Intelligence Support Activity|ISA]], finally pinpointed Saddam at a remote farm compound south of [[Tikrit]].<ref name="NevilleL">{{cite book |last=Neville |first=Leigh |title=Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military) |publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]] |location=Oxford, UK |date=2015 |pages=195–197 |isbn=978-1-47280-790-8}}</ref>

==Operation==
Operation Red Dawn was launched after gaining actionable intelligence identifying two likely locations of Saddam's whereabouts code-named Wolverine 1 and Wolverine 2, near the town of ad-Dawr. C squadron [[Delta Force]], ISA operators under Task Force 121, and the First Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division conducted the operation.<ref name="NevilleL"/> The operation was named after the 1984 film ''[[Red Dawn]]''. The site names "Wolverine 1" and "Wolverine 2" are also a reference to the American insurgent group in the film. The forces involved in the operation consisted of approximately 600 soldiers including cavalry, artillery, aviation, engineer, and special operations forces.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Carol J.|date=2003-12-14 |title=Saddam Hussein Captured Alive |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/la-121403saddam_lat-story.html |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Capture of Saddam Hussein |url=https://connectveterans.org/event/capture-of-saddam-hussein-3/ |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=Be Connected |language=en-US}}</ref>

The forces cleared the two objectives but initially did not find the target. Then, as the operators were finishing and the helicopters called in to extract them, one soldier kicked a piece of flooring to one side, exposing a [[spider hole]]; he prepared to throw a [[grenade]] into it – in case it led to an insurgent tunnel system – when suddenly Saddam appeared. The soldier struck him with the stock of his [[M4 carbine]] and disarmed him of a [[Glock|Glock 18C]].<ref name="NevilleL"/>

Saddam surrendered and offered no resistance; he was taken by an [[MD Helicopters MH-6 Little Bird|MH-6 Little Bird]] from the [[160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)|160th SOAR]] to the Tikrit Mission Support Site where he was properly identified. He was then taken in an [[Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk#Special purpose|MH-60K]] Blackhawk helicopter by 160th SOAR from Tikrit to Baghdad and into custody at [[Baghdad International Airport]]. Along with the Glock, an [[AK-47]] and $750,000 in U.S. bank notes were recovered from the spider hole.<ref name="NevilleL"/> Two other individuals were also detained.<ref name="Two" />

==Aftermath==
After the capture of Saddam, the 4th Infantry Division's area of operations in the upper Tigris saw its "first period of real calm".<ref>{{Cite book |title=The U.S. Army in the Iraq War – Volume 1 |publisher=USAWC Press |year=2019 |pages=239}}</ref> [[Combined Joint Task Force 7|CJTF-7]] also saw IED attacks reduce by 39 percent. The perceived security improvements led CJTF-7 and the [[Coalition Provisional Authority|CPA]] to adopt an optimistic outlook as 2003 ended. CJTF-7 believed that the capture of Saddam and his money heralded the defeat of the former regime's insurgency. Using documents and materials captured in the operation, CJTF-7 units pursued "what they believed were the last vestiges of the former Ba'athist resistance".<ref>{{Cite book |title=The U.S. Army in the Iraq War – Volume 1 |publisher=USAWC Press |year=2019 |pages=239}}</ref>

