Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his senior aides met Sunday to discuss a general mobilization of Iraqis against a possible U.S. strike, according to the official Iraqi News Agency (INA).
On Sunday, the Iraqi President held a meeting of the two most powerful bodies in his regime: the Revolutionary Command Council and the Regional Command of the ruling Ba’ath Party, in order to review means to improve a mobilization of Iraqis. During the meeting, measures to "confront the malicious, hostile plans that the rulers of America are brandishing against our people, and how to thwart them" were discussed.
In the past, Saddam has expressed the notion that Iraq will not be caught off guard by a U.S. strike. President George W. Bush recently warned Saddam Hussein there would be steps taken if Baghdad did not renew cooperation with U.N. inspectors, who have been barred from Iraq since 1998.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi newspaper Babel has written that by demonstrating "flexibility and wisdom" during the Arab League chief's recent visit, Baghdad has robbed the United States of any pretext to attack Iraq, AFP reported.
"Given the combination of flexibility and wisdom shown by Iraq's leadership ... there is no longer any justification for the Bush administration's threats against our country," said the newspaper, which is owned by the Iraqi President's elder son Uday. The newspaper was referring to messages which Saddam asked Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa during a meeting on Saturday to hand over to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
