Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Taha Yassin Ramadan on Monday blasted the United States, saying Americans are "mercenaries" carrying out attacks on Iraq on behalf of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
"The cost of the US-British military attacks against Iraq since the end of 1998 comes to three billion dollars at the very least," Ramadan said in a speech to parliament.
"Naturally, the American administration has not paid any costs. The Saudi and Kuwaiti regimes have picked all of them up," Ramadan said.
"The Americans are carrying out attacks against Iraq like mercenaries in the pocket of the Saudi and Kuwaiti regimes that are financing and equipping them.
"If the Americans did not get Saudi and Kuwaiti help, the attacks would not have continued over all these years," he said.
Ramadan said the no-fly zones in the north and south of Iraq "were imposed by an American decision but Saudi Arabia and Kuwait assume responsibility for their upkeeping."
On August 8th, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein described Kuwaiti and Saudi leaders as "traitors" for allowing US and British planes to bomb Iraq from their territories, holding them responsible for the continuation of sanctions against it - BAGHDAD (AFP)
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