==Reactions==
{{More citations needed section|date=October 2024}}

===Middle East===
* {{flag|Bahrain}}: The official Bahrain News Agency quoted a foreign ministry spokesman who said [his capture] should restore unity and cohesion to the Iraqis, to build "a promising future in a prosperous Iraq enjoying security and co-operating with its neighbors to promote stability and development" in the region.
* {{flag|Egypt}}: Foreign Minister [[Ahmad Maher (diplomat)|Ahmed Maher]] said, "I don't think anyone will be sad over Saddam Hussein. His arrest does not change the fact that his regime was finished, and it is the natural consequence of the regime's fall. The Iraqi regime had harmed the Iraqi people, and had pulled the Arab region into several storms."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Middle Eastern Reactions to Saddam's Capture {{!}} The Washington Institute |url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/middle-eastern-reactions-saddams-capture?= |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=www.washingtoninstitute.org |language=en}}</ref>
* {{flag|Iran}}: Vice President [[Mohammad-Ali Abtahi]] expressed satisfaction, stating, "I am happy they have arrested a criminal, whoever it may be, and I am even more happy, because it is a criminal who committed so many crimes against Iranians." Abtahi joined the call for justice, adding, "Iranians have suffered much, because of him, and [the] mass graves in Iraq prove the crimes he has committed against the Iraqi people".<ref>{{Cite news |title=SA govt avoids comment on Hussein |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2003-12-14-sa-govt-avoids-comment-on-hussein/ |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=[[Mail & Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref>
* {{flag|Israel}}: Prime minister [[Ariel Sharon]] congratulated President Bush on the fight against terrorism, and stated: "Today is a great day for the democratic world and the fight for freedom and justice and for those who fight against terror. We are relieved that this murderer and dictator can no longer stand in the way of the rebuilding and reconstruction of the country he destroyed."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Israelis Joyful, Some Palestinians Shocked Over Saddam Capture - 2003-12-15 |url=https://www.voanews.com/a-13-a-2003-12-15-38-israelis-67452022/385121.html |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=[[Voice of America]] |language=en}}</ref>
* {{flag|Jordan}}: The government spokeswoman said she hoped that a page has been turned and that the Iraqi people would be able to assume their responsibilities as soon as possible and build their future according to their will. The first and last word concerning the capture of Saddam or his fate must be given to the Iraqi people.<ref>{{Cite news |title=World leaders and activists welcome news of Saddam's capture |url=https://www.9news.com/article/news/world-leaders-and-activists-welcome-news-of-saddams-capture/73-345295604 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |website=[[KUSA (TV)]] |language=en}}</ref>
* {{flag|Lebanon}}: The country was tense at news of the U.S. capture of Saddam at the weekend; people were surprised by how easily he was captured, however, it did not equal a U.S. military victory. "The capture of Saddam will not save the U.S. from the world's condemnation for supporting the greater enemy, [[Ariel Sharon|Israeli P.M. Ariel Sharon]]", said [[Salim Al-Huss|Selim Al-Hoss]], ex-Lebanese Prime Minister.
* {{flag|Palestine}}: Palestinian President [[Yasser Arafat]]'s government had no comment; however [[Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi|Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi]], a senior [[Hamas]] leader, said the U.S. would "pay a very high price for the mistake" of capturing Saddam.<ref name=":0" />
* {{flag|Saudi Arabia}}: Prince [[Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud|Bandar bin Sultan]], Saudi ambassador to the United States, stated that "Saddam Hussein was a menace to the [[Arab world]]."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Iraq Analysis: Ace In The Hole |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iraq-analysis-ace-in-the-hole/ |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=[[CBS News]] |language=en}}</ref>
* {{flag|Syria|1980}}: Syrian Information Minister Ahmad al-Hassan advised Syria's position on Iraq was not based on the fate of individuals. "We want an Iraq that preserves its territorial integrity, its unity and its sovereignty."<ref name="BBC_reaction">{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3317971.stm |title=Capture of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein: World reaction in quotes |date=15 December 2003 |website=BBC News |access-date=9 July 2018}}</ref>

===Asia===
[[File:Hamid Karzai listens to Barack Obama in Kabul 2012 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Afghan president [[Hamid Karzai]] welcomed the news.]]

