Arab News Staff Writer

RIYADH/DUBAI, 16 December 2003 — Gulf neighbors Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have expressed the hope that stability would be restored in Iraq following the capture of ousted President Saddam Hussein by US forces. “Following the capture of former President Saddam Hussein, Saudi Arabia hopes to see the restoration of security, and political, economic and social stability in Iraq,” said an official spokesman quoted by the SPA news agency.

He said Riyadh wanted to see stability in a “sovereign, united and prosperous” Iraq that would maintain good relations with its neighbors and the international community.

Saddam’s capture Saturday night was hailed after its announcement Sunday by the Saudi ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, as the end of an “infamous chapter” in the history of Iraq and the region.

“Saddam Hussein was a menace to the Arab world, and his reign of terror will be remembered for its brutality, aggression and oppression,” he said.

In the UAE, the official WAM news agency quoted President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahayan as saying that Iraq had been “rid of a heavy burden.”

Sheikh Zayed expressed hope that this would usher in “an era of stability and security” to preserve Iraq’s national unity, “an era in which there is no room for injustice, dictatorship and terror.”