In Russia they reckon on Hussein's arrest making it clear if WMD exist in Iraq

Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov stated that in Russia they reckon on the arrest of Saddam Hussein making it clear if weapons of mass destruction exist in Iraq.

"We count on Saddam Hussein's arrest giving an answer to the question of concern to all of us: were there weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, or not? Precisely this problem became the detonator of the current crisis in the country", Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs who is now staying in Chile told the Vremya Novostei newspaper.

In Igor Ivanov's opinion, the Iraqi people themselves must try Saddam Hussein. "There is no international tribunal on Iraq", the Minister recalled. "We are working to achieve a political settlement in Iraq, and must trust the Iraqi representatives. They must try both Saddam and possibly other Iraqi figures against whom some or other charges may be brought".

Asked if Russia could intercede for Saddam if capital punishment threatens him, Igor Ivanov answered: "In this case it is a matter of Iraqi justice alone which must represent the interests of its country, the interests of future Iraq".

The Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs holds the view that "anyway, Saddam Hussein's arrest made it possible to speed up the process of establishing security in Iraq under the UN aegis, became its new count point, and allowed sovereignty to be brought back to the Iraqi people and rehabilitation of the country to be started as early as possible".