Saddam: Any Invasion of Iraq Will Fail

17/01/2003| IslamWeb

President Saddam Hussein , in a speech marking the 12th anniversary of the Gulf War , vowed Friday to defeat his enemies and said any attempt to conquer his nation will fail. "Everyone who tries to climb over its walls ... will fail in his attempt," Saddam said. He called on the Iraqi people to "let your guns wait in ambush for him" - a reference to the United States.
"Hold fast to your banner, the banner of God the greatest," Saddam said.

"The people of Baghdad have resolved to compel the Mongols of this age to commit suicide on its walls," Saddam said in an apparent reference to the Americans.

He said "Western peoples and circles" have for years sought to interfere with events in the Middle East "in particular Zionist Jews and Zionists who are not of the Jewish people."

He said America failed to conquer Iraq in the Gulf conflict and "proved itself to be incapable" of learning from its past mistakes.

Referring to the massive U.S.-British buildup in the Persian Gulf, Saddam said "our enemy has mustered a great force against you" but added "have no fear of them."

He said Iraq's army, people and leadership were "fully mobilized" to fight U.S. aggression and that any attackers will "be defeated at the gates of Baghdad."

PHOTO CAPTION

Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein  delivers a speech on Iraqi television in Baghdad in this image made from television, friday, Jan. 17, 2003. In the speech, given on the 12th anniversary of the Gulf War , Hussein said that Iraq was 'mobilised' to fight U.S. aggression and told Iraqi citizens not to fear any impending aggression. U.N. weapons inspectors south of Baghdad on Thursday discovered 11 undeclared but empty chemical warheads at an ammunition depot, but the Iraqi government insisted that the munitions had already been reported to the United Nations . Iraqi flag seen in the background. (AP Photo/Iraqi TV via APT