Bremer: Al-Qaeda at war in Iraq

2004-07-04 18:54

Washington - Paul Bremer, the former US administrator in Iraq, said on Sunday that Saddam Hussein's trial would do nothing to stem violence in the country, which the US has largely blamed on al-Qaeda operative Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi.

"The terrorists, the Zarqawi, al-Qaeda terrorists, don't need any spurring on," Bremer told the "Fox News Sunday" program.

"They see correctly that as we go forward towards representative government in Iraq, it takes the entire base of their operations out from under them."

"They're at war," he said.

Bremer said that among Saddam loyalists, the trial "could have a mixed impact."

"It could have two effects. Some of them may finally realise that it's really over, that Saddam's days are really over and he's now going to stand trial. Others may be angry about it and may try to increase their attacks."

Bremer stepped down at the US overseer in Iraq on June 28, when a caretaker Iraqi

- AFP