President Saddam Hussein vowed on Sunday that any foreign attack on his country would be defeated by the proud, faithful and striving army of Iraq. Addressing the nation on the occasion of Army Day, Saddam shrugged off reports that the United States might extend its campaign against terrorism to Iraq. “As your debased enemies failed in the past, so will any aggressor fail, if he lets himself be seduced into committing an act of evil,” Saddam said on national television. Saddam praised the Iraqi Army in the 20-minute speech, calling it the army of al-Qadissiya - a reference to the Iraqi-Iranian war of 1980-88, the army of the mother of all battles - a reference to the Gulf War of 1991, and the army of Palestine. He also praised the palestinian uprising against Israel, saying that the Palestinians were fighting the aggression of Zionism and its ally, the United States. Separately on Sunday, the newspaper of the ruling Baath Party, al-Thawra, described US Sen Joseph Lieberman as insolent for his comments last week during a visit to Turkey. Lieberman (Democrat, Connecticut) said, “The war against terrorism will not end until Saddam Hussein is removed from power in Baghdad.
Lieberman is leading a hostile campaign against some Arab countries, and he is provoking others against Iraq, in particular, Al-thawra said in an editorial.
US President George W Bush has warned Saddam that his government must allow the return of UN arms inspectors, who have been barred from Iraq since late 1998.
Bureau Report