HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------
Iraq is ready for the fight, says defiant Saddam ================================ By Anton La Guardia, Diplomatic Editor (Filed: 18/07/2002) DAILY TELEGRAPH Saddam Hussein dismissed American plans to topple him yesterday, declaring that his regime could never be defeated and denouncing his Iraqi opponents as the greedy stooges of foreign "tyrants". Delivering a defiant, rhetoric-filled speech on the anniversary of the coup that brought the ruling Ba'ath party to power in Iraq in 1968, he said: "The wind will blow away foreign rattling as the noise of an evil covetous tyrant, the enemy of Allah". Saddam's 40-minute televised tirade, laden with references to Islamic history, came in response to increased moves by America and Britain to overthrow him. Paul Wolfowitz, the US deputy defence secretary, spent a second day in Ankara yesterday discussing what Turkey's role would be in any campaign to unseat Saddam. On Tuesday, Tony Blair said the world would have to "deal with" the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. But in comments to chairmen of Commons select committees, the Prime Minister insisted that there was still an "open question" over how to proceed. In his speech, Saddam said his regime was ready to defend itself, "armed with its sword, bow, and spear, carrying its shield or gun and cannon, mounting its tank, or poised in its battle-trench which may, through caution and alertness, save life from schemes, conspiracies, and perfidy, and protect all our dear, dear, dear men". He added: "Temmuz [the July revolution] returns to say to all evil tyrants and oppressors of the world, 'You will never defeat me this time. Never! Even if you come together from all over the world, and invite all the devils as well, to stand by you, support or incite you'." The prospect of a US military offensive has been raised further after talks between Iraq and the United Nations over the resumption of weapons inspections broke down this month. At the weekend, a group of about 70 exiled Iraqi military officers met in London to plan ways to foment revolt within the Iraqi armed forces. More than a decade after Iraqi troops were forced out of Kuwait, Saddam's forces are today even less able to resist a US-led military campaign. He is relying on divisions in the West and the strong anti-US mood in the Arab and Muslim world to frustrate the plans. He has tried to reconcile with Arab neighbours, particularly Saudi Arabia, in the hope that they will resist US attempts to mount operations from their territory. Saddam has tried to fuel the Palestinian uprising with generous payments to the families of "martyrs", in the belief that the crisis in Israel and the occupied territories makes it more difficult for America to find Arab allies. In his speech yesterday, Saddam described foreign-based opposition groups as lackeys unfit to lead Iraq, while comparing his own regime as halal, permitted by God. He declared: "Anything gained freely, as charity, or from a foreign source, will yield nothing but vice, and weakness before the arrogance charity and greed of the foreign source. "He who builds his country with his own hands will be able to defend himself and his country with his own means." --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
