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Saddam Addresses Nation, Promises âVictory Is Soonâ
President Saddam Hussein addressed his nation Monday, urging the Iraqi people and military to be patient with the promise that "victory is soon."
"Iraq will strike the necks (of the enemy) as God has commanded you," he said in a nationally televised address. "Strike them, and strike evil so that evil will be defeated." Saddam appeared in full military uniform and seemed calmer than during his last national address Thursday following the first round of cruise missile attacks on his capital. He clearly appeared to be trying to rally his people as U.S. and British forces were waging air campaigns over the nation and advancing quickly on the ground toward the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
| I think he gave this same speech in Gulf War I... |
"These decisive days, oh you Iraqis are in line with what God has ordered you to do, to cut their throats," he said. "Those who are believers will be victorious. In these decisive days, the enemy tried not using missiles and fighter jets as they did before. This time, they sent their infantry troops. This time, they have come to invade and occupy your land." In words aimed at inspiring his troops, Saddam said Iraqi fighters were "causing the enemy to suffer and to lose every day." Saddam spoke of clashes at Umm Qasr, where firefighting between Iraqi and coalition forces has broken out since allies took control of the strategic southern port town Friday. He also spoke of the coalition forces having been "humiliated."
| Yeah. We saw our people humiliated on teevee. We'll be wanting to talk to the people responsible when this is all over... |
"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." But the Iraqi leader did not mention specific details or dates when talking about the U.S.-led war against his regime, nor did he mention setbacks suffered Sunday by U.S. and British forces advancing toward Baghdad in clashes that left about 10 U.S. troops dead and a dozen missing. Royal Air Force spokesman Capt. Al Lockwood told Fox News that the address could easily have been pre-recorded. The Pentagon did not issue a formal reaction, but officials told Fox News they were "skeptical" about the address and suggested it was dated, pointing to the lack of specific details of recent developments in the speech.
Will all these doubts as to his very corporeal existence, you'd think he'd include someting, anything to confirm the message was recorded in the last day or two. This goes in the evidence pile labelled "Sammy's squash" as far as I'm concerned.
The Pentagon officials said the tape would be analyzed. There has been much speculation about whether the Iraqi leader is alive and how much in command he is of his military. Fox News learned Friday that U.S. officials were in possession of photographs showing Saddam being taken out on a stretcher into an ambulance after the the initial coalition strikes against Baghdad.
Doubt they'll be conclusive, unfortunately.
Speaking of the Americans and Britons, Saddam said "these forces entered our lands and where they penetrated they became entangled, desert behind them and surrounded by Iraqi residents 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?"
Not that I've heard.
"Brown - that a devil besetting our soul?"
"Where?"
"Over there!"
"Behind this berm? No, Sir. Looks like a concealed chemical weapons bunker."
Addressing the people of Iraqi cities like Basra, Baghdad and Mosul, Saddam warned that the enemy will intensify its raids as their troops suffer casualties on the ground. "Be patient. God's victory is coming ... Be tolerant," he added. He mentioned several units and commanders, saluting them "for their heroic feats in the battlefield." He told the people of Iraq's second largest city, Basra, which has been isolated but not occupied by allied forces, to be patient because "victory is imminent." Saddam said the allies were "trying to avoid engaging our forces" — a clear reference to the U.S. strategy of avoiding having to enter provincial cities — adding that "in most cases they are using their warplanes to attack our troops without engaging them in fighting."
| To my mind, we're not doing enough of that... |
"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.
Posted by: Bulldog 2003-03-24 |
