57 Americans lost their life but to Iraqi leaders it a game and thank god it's over! It's sad that lives were lost to a "game"

UNITED NATIONS - Iraq (news - web sites)'s U.N. ambassador said Wednesday "the game is over" — and that means the war is over. Mohammed Al-Douri expressed hope that the Iraqi people will now be able to live in peace. His comments were the first admission by an Iraqi official that U.S.-led forces had overwhelmed Iraqi forces after a three-week campaign.



"My work now is peace," he told reporters outside his New York residence. "The game is over, and I hope the peace will prevail. I hope the Iraqi people will have a happy life."


Al-Douri was asked what he meant when he said "the game is over."


"The war," he responded.


When asked about Iraqi President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites), Al-Douri said he had no "relationship with Saddam."


"I have no communication with Iraq," the ambassador said.


Questioned about Al-Douri's comments, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said: "Well, I would say it wasn't a game, first."


Speaking in Washington, Rumsfeld said the war was "over" when Saddam refused to accept his last chance to cooperate with the U.N. disarmament resolutions. "It was only a matter of time after that."


Rumsfeld added that there was still lots of "difficult, dangerous" work ahead in Iraq.


Earlier, Al-Douri told Associated Press Television News: "This is a war, and there will be a winner and someone who is a loser."


When asked what he thought about scenes being broadcast from Baghdad, he said, "Well I don't know really, I watch the television like you."


He said that because of the war he has been unable to contact any government officials "for a long time."