United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan on Monday expressed his hope that Iraq will witness a new era of stability and security in which its national unity and territorial integrity will be preserved. In a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) following the arrest Saturday of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Sheikh Zayed said: "Iraq has been relieved of a heavy burden and this will enable it to move forward to a new era where there will be no despotism, oppression and fear and none of the practices that destroyed Iraq over recent decades, causing serious damage to the whole of the Arab and Islamic nations". The President added: "I hope that the recent developments in Iraq will contribute to the restoration of stability and peace in that country, and will prove to be a stepping-stone that will permit the Iraqi people to unify their ranks and to strengthen their national reconciliation, giving priority, above all else, to that which will foster the unity of Iraq as a country and as a people, working hand-in-hand for a bright future."
