Iraqi President Saddam Hussein told the commander of the Iraqi air force that a soldier chooses to die in defense of his country, newspapers reported Wednesday.
"Martyrdom in defense of the homeland is the soldier's choice," the papers quoted the Iraqi leader as telling General Hamed Raja Shallah, who briefed him on "the latest scientific and technological achievement" of air force pilots and engineers, they said, cited by AFP.
The papers did not reveal the nature of the "achievement," reporting only that air force personnel had dedicated it to the president on the occasion of his 65th birthday on April 28.
The unspecified "gift" was offered to Saddam earlier this week by Military Industrialization Minister Abdul Tawab Mulla Howeish, who told him "it was not the first and would not be the last," according to the papers.
"The military is for the brave, not the cowards," Saddam said at the meeting with the air force chief.
The Iraqi president has been holding successive meetings with high-ranking officials and army officers amidst United States threats to attack Iraq and seek to overthrow his regime. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
