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Saddam, US at loggerheads
The United States sought on Tuesday to dispel speculation of an imminent military onslaught against Iraq, where President Saddam Hussein accused a `power dizzy` Washington of wanting to destroy the world.
The United States sought on Tuesday to dispel speculation of an imminent military onslaught against Iraq, where President Saddam Hussein accused a "power dizzy" Washington of wanting to destroy the world.
Saddam, accused by President George W Bush of being part of "axis of evil" seeking weapons of mass destruction that could be made available to terrorists, urged European countries to try to make Washington see sense.
"America does not only want to destroy the world, but rather as a result destroy itself, too," Saddam said in a meeting in Baghdad with Austrian far-right leader Joerg Haider.
"When the Americans reach the position of power they suffer from power dizziness and instead of ruling on the basis of wisdom they use force," said Saddam, who survived in power despite the defeat of his armed forces by a US-led alliance in the 1991 Gulf War.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell told a Senate committee Washington wanted to oust Saddam from power but had no plans for military action against him.
"The Pesident does not have before him right now a plan for a conflict with anybody," he said. "With Iraq, we are always examining options for regime change... But we are not at some point where we are going into contingency plans to invade Iraq."
Saddam, accused by President George W Bush of being part of "axis of evil" seeking weapons of mass destruction that could be made available to terrorists, urged European countries to try to make Washington see sense.
"America does not only want to destroy the world, but rather as a result destroy itself, too," Saddam said in a meeting in Baghdad with Austrian far-right leader Joerg Haider.
"When the Americans reach the position of power they suffer from power dizziness and instead of ruling on the basis of wisdom they use force," said Saddam, who survived in power despite the defeat of his armed forces by a US-led alliance in the 1991 Gulf War.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell told a Senate committee Washington wanted to oust Saddam from power but had no plans for military action against him.
"The Pesident does not have before him right now a plan for a conflict with anybody," he said. "With Iraq, we are always examining options for regime change... But we are not at some point where we are going into contingency plans to invade Iraq."
BVureau Report