U.S. poses threat to entire Arab world, Saddam says

http://www.nandotimes.com ^ | July 16, 2002 | By BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (July 16, 2002 12:03 p.m. EDT) - Saddam Hussein said in an interview published Tuesday that the United States is threatening the entire Arab world, not just Iraq.

"The latest is a Zionist-American (aggression) against the Arab world represented by Palestine and Iraq," the Iraqi president said in the interview, published in several Arab newspapers, including Qatar's Al-Sharq and the Emirates' Al-Khaleej.

The interview, the first with Saddam to appear in years, was conducted by Mohammed al-Misfir, a political science professor at the University of Qatar and former editor-in-chief of Qatar's daily Al-Rayah. Al-Misfir met Saddam in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad earlier this month.

Al-Misfir told The Associated Press on Tuesday that despite the threat of U.S. strikes, Saddam appeared confident Iraqis could confront any such event.

"America loves war and it has declared its stance toward Iraq and other nations, but we will confront this aggression with all available force," al-Misfir quoted Saddam as saying.

Saddam rarely speaks to reporters but regularly delivers televised speeches or issues statements through his government in Iraq.

The interview came amid increasing speculation about a possible U.S.-led military attack against Iraq.

President Bush has said he wants to remove Saddam, accusing the Iraqi government of sponsoring terrorism and producing and stockpiling weapons of mass destruction.

Bush signed an order earlier this year directing the CIA to increase support to Iraqi opposition groups and allowing possible use of CIA and Special Forces teams against Saddam. If covert attempts fail, some expect Bush to try military action.

"All the Arab nation is targeted. The battle is not about Iraq but about the nation as a whole," Saddam said in the interview, adding that Arabs were weakened because they did not act as one.

Saddam also praised suicide attacks against Israel, saying they will be "recorded in our history with shining letters."

"Whenever a (suicide) attack occurs against the enemy, I feel as if I carried it out myself and every Arab should look at these acts this way," Saddam said.

According to an April report by the official Iraqi news agency, since March, suicide bombers' families have been receiving $25,000 from Saddam, who likes to be seen as the Palestinians' best ally and equate Iraq's plight with that of the Palestinians.

[Types_with_Fist]

We can only pray Saddam is right about this.

[irish_lad]

Saddam-- "We're all through talkin' and messin' around, and now it's time to rock and roll."

--Charlie Daniels

Ain't justice a bitch.

[woofer]

"Whenever a (suicide homicide) attack occurs against the enemy, I feel as if I carried it out myself and every Arab should look at these acts this way," Saddam said.

Too bad he don't have the masculine attribute to actually carry through and do himself in (or out). Always willing to let the other guy carry the water, ol' Saddammy just wants to fill the buckets.

[RobRoy]

Actually, if he means Arab-MUSLIM world, he is most definitely correct!

Nyquil poses a threat to cold symtoms. Doctors pose a threat to cancer.

Those are good things too...

[Bogey78O]

I just wish there was a threat posed to stupidity. We've seemed to eliminated most of those threats. No wonder California leads the nation in the protection of people from their own stupidity.

[cake_crumb]

Saddam used this argument once before, only it was the US under President George HW Bush he was referring to. I'll use the same translation of his propagandistic rant now that I did then: Saddam feels the US is dangerous to HIM, and his schemes, and the schemes of all Arab dictators, because we represent what they fear most: FREEDOM.

[TomGuy]

Saddam needs to move upwind of some of his WMD chemical factories. The fumes are deranging his brain.

[cmsgop]

"Whenever a (suicide) attack occurs against the enemy, I feel as if I carried it out myself and every Arab should look at these acts this way," Saddam said.

Does this Statement Mean Anything To You ????

[cake_crumb]

"the Arab world represented by Palestine and Iraq"

Did Saddam accidentally get poisoned by just enough of one of the chemical or bio weapons he's so fond of using on his people that he has suffered BRAIN DAMAGE??

ROFLOL....hysterical. Stupid...but hysterical.

[cake_crumb]

"Saddam needs to move upwind of some of his WMD chemical factories. The fumes are deranging his brain."

Yep. Absolutely.

[Britton J Wingfield]

Hell yes, we do.

[IronJack]

Saddam finally got one right. Towlies everywhere, beware. Your days are numbered.

[Mark17]

Saddam needs to move upwind of some of his WMD chemical factories. The fumes are deranging his brain.

That assumes he had a functioning brain to begin with. You may be assuming too much.

[cake_crumb]

"According to an April report by the official Iraqi news agency, since March, suicide bombers' families have been receiving $25,000 from Saddam, who likes to be seen as the Palestinians' best ally and equate Iraq's plight with that of the Palestinians."

Yep...Saddam props up the mini-dictatorship of Saddam mini-me Yasser...and provides the only form of income Yasser's peasants will ever earn.

Ah....it'd be great to be rid of Saddam, and therefore his mini-me, so there can be some peace in the Mideast. Maybe the Palestinians can even learn to manufacture AND SELL something useful to other consumers besides Yasser.

[Jhoffa_]

I stopped at the headline..

I am growing tired of Saddam and Uday beckoning others to join them in their sinking boat.

It absolutely stinks with desperation and hoplessness.

[TxBec]

..brought to you with the shining letters L, O, S, E, and R...

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

I sense that we have already started Phase 1 of the project i.e. psyops. What Phase 2 and 3 will be, I can't say, but my sense is that the thing is already on and going according to plan. In prison, when an inmate is going to be done by the other inmates, they call to the future victim in the night through the bars, to start messing with his mind. I think we're doing that with Saddam now. I think there is a method and a madness, and the madness is meant to be Saddam's.

[wallcrawlr]

a political science professor at the University of Qatar

Political science?? It shouldn't take much to learn about Tyranies, Oligarchies, and Monarchies. Who believes there is any open discussion in that classroom?

[NeoCaveman]

Dead man talking.