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F1 boss draws criticism

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The Associated Press

Published: July 5, 2009

Updated: 07/05/2009 12:23 am

LONDON - Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone faced criticism from politicians and Jewish groups Saturday after being quoted as saying that Adolf Hitler "got things done."

In an interview with London's The Times newspaper, Ecclestone expressed a preference for "strong leaders," citing former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Max Mosley, outgoing head of Formula One's governing body, as examples.

He was quoted as saying that democracy "hasn't done a lot of good for many countries - including this one."

"In a lot of ways, terrible to say this I suppose, but apart from the fact that Hitler got taken away and persuaded to do things that I have no idea whether he wanted to do or not, he was in the way that he could command a lot of people, able to get things done," Ecclestone was quoted as saying.

"In the end he got lost, so he wasn't a very good dictator."

Ecclestone also said the West had been wrong to depose Iraq's Saddam Hussein, saying: "He was the only one who could control that country."

The Board of Deputies of British Jews told The Times that Ecclestone's views were "quite bizarre," and Jewish Chronicle editor Stephen Pollard said he was "either an idiot or morally repulsive."

Calls to Ecclestone's London office were not immediately returned.

IRL: Ryan Briscoe won the pole for today's Camping World Grand Prix at Watkins Glen International.

Briscoe won his second straight pole on the 3.4-mile road course with a time of 1 minute, 28.5970 seconds in the Firestone Fast Six Shootout, breaking the track record held by Helio Castroneves by more than a second.

Justin Wilson finished second in 1:29.3106, ahead of Scott Dixon, Mario Moraes and Graham Rahal.

Dario Franchitti crashed entering the final turn during the shootout and finished sixth, just ahead of rookie Mike Conway and Danica Patrick.

Castroneves did not make the final round and will start 14th.

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