Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein said Wednesday Iraq did not want war with the United States but if it came under attack it would fight back. "Given the choice, we do not want war, but if it is imposed on us, we will fight," Saddam said on Iraqi state television.
"If God wants this people to regain its rights without fighting, we will thank him. We will also do it if God decides that the Iraqis regain their rights by war," he warned.
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that war with Iraq was not inevitable, saying Saddam Hussein could instead choose to disarm.
"We continue to hope that he will change course," Rumsfeld said. "No-one wants war. The choice between war and peace will not be made in Washington, or for that matter in New York, but in Baghdad."
According to AFP, he said that Iraqi disarmament, as demanded by the United Nations, "could happen in a variety of ways besides war", suggesting that Saddam could flee the country or chose to cooperate with inspectors.
But asked if he had seen any signs that Saddam would leave the country, Rumsfeld joked, "he does not consult with me on things like that."
These comments came after the United States formally asked for NATO limited help in case of war with Iraq. NATO officials said ambassadors from the other 18 alliance nations discussed proposals based on those presented to the allies informally last month by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.
Officials at NATO headquarters called the preparations "prudent defense and contingency planning." (Albawaba.com)
