August 8, 2002
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has warned that any attack on Iraq will be doomed to failure and stressed that peaceful dialogue is the way forward. In his first public remarks since US President George W Bush vowed last month to see the Iraqi leader replaced, Saddam Hussein said that "evil people" who threaten Arab and Muslim countries would be left "in the dustbin of history".
The televised address came amid growing speculation that the United States is planning to attack Iraq over its failure to readmit UN weapons monitors, who have been barred from the country since 1998. Saddam Hussein did not specifically refer to the issue of weapons inspections, but said the United Nations Security Council should reply to questions raised by Iraq and honour its obligations. The Iraqi leader was apparently referring to 19 questions regarding arms inspections and economic sanctions submitted by Iraq to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan in March, which the Security Council has not yet responded to.
The BBC's Rageh Omaar, who is in Baghdad, says Saddam Hussein's speech was an unequivocal re-statement of Iraq's position that if UN weapons inspections were to resume they would do so as long as Iraq had guarantees that its security and sovereignty were respected, and that sanctions would be lifted. Iraq has recently invited UN arms teams to visit the country for talks on resuming inspections, but the United States has dismissed the move as a ploy.
Appeal for peace
In his address, marking the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988, Saddam Hussein said the way to achieve "peace and security" was through "equitable dialogue and on the basis of international law and international covenants". But, he said, "the enemy" refused to listen to appeals from Arab and Muslim countries and had "rejected all the initiatives and calls for peace, which we had proposed more than once". He said that history had shown that attacks on Arabs and Muslims had always been defeated and would continue to be repelled.
The Iraqi leader urged Iraqis to be prepared "with all the force you can to face your enemies", adding "the forces of evil will carry their coffins on their back to die in a disgraceful failure."
International concern
There has been growing concern among the United States' allies about possible US plans for military action against Iraq.
The UK Minister for Middle East Affairs, Mike O'Brien, said war could be avoided if Iraq readmitted weapons inspectors, while German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder warned that an attack on Iraq would be a mistake.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal has also ruled out allowing the US to attack Iraq from Saudi territory.
President Bush appeared to acknowledge international pressure against an offensive, saying on Wednesday he would "continue to consult with Congress, and of course we'll consult with our friends". But, he said, Iraq posed "real threats", adding that military force against Iraq remained an option.
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