* {{flag|Afghanistan|2002}}: The Afghan government welcomed news of the capture of Saddam, deeming it a warning to opposition leaders such as [[Osama bin Laden]] and [[Mullah Omar]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna3720628 |title=Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai: Will Saddam's capture help find Osama bin Laden? |first=Tom |last=Brokaw |author-link=Tom Brokaw |date=15 December 2003 |website=[[NBC News]] |access-date=9 July 2018 }}</ref>
* {{flag|Bangladesh}}: Foreign Minister [[Morshed Khan]] was quoted as saying, "We hope this will pave the way for the Iraqi people to have a government of their own, a government by the people and for the people of Iraq."<ref name="BBC_reaction" />
* {{flag|People's Republic of China}}: [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China|Foreign Ministry]] spokesman Liu Jianchao hoped that the latest development of the situation in Iraq was conducive to the Iraqi people taking their destiny into their own hands, and to realizing peace and stability in Iraq.<ref name="BBC_reaction" />
* {{flag|Hong Kong}}: ''[[Sing Tao Daily]]'' editorialized: "The desperate capture of Iraqi former president Saddam symbolizes the bad fate of a corrupt [[dictator]] and also the best [[Christmas]] present this year for US President George Bush, but for the Iraqis who have undergone a baptism of fire in the war, the days of peace are still far away, and the road of reconstruction is as long and arduous as before." ''[[South China Morning Post]]'' editorialized: "With Hussein's capture, Iraqis can at last begin to close this brutal and tragic chapter in their history."<ref name="arrest dominates">{{Cite news|date=2003-12-15|title=Saddam arrest dominates world press|language=en-GB|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3320069.stm|access-date=2021-12-30}}</ref>
* {{flag|India}}: The Indian government's response to the capture of Saddam was measured and guarded. When Secretary of State [[Colin Powell]] called Foreign Minister [[Yashwant Sinha]] on Monday to discuss the capture of Saddam, whom Washington had named a tyrant, Sinha is said to have reacted in a manner that did not echo the effusion flowing from the rest of the world. In the words of an official with the foreign ministry, Sinha "maintained a stiff upper lip". Sinha, in his brief conversation with Powell, merely expressed hope that such developments would contribute to the stabilization of Iraq. Powell told Sinha that the capture would bring "a change in the existing situation and lead to greater respect for the [[Iraqi Governing Council]]."
* {{flag|Indonesia}}: In Indonesia, the reaction was muted. Foreign Ministry spokesman [[Marty Natalegawa]] said the arrest of the former Iraqi president had not changed how Indonesia felt about the situation in Iraq. Indonesia's leaders strongly opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Indonesian leaders also said they hoped the capture of Saddam would help bring peace to Iraq and return control of the country back to its citizens.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CNN.com - Leaders unite in cheering capture - Dec. 15, 2003 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/12/14/sprj.irq.saddam.world.reaction/index.html |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=www.cnn.com}}</ref>
* {{flag|Japan}}: Prime Minister [[Junichiro Koizumi]] on Monday said he hoped that Saddam's capture would lead to improvements in Iraq. He said the capture would be positive if it brings major steps toward the stability and reconstruction of Iraq. Koizumi's cabinet had approved a controversial plan to send troops to Iraq. He said he would continue to assess the security situation in Iraq before dispatching the soldiers. Chief Cabinet Secretary [[Yasuo Fukuda]] agreed the arrest was "great news," but cautioned it would not necessarily lead to peace. "The problem, however, is terrorism. I don't think the arrest of Saddam Hussein can stop all terror attacks," Fukuda said.
* {{flag|Malaysia}}: The Malaysian government said the Iraqi people should decide how Saddam would be brought to justice on accusations of gross human rights violations. Iraqis should "be given the right to decide on the manner and procedure of bringing Saddam Hussein to face justice," said Prime Minister [[Abdullah Ahmad Badawi]], head of the [[Non-Aligned Movement]]. Foreign Minister [[Syed Hamid Albar]] expressed hope that the capture of Saddam Hussein would contribute towards bringing peace and stability in Iraq and the surrounding region and stated that the United Nations should now play a bigger role in achieving this objective. "With peace and stability in Iraq, we hope that an Iraqi government representing the free and independent Iraqi people could be set up to start the reconstruction process of that nation for the benefit of its people," he said. He said the views and inputs of the Iraqis should be taken into account in deciding whatever action would be initiated against Saddam. Former prime minister [[Mahathir Mohamad|Mahathir Mohammed]] urged a fair trial for Saddam.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level.php?cat=Politics&loid=&par=0 |title=Malaysia: Former Prime Minister Urges Fair Trial for Saddam |website=Adnki.com}}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>
* {{flag|Pakistan}}: The response in Pakistan also was low-key. Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan described the event as "an important development" but refrained from offering further commentary or elaboration on its implications.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-10-27 |title=Asian Leaders Mixed in Reaction to Capture of Saddam Hussein - 2003-12-15 |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-a-2003-12-15-17-asian-66842542/375328.html? |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}</ref>
* {{flag|Taiwan}}: An hour after U.S. announced the capture, President [[Chen Shui-bian|Chen Shui Bian]] congratulated the U.S. for what he called "a big victory".

