Evans arrived in the Czech Republic yesterday for talks on Iraq reconstruction with President Vaclav Klaus and Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla.

In Paris, he plans to meet with Iraqi officials.Д®vans' mission: Commerce Secretary Donald Evans was conducting a separate European tour this week to nations that supported the war and whose companies are eligible to participate in bidding on U.S.-financed reconstruction work. Baker's travels will take him to France today and then to Germany, Italy, Britain and Russia later this week. Baker III, prepared for an overseas trip, just as the French foreign minister said France and other creditor nations are looking to strike a deal on helping Iraq reduce its foreign debt next year. Still, she said, Saddam's capture 'signifies a true break from the past by showing he cannot come back into power,' a fact not lost on the average Iraqi.Д«aker's trip: President Bush's new emissary on postwar Iraq, former Secretary of State James A. 'This resistance in some ways has taken on a life of its own,' said Sheba Crocker, an expert on Iraqi reconstruction at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

If Saddam's detention leads to a quicker turnover of power to the Iraqis, as some European leaders are advocating, it could also help persuade more countries to get involved in Iraqi reconstruction, analysts suggest.ДЄnd, if Saddam's capture results in fewer acts of sabotage against military and strategic interests - including oil fields and pipelines - it could enable Iraq to quickly increase its oil production, giving a huge boost to its economy and attracting more foreign investment.Д«ut there is still the question of whether attacks will increase or subside with Saddam in captivity. officials appeared to be resisting a temptation to gloat, reaching out to allies and emphasizing the importance of the role of Iraqis in determining their own future.

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