ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)br br The late former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was an "exceptional commander who moved his people and loved them," said President Shimon Peres on Saturday (January 11).br br "In the most moving way, I shall miss him dearly and remember him lovingly,br br Peres said at a press conference, "He will remain a unique leader who brought victory and offered hope in the long history of our people."br br Sharon died on Saturday at age 85, after eight years in a coma caused by a stroke.br br Officials said Sharon, who took power in 2001 soon after the start of a second Palestinian uprising that raged until 2005, would be given a state funeral to which foreign dignitaries would be invited.