===Europe===
* {{flag|Belgium}}: The [[Flemish dialects|Flemish-language]] newspaper ''[[De Standaard]]'' editorialized that "Showing degrading pictures of a prisoner, even if he was a cruel tyrant, does not increase the moral authority of those who overpowered him."<ref name="arrest dominates" />
* {{flag|Germany}}: Chancellor [[Gerhard Schröder]] greeted the development "with much happiness." In a [[Telegraphy|telegram]] to [[George W. Bush]], he called for intensified efforts to rebuild Iraq.<ref>{{Cite news |title=World Leaders Hail Saddam News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/world-leaders-hail-saddam-news/ |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=[[CBS News]] |language=en}}</ref>
* {{flag|Vatican City|2001}}: Top [[Roman Curia|Curia]] official [[Renato Martino]], a [[Cardinal (Catholicism)#Cardinal deacon|cardinal deacon]] and President of the [[Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace]], attacked the way Saddam was treated by his captors, saying he had been dealt with like an animal. Martino said he had felt pity watching video of "this man destroyed, [the military] looking at his teeth as if he were a beast." The cardinal, a leading critic of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, said he hoped the capture would not make matters "worse." [[Pope John Paul II]] did not comment.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/2003/january/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20030113_diplomatic-corps_en.html |title=Address to the Diplomatic Corps |author=John Paul II |date=13 January 2003 |website=Vatican City |access-date=7 February 2007}}</ref>
* {{flag|Poland}}: Poland at the time commanded thousands of international troops in Iraq. Defence Minister [[Jerzy Szmajdziński]] welcomed the news, but said the arrest could prompt retaliation from Saddam's supporters. "The coming days could be equally dangerous as these past days," he said.<ref name="BBC_reaction" />
* {{flag|Russia}}: Foreign Minister [[Igor Ivanov]] said, "We think the arrest of Saddam Hussein will contribute to the strengthening of security in Iraq and to the process of political regulation in the country with the active participation of the [[United Nations]]."<ref name="BBC_reaction" />
* {{flag|United Kingdom}}: Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]], President George W. Bush's strongest ally in the [[Iraq War]], called the capture good news for Iraqis, saying: "It removes the shadow that has been hanging over them for too long of the nightmare of a return to the Saddam regime."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Blair: Shadow of Saddam removed |url=https://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/12/14/sprj.irq.saddam.blair/index.html/ |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref>

===North America===
* {{flag|Canada}}: Prime Minister [[Paul Martin]] congratulated U.S. troops, and sent telegrams of congratulations to U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. He would state that he was confident that the deposed Iraqi leader will be prosecuted fairly. "What's important is that he be tried before a tribunal that is just, that is credible and that has international recognition," said Martin, "I'm sure that will be the case." Martin spoke to reporters from his Montreal riding, saying Saddam's capture would bolster reconstruction efforts in Iraq. "Now that he has been captured there's no doubt in my mind that we will now be able to move to a very very different level of reconstruction," he said. "This is a great victory to the coalition forces but the biggest winners of all of this will be the people of Iraq," he said.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/martin-sure-saddam-will-get-just-trial-1.394487 |title=Martin sure Saddam will get just trial  |date=14 December 2003 |website=[[CBC News]] |access-date=28 June 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106015141/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2003/12/14/martin031410.html |archive-date=6 November 2012}}</ref>
* {{flag|United States}}:
** President [[George W. Bush]] said that Saddam would "face the justice he denied to millions. For the Ba'athist holdouts responsible for the violence, there will be no return to the corrupt power and privilege they once held".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/12/20031214-3.html|title=President Bush Addresses Nation on the Capture of Saddam Hussein Remarks by the President on the Capture of Saddam Hussein The Cabinet Room|publisher=georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov|date=14 December 2003|access-date=21 May 2020}}</ref> 
** Secretary of Defense [[Donald Rumsfeld]] stated, "Here was a man who was photographed hundreds of times shooting off rifles and showing how tough he was, and in fact, he wasn't very tough, he was cowering in a hole in the ground, and had a pistol and didn't use it, and certainly did not put up any fight at all. I think that ... he resulted in the death of an awful lot of Iraqi people, In the last analysis, he seemed not terribly brave." Rumsfeld said the U.S. had not decided whether to classify Saddam as a [[prisoner of war]], but that the U.S. would abide by the [[Geneva Conventions]]. More than 24 hours after his capture, the uncooperative Saddam had said little in his interrogation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/exclusive-rumsfeld-on-saddam/|title=Exclusive: Rumsfeld On Saddam|publisher=www.cbsnews.com|date=December 14, 2003|access-date=July 4, 2020}}</ref>

===Oceania===
[[File:Howard John BANNER.jpg|thumb|upright|Australian Prime Minister [[John Howard]] urged the trial of Saddam.]]

