Saddam capture to boost US debt mission

The trusted friend of President Bush will meet heads of state of France, Germany, Italy, Russia and Britain, and maybe others, to seek relief of Iraq's $120 billion in debt.

Paris is his first stop, where he also will meet the new Iraqi government's finance minister and central bank governor. On a later trip, he is expected to visit the Gulf and Asia.

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Until the weekend news that the fugitive Iraqi dictator had been caught by US forces, Baker had appeared unlikely to be welcomed with much generosity.

War opponents France, Germany and Russia were outraged by the announcement last week that they would be barred from $18.6 billion in US-funded rebuilding contracts for Iraq.

But all three countries lauded Hussein's capture on Sunday. France, the fiercest war critic, went so far as to suggest the event might be catalyst for world powers to unite over Iraq.