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Saddam Says Troops Unbeatable, if Well Supplied
The American GI's 21st-century kit will count for nothing, says President Saddam Hussein, against the Iraqi infantryman armed with a rifle, God's blessing -- and local villagers ready to feed him on the battlefield. But with rations tight, supplying the troops with food could be a real concern, he was quoted as conceding Wednesday. In remarks carried by Iraqi state television, the president told militia commanders the United States had superiority in the air but it would be a different story in face to face fighting."In aerial combat, there is a difference in weapons. But on the ground and on foot, men fight with their rifles," he said in his latest defiant salvo against the U.S. military build-up. Ok, it's official, he is living in a dream world. Saddam painted a picture of combat ranging across the Iraqi countryside and his troops relying for food on the local population rather than military logistics. But since the army was evicted from Kuwait by a U.S.-led coalition in the 1991 Gulf War, food has been rationed in Iraq as a result of United Nations trade sanctions that are still in place. Feeding the soldiery was now a concern, Saddam said. "It is enough to have grenades, launchers, a loaf of bread, a drink of water and a rifle. Then, counting on God, Iraq will be safe and I don't see any difficulties in the battle -- unless the fighter says he has no bread or no water to drink. "I have to see if he can depend on his brothers in villages round about to get from them a loaf of bread to go on fighting among them. This is the only thing that I find difficult." "A loaf of bread, a jug of water, and thou, my white flag" The authorities have distributed a three-month ration to every family to stock up food in their houses in case of war. More reserve rations are expected to be handed out soon. Five weeks of bombing campaign in 1991 let the coalition drive the Iraqi ground troops from Kuwait in a matter of hours. This time around, the Americans and their allies should be even better equipped in terms of the kind of infantry firepower, fighting vehicles, body armor, night-vision kit and so on they can bring to bear on Iraqi troops wielding familiar Kalashnikov rifles, machineguns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Heh, heh, heh. Saddam, however, appealed to his troops pride in traditions symbolized by the traditional Arab shemagh headdress: "Every one of us will put on his shemagh, with his rifle in his hand, and with it the enemy will be defeated." Up your shemagh! Posted by: Steve 2003-01-08 |
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