* {{flag|Australia}}: Prime Minister [[John Howard]] welcomed the news. He said the Iraqi people could breathe a sigh of relief now that the former dictator was no longer at large.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/dec/14/iraq.iraq2 |title=Reaction to the capture |date=14 December 2003 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=9 July 2018}}</ref>
* {{flag|New Zealand}}: Prime Minister [[Helen Clark]] reiterated the New Zealand legislature's opposition to [[capital punishment]], with such opposition extending to the treatment of Saddam.

===Africa===
* {{flag|Kenya}}: The newspaper ''People Daily'' wrote, "The capture of deposed Iraq leader Saddam Hussein is, no doubt, a major victory for the United States and the coalition of the willing, chief among which is Britain. The curtain has now fallen on one of the world's most ruthless and intriguing leaders."<ref name="arrest dominates" />

===International organizations===
{{more sources section|date=May 2018}}

* {{flag|Arab League}}: Secretary General [[Amr Moussa|Amr Mussa]] said the Iraqi people should "decide the fate of the old regime and its old leaders," alluding to the discovery of mass graves after Saddam's fall during the US invasion in April.<ref name=":0" />
* [[International Committee of the Red Cross]]: The International Committee of the Red Cross says the US-led coalition in Iraq had given the agency the "green light" to visit Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi leader.{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}} Red Cross spokesman Florian Westphal confirmed that ICRC visits to the captured Iraqi leader would go ahead according to international rules governing the detention of all [[Prisoner of war|prisoners of war]]. He said discussions are under way as to how and where those visits would take place.
* {{flag|United Nations}}: A spokesman for [[Kofi Annan]], [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|United Nations Secretary General]], said the capture "offers an opportunity to give fresh impetus to the search for peace and stability in Iraq".{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}} Former UN chief weapons inspector [[Hans Blix]] said the Allied coalition might ask Saddam meaningful questions about Iraq's nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons programmes, "He ought to know quite a lot, and be able to tell the story; we all want to get to the bottom of the barrel".

==POW status==
{{more sources|section|date=May 2018}}
[[File:Saddamcapture.jpg|thumb|upright|Saddam shortly after his capture]]

A [[the Pentagon|Pentagon]] spokesman said he was given [[prisoner of war]] (POW) status as he was the leader of the "old regime's military forces."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/1.501175 |title=U.S. declares Saddam a prisoner of war |date=9 January 2004 |publisher=[[CBC News]] |access-date=26 January 2023}}</ref>

The spokesman, Major Michael Shavers, said Saddam, captured by U.S. troops in December, was entitled to all the rights under the [[Geneva Conventions]]. The International Committee of the Red Cross had asked to visit the former Iraqi leader as soon as possible. Shavers did not give further details about Saddam's conditions of detention.{{according to whom?|date=October 2024}}

POW status for Saddam meant that the former Iraqi leader would be eligible to stand trial for [[War crime|war crimes]] and [[crimes against humanity]].{{according to whom?|date=October 2024}}

There was controversy over TV pictures which showed Saddam undergoing a medical examination after his capture—footage regarded by some as a failure to protect him from public curiosity. A leading Vatican clergyman described the scenes as Saddam being "treated like a cow," and some sections of the Arab world were deeply offended by them. The U.S. maintains that the pictures were shown to demonstrate to the Iraqi people that they no longer had anything to fear.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Horowitz |first=Jason |date=2003-12-16 |title=Vatican Official Says U.S. Treated Hussein 'Like a Cow' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/16/international/europe/vatican-official-says-us-treated-hussein-like-a-cow.html |access-date=2024-01-12 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

A senior British official said Saddam—who was being held at an undisclosed location and interrogated by the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA)—was still refusing to co-operate with his captors, but the former president's capture the previous month was yielding results "far greater than we expected," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.{{according to whom?|date=October 2024}}

The U.S.-led coalition had used documents found with the ex-leader to mount operations against Saddam loyalists, the official said.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2004-01-09 |title=US gives Saddam enemy POW status |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3384359.stm |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=2024-01-12 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Cultural impact==
[[File:Bolivar Inflation Graph.png|thumb|Vandalism on Wikipedia where the meme was used]]

