Saddam Apologizes for Invasion of Kuwait

AP / Yahoo ^ | 12/07/02

[dighton]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - President Saddam Hussein on Saturday apologized to the Kuwaiti people for his invasion of their tiny country in 1990, saying he was not speaking from weakness but a desire to set the record straight.

In a speech read on national television by the Iraqi information minister, Saddam outlined the events that led to the invasion and said:

"We apologize to God about any act that has angered him in the past and that was held against us, and we apologize to you (the Kuwaitis) on the same basis."

He said that in 1989, he had tried to reach a peaceful settlement of Iraq's dispute with Kuwait, but that the neighboring Gulf country's officials were not interested in negotiating.

At the time, he said, American troops were carrying out maneuvers with Kuwaiti forces, threatening Iraq.

He maintained Iraq was the victim of a conspiracy by Kuwaiti officials who were syphoning off oil along the two countries' borders that actually belonged to Iraq.

He also repeated charges that Kuwait was producing oil beyond its assigned OPEC quota, bringing down oil prices and hurting the Iraqi economy.

In the speech read by Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, the Iraqi leader was careful to distinguish between the Kuwaiti people and the country's leaders.

Saddam added that Iraqi officials later found documents showing the United States and Kuwaiti officials had colluded in military plans against Iraq and his country had to defend itself, leading to the invasion of Aug. 2, 1990.

"There was no hope in solving issues by diplomatic means," he said.

[dighton]

If this is an apology, I'm Lord Nelson.

[RGSpincich]

As good as it gets from him.

[Paul Atreides]

Worth as much as a Clinton apology.

[MeekOneGOP]

[America's Resolve]

Saddam Apologizes for Invasion of Kuwait ...

... and plays the UN like a cheap fiddle.

[Walkin Man]

heh heh...

I think ole Saddam is sweating bullets right about now and trying to sucker his fellow muslims into supporting him.

[chance33_98]

Guess he is more scared of Bush then Clinton...

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

saying he was not speaking from weakness

Yeah...........right!!

[chance33_98]

I've noticed dems think Saddam was right to invade kuwait (won't say where I saw this, but you can guess). Keep talking dems, it gives us votes.

[Teacher317]

"There was no hope in solving issues by diplomatic means," he said.

Good... then he'll understand why we are kicking his butt out.

[dighton]

... and plays the UN like a cheap fiddle.

... which won't save his hide. Saddam and the UN will go on thinking, "we pulled one over on that dumb Texas cowboy," right until the first wave of Tomahawks and B-2s.

[CougarGA7]

Saddam knows that the clock is running out on him. This is just a last ditch effort to try and muster doubt in the international community. Saddam's only hope at this point is for us to have as few allies in this effort as possible, thus fueling controversy over the war. Every action this man takes has an alterior motive.

[twyn1]

Somehow I think this "apology" wouldn't make me feel much better if my husband or son was a Kuwaiti and is still "missing"

[F.J. Mitchell]

Sadam the lying asp serpent,counting on the fools and d*mn fools of the world outnumbering the wise and semi-wise. He's putting on a charade similar to the one that worked everytime until recently for our own lying asp liberals. The fools and d*mn fools have wised up here, leaving the Dems with only the stupid, the dead and household pets to depend on.

[MHGinTN]

Apologized?... well that should about settle things for the LIEberals in America. Time to bring the troops home and live in peace now. NOT!

[IronJack]

We apologize to God about any act that has angered him in the past and that was held against us, and we apologize to you (the Kuwaitis) on the same basis."

"And, to prove that our apology is sincere and not just the panicked words of a man about to be dethroned, we offer you this check for 16 balillion dollars in reparations for the destruction we caused in your nation. In addition, we offer to compensate the Allies for the expenses they incurred, and the entire world for the oil wells we blew up during our hasty retreat. We agree to dismantle our entire military apparatus and put our soldiers to work selling rat kabobs."

[Demidog]

Our own state department virtually invited Saddam to invade. Perhaps you don't remember.

[Demidog]

Our own state department virtually invited Saddam to invade. Perhaps you don't remember.

[McGavin999]

In the speech read by Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, the Iraqi leader was careful to distinguish between the Kuwaiti people and the country's leaders.

Yeah, I guess that's why his men raped, tortured, and killed so many citizens of Kuwait, just to get back at the leaders. I guess that's why he lit the oil fields, just to get back at the leaders.

[dighton]

Save it for someone else. That is all.