Only time will tell the ultimate impact of the capture of Saddam Hussein, both at home in Iraq and abroad.  It is significant that in the Tikrit area alone, there were an average of 22 guerrilla incidents daily in November; while to date in December, there have been an average of just six such daily dustups.  If Coalition, principally American, armed forces can maintain the momentum of capturing, killing and otherwise subduing guerrillas and jihad terrorists, Saddam's arrest will be seen as the beginning of the end of hostilities in Iraq.

As for Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Syria on the other hand, Saddam's final fall could well be seen to have been the beginning of the end of four long-standing, repressive, "family-oriented" regimes.

Dr. Hussain Hindawi has just completed a five week fact finding trip to all areas of his native Iraq following 32 years in exile.  John R. Thomson draws on three decades' living and working in Beirut, Cairo and Riyadh as businessman, diplomat and journalist.