A British graphic from 2003 which depicted Hussein's hiding spot became an [[internet meme]] in the 2020s. The graphic depicts Hussein as a small red figure lying on its back in a spider hole, also highlighting other features of the hiding place including an air vent, fan, and entrance hidden by rubble.<ref name="Mack">{{cite magazine |last1=Mack |first1=David |title=The 29 Best Memes and Biggest Viral Moments of 2024 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/best-memes-biggest-viral-moments-2024-1235192186/saddam-hussein-hiding-1235192256/ |magazine=[[The Rolling Stone]] |date=December 12, 2024 |access-date=December 14, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Crimmins">{{cite web |last1=Crimmins |first1=Tricia |title=Why an illustration of Saddam Hussein's hiding place is a lasting meme |url=https://www.dailydot.com/memes/saddam-hussein-memes-hiding-spot/ |work=[[The Daily Dot]] |date=October 7, 2024 |access-date=December 14, 2024}}</ref> The simple shape of the design later became subject to [[pareidolia]] online, with examples of the graphic's likeness in foods and other products being reposted as memes on social media,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lynskey |first1=Neill |title=39 Pics of Not Saddam Hussain Hiding Underground |url=https://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/pics-of-not-saddam-hussain-hiding-underground/87619173/ |work=[[eBaum's World]] |date=October 15, 2024 |access-date=December 14, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Perry |first1=Ally |title=Bizarre New Meme Has Saddam Hussein Hiding In The Darndest Places |url=https://cheezburger.com/14713605/bizarre-new-meme-has-saddam-hussein-hiding-in-the-darndest-places |work=[[Cheezburger, Inc.]] |access-date=December 14, 2024}}</ref> particularly on [[TikTok]].<ref name="Mack"/><ref name="Crimmins"/> The graphic was ranked as one of the best [[Halloween costume]]s of 2024 by the British lifestyle magazine ''[[Dazed]]''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jibril |first1=Halima |title=20 of the best 'Gay Halloween' costumes we've seen on our FYPs |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/64957/1/the-best-gay-halloween-costumes-2024 |work=[[Dazed]] |date=October 28, 2024 |access-date=December 14, 2024}}</ref> and the digital media company ''[[The Daily Dot]]'',<ref>{{cite web |last1=Good |first1=Anna |title=35 of the best meme Halloween costumes of 2024…so far |url=https://www.dailydot.com/memes/best-halloween-costumes/ |work=[[The Daily Dot]] |date=October 31, 2024 |access-date=December 14, 2024}}</ref> and was regarded by the American monthly magazine ''[[The Rolling Stone]]'' as one of the best memes of 2024.<ref name="Mack"/>

==See also==
{{Portal|Iraq}}
* [[Interrogation of Saddam Hussein]]
* [[Trial of Saddam Hussein]]
* [[Execution of Saddam Hussein]]
* [[High-value target]]
* [[Manhunt (military)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite news |title=How Saddam Hussein was captured |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/3317881.stm |date=15 December 2003 |website=[[BBC News Online]] |access-date=31 December 2015}}
* {{cite magazine |url=http://primary.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/searching_for_saddam/2010/02/searching_for_saddam_5.html |title=Searching for Saddam |first=Chris |last=Wilson |date=22 February 2010 |magazine=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |access-date=30 December 2015 |ref=none |archive-date=9 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709155827/http://primary.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/searching_for_saddam/2010/02/searching_for_saddam_5.html |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.army.mil/article/116559/Operation_RED_DAWN_nets_Saddam_Hussein/ |title=Operation RED DAWN nets Saddam Hussein |date=6 December 2013 |website=U.S. Army |access-date=31 December 2015}}

{{Saddam Hussein}}
{{Iraq War}}
{{Subject bar|auto=y|2000s|Iraq}}

[[Category:Military operations of the Iraq War involving the United States]]
[[Category:Internet memes introduced in 2003]]
[[Category:Military operations of the Iraq War in 2003]]
[[Category:Operations involving American special forces]]
[[Category:Trial of Saddam Hussein|*]]
[[Category:Battles and conflicts without fatalities]]
[[Category:December 2003 in Iraq]]
[[Category:Saladin Governorate in the Iraq War]]
[[Category:Internet memes introduced in the 2020s]]