Saddam Hussein's capture

Jonathan Marcus: This is a historic turning point for modern Iraq. Saddam Hussein's capture marks a huge morale boost for US forces and a serious blow to Ba'athist elements engaged in armed resistance against them. It provides a significant political boost for President George Bush and for the British Prime Minister Tony Blair who were both coming under ever stronger criticism for launching their invasion of Iraq as the casualty toll mounted. But above all the capture of Saddam Hussein marks a huge opportunity for the Iraqi people. This does not mean that armed resistance to the Americans and their allies will end. This after all derives from a number of factors; political; nationalist, Islamic and criminal. One of Saddam Hussein's last acts in power was to empty the prisons. But the arrest of the former Iraqi ruler creates a dramatic shift in the psychological climate. Ordinary Iraqis have already been celebrating in the streets. VOCABULARY capture - zajetí historic turning point - historický mezník moral boost - morální podpora, pozvednutí morálky political boost - politická podpora the casualty toll mounted - počet obětí na lidských životech stoupal number of factors - řada faktorů dramatic shift - dramatický posun