eir country “with expertise, faith and perseverance” if the United States attacks, President Saddam Hussein declared Thursday – adding that there was no reason for the United States do to so.
While the Clinton administration and Congress were laying groundwork for possible U.S.-led airstrikes on Iraq, Saddam was quoted as saying his army will fight “in a manner that will be a subject of admiration.”
“They don’t have any national interest or any justification to come thousands of miles to attack us,” Saddam said. “(But) if the devil pushed these enemies to commit an evil act and an aggression on us, we will be forced to fight them with all our capabilities, expertise, faith and perseverance. …Their aggression is against God.”
His comments, reported by the official Iraqi News Agency, came at the start of Eid al-Fitr, a three-day holiday that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Saddam spoke as he met with members of the ruling Baath Party, the Revolutionary Command