Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein urged his people on Saturday to ignore a U.S. plot to topple him, saying the threat was nothing new.
It was Saddam's first reaction to last week's Washington Post report, which said U.S. President George W. Bush had signed an order earlier this year allowing the CIA to conduct covert operations to oust Saddam.
"Do not give any weight to such a report," Saddam told a group of senior ruling Ba'ath Party members. "This subject isn't new as it is more than thirty years old," he said, accusing the United States of plotting to topple the Baghdad government since the Ba'ath Party seized power three decades ago.
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said on Thursday Saddam was a "gathering danger" to the United States.
According to Reuters, Saddam said he would rather have the United States targeting the leaders of Iraq than its people. "Let them first avoid hitting the people," he said. "Leave the Iraqi people alone by lifting the embargo."
Saddam accused Washington of killing Iraqi civilians and destroying their property. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
