[lbo-talk] Impacts of the Capture of Saddam Hussein

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

There have been some speculations about what impacts the capture of 
Saddam Hussein may have on (1) Iraqi resistances to the US occupation 
of Iraq and (2) the US movement against the occupation.  It appears 
that the capture has little to no direct impact on (1) and (2).

The capture, however, has probably affected the following:

(3) the attitudes of the Democratic Party presidential candidates 
(minus the marginalized candidates Al Sharpton, Carol Moseley Braun, 
and Dennis Kucinich) to Howard Dean;

(4) the willingness of the French, German, and Russian governments to 
forgive the Iraqi debts;

(5) the South Korean and Japanese governments' decisions to send 
their respective troops:

*****   Japan, South Korea to deploy troops to Iraq
U.S. allies express optimism in wake of Hussein's capture From Wire Reports
Originally published December 18, 2003

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea finalized plans yesterday to send 
3,000 more troops to Iraq as Asian governments expressed optimism for 
peace and the U.S.-led reconstruction after Saddam Hussein's capture.

Japan plans to send its first main troop contingent in late February 
after months of delay, a major Japanese newspaper reported yesterday. 
And Thailand reportedly will keep hundreds of its troops in Iraq with 
hopes that security will improve after Saturday's seizure of Hussein 
by U.S. forces. . . .

The emboldened military plans among Washington's allies underscore 
the growing sense of optimism for Iraq since the capture, despite the 
official wariness expressed by many leaders.  . . .

<http://www.sunspot.net/news/nationworld/bal-te.asia18dec18,0,5779990.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlines> 
*****

(4) and (5) may have some small & indirect impacts on (1) and (2): 
negative ones if the French, German, Russian, South Korean, and 
Japanese activists don't step up their actions; positive ones if the 
activists and populaces under the aforementioned governments get more 
militant than before.
-- 
Yoshie

* Bring Them Home Now! <http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/>
* Calendars of Events in Columbus: 
<http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html>, 
<http://www.freepress.org/calendar.php>, & <http://www.cpanews.org/>
* Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/>
* Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/>
* Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio>
* Solidarity: <http://www.solidarity-us.org/>