I can't remember what I was doing when Kennedy was shot, but I shall always remember where I was when the news of Saddam Hussein's arrest came through.

'd just got in after morning church and I was thinking about putting some warm water in the font for the afternoon's christening. Well, I almost ran into church to sing a hymn of praise and thanksgiving. But, tender-hearted creature that I am, my next thought was for the journalists at the BBC: however were they going to be able to spin such a glorious triumph as a setback?

I need not have worried. Almost immediately they were telling us that the capture of Saddam would not mean an end to the barbarous suicide bombings in Iraq. Whoever thought it would? I wrote in this column months ago that the civilising of that country would take a long time after 30 years of Saddam's cruel regime. I referred to this process of pacification and restoration in words that would never be used these days - certainly not on the BBC - but which people understood well enough in Kipling's day: the responsibility that falls upon civilised nations to counter dictatorships and barbaric regimes used to be called "the white man's burden". And we are in it for the long haul.

Once I'd got over my bout of sympathy for the lefties at the BBC, I got out my file of cuttings from The Guardian and The Independent. All those articles from those snivelling, "knowledgeable" newspapers about how Saddam would never be caught. But he has been caught and, as Tony Blair said, he will now have to face the justice which he for so long denied to others.

Things are going pretty well in Iraq - despite what you hear on the BBC. There is still an insurgency of disappointed and disgruntled Ba'athists and other remnants of Saddam's regime. But look at the gains since the Americans and the British took over in Baghdad. No one is now being put in Saddam's shredder. People are not being tortured and gassed, as the Kurds were tortured and gassed. The Marsh Arabs have returned to their historic homelands in peace.

There is a free press in Iraq. Children are back at school again. There is the beginning of democracy and a decent set of political liberties. Women's rights are being restored. Shi'ite Muslims, for so long persecuted by Saddam, are able publicly to observe their religion again and to process through the streets of Baghdad. They are doing these things under the protection of the US army.

And to those in the BBC and the "intellectual" press who say that the Iraq war was "all about oil" - yes, oil revenues are no longer going into the pockets of Saddam and his cronies. And the fact that the oil supplies are secured means that there is less chance of other, scarcely less corrupt regimes holding the West to ransom. But let's not stop there: consider the signal that has been sent to other foul regimes. The message is: "Do not mess with the Allies. For the Allies are serious in their pursuit of justice and freedom."

One little aspect of the capture of Saddam gives food for thought: after urging so many others to fight to the death, he merely said: "Don't shoot. I'm the President of Iraq!" You were, mate. You were.

* Peter Mullen is Rector of St Michael's, Cornhill, in the City of London, and Chaplain to the Stock Exchange.