Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has issued a defiant call to his troops, urging them to repel US and British forces. Speaking Monday on Iraqi television, he said God was on their side and would help them defeat the "infidels".
Saddam began the address just after 0800 GMT.
He said it was Iraq's policy to avoid aggression but it was ready to defend itself from any attack. "We deserve victory from God," he said. "All the infidels will be defeated. We will hit them in the neck, hit them everywhere and tell all the believers this has been achieved. There will be victory soon."
Saddam said Iraqi fighters were "causing the enemy to suffer and to lose every day." "As time goes by, they will lose more and they will not be able to escape lightly from their predicament," he said. "We will make it as painful as we can."
Saddam said American and British forces had entered Iraq's desert, where they "became entangled." He declared that "Iraqi residents (were) surrounding them and aiming their fire at them."
Taunting the allies, he asked: "Have you found what the devil that besets your soul promised you in Iraq?"
He said "victory is very near" in Basra, southern Iraq, which U.S. and British tank units were still trying to secure. He called on defenders of Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul to hold firm. He also made specific reference to U.S. tactics and the fighting around Umm Qasr.
Saddam praised his commanders, several of them by name, saying their units fought fiercely against coalition troops.
Among those he named were the commanders of the 51st, 11th and 18th divisions, which are posted in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city.
He added: "Hit your enemies hard and precisely, like the jihad, until they can commit no more crimes against your nation and against humanity. "We will teach the enemy a lesson. We will make him incapable."
Saddam said the allies were "trying to avoid engaging our forces," adding that "in most cases they are using their warplanes to attack our troops without engaging them in fighting." "Whenever they penetrated our territory, they were faced with fierce resistance from Iraqi people, tribes, party members, Saddam's Fedayeen and security forces," he said.
(Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
