World reaction: World leaders put aside months of divisive debate on Iraq yesterday to welcome the capture of Saddam Hussein. Derek Scally reports from Berlin
The French and German leaders, the loudest critics of the Iraq war, were generous in their praise of the US. However the German Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schröder, hinted that the dramatic arrest could signal a change in the US decision to allow only companies from coalition countries to receive reconstruction contracts.
"With great joy, I have learned of the capture of Saddam Hussein. I congratulate you on this successful mission," wrote Mr Schröder in a telegram to President Bush. "I hope that his arrest will promote the efforts of the international community to the reconstruction of Iraq."
President Jacques Chirac said in Paris he was "delighted" with the news: "It is a major event that should strongly contribute to democracy and stability in Iraq and allow Iraqis to master their destiny in a sovereign Iraq."
Allies of the US were jubilant at the fall of Saddam Hussein. The Spanish Prime Minister, Mr José Maria Aznar, said the capture had removed the greatest obstacle to peace and stability in Iraq. "The time has come for him to pay for his crimes. Saddam was the cause of all of the poverty in Iraq. From now on, terrorist groups are closer to being defeated."
His Foreign Minister, Ms Ana Palacio, said it was "a great day for humankind. The horrible shadow of this bloody dictator is going to vanish."
The Italian Foreign Minister, Mr Franco Frattini, said the arrest was the "decisive turning point". in the battle against guerillas." The international coalition had succeeded in toppling Saddam as a symbol of Iraqi terror.
There was a note of caution from Warsaw, however, where officials warned that the arrest could start an uprising among supporters of the former Iraqi dictator.
"The coming days could be equally dangerous as these past days," said Mr Jerezy Szmajdzinski, the Polish Foreign Minister.
Mr Joschka Fischer, the German Foreign Minister, called Saddam Hussein a "brutal dictator" and said his capture was an "important success in the interests of peace and stability for the Iraqi people".
"I think the chance now exists that the violence will decrease, the terror comes to a halt and the reconstruction of the country can be brought forward," he said. "Furthermore, a swift transfer of sovereignty to a transition Iraqi government is possible at the same time as a result."
Mr Fischer's French counterpart, Mr Dominique de Villepin, said: "The page of the Iraqi dictatorship is thus turned."
Mr Romano Prodi, the President of the European Commission, said the arrest would be a "decisive contribution to peace and against terrorism in Iraq".
The European Union's Foreign Policy Envoy, Mr Javier Solana, called it a "very important day for the Iraqi people".
NATO General Secretary Sir George Robertson said he hoped the arrest would speed up the reconstruction process and reduce the number of terrorist acts in the country, a view shared by many world leaders, including the Australian and Belgian prime ministers.
The former UN chief weapons inspector, Mr Hans Blix, said he hoped the former Iraqi dictator would be able to shed light on the mystery of the weapons of mass destruction. "He ought to know quite a lot and be able to tell the story and we all want to get to the bottom of the barrel."