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Iraq
Saddam Addresses Nation, Promises ’Victory Is Soon’
2003-03-24
President Saddam Hussein addressed his nation Monday, urging the Iraqi people and military to be patient with the promise that "victory is soon."
Any minute now...
"Iraq will strike the necks (of the enemy) as God has commanded you," he said in a nationally televised address. "Strike them, and strike evil so that evil will be defeated." Saddam appeared in full military uniform and seemed calmer than during his last national address Thursday following the first round of cruise missile attacks on his capital. He clearly appeared to be trying to rally his people as U.S. and British forces were waging air campaigns over the nation and advancing quickly on the ground toward the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
I think he gave this same speech in Gulf War I...
"These decisive days, oh you Iraqis are in line with what God has ordered you to do, to cut their throats," he said. "Those who are believers will be victorious. In these decisive days, the enemy tried not using missiles and fighter jets as they did before. This time, they sent their infantry troops. This time, they have come to invade and occupy your land." In words aimed at inspiring his troops, Saddam said Iraqi fighters were "causing the enemy to suffer and to lose every day." Saddam spoke of clashes at Umm Qasr, where firefighting between Iraqi and coalition forces has broken out since allies took control of the strategic southern port town Friday. He also spoke of the coalition forces having been "humiliated."
Yeah. We saw our people humiliated on teevee. We'll be wanting to talk to the people responsible when this is all over...
"As time goes by, they will lose more and they will not be able to escape lightly from their predicament," he said. "We will make it as painful as we can." But the Iraqi leader did not mention specific details or dates when talking about the U.S.-led war against his regime, nor did he mention setbacks suffered Sunday by U.S. and British forces advancing toward Baghdad in clashes that left about 10 U.S. troops dead and a dozen missing. Royal Air Force spokesman Capt. Al Lockwood told Fox News that the address could easily have been pre-recorded. The Pentagon did not issue a formal reaction, but officials told Fox News they were "skeptical" about the address and suggested it was dated, pointing to the lack of specific details of recent developments in the speech.
Will all these doubts as to his very corporeal existence, you'd think he'd include someting, anything to confirm the message was recorded in the last day or two. This goes in the evidence pile labelled "Sammy's squash" as far as I'm concerned.
The Pentagon officials said the tape would be analyzed. There has been much speculation about whether the Iraqi leader is alive and how much in command he is of his military. Fox News learned Friday that U.S. officials were in possession of photographs showing Saddam being taken out on a stretcher into an ambulance after the the initial coalition strikes against Baghdad.
Doubt they'll be conclusive, unfortunately.
Speaking of the Americans and Britons, Saddam said "these forces entered our lands and where they penetrated they became entangled, desert behind them and surrounded by Iraqi residents surrounding them and aiming their fire at them." Taunting the allies, he asked: "Have you found what the devil that besets your soul promised you in Iraq?"
Not that I've heard.
"Brown - that a devil besetting our soul?"
"Where?"
"Over there!"
"Behind this berm? No, Sir. Looks like a concealed chemical weapons bunker."
Addressing the people of Iraqi cities like Basra, Baghdad and Mosul, Saddam warned that the enemy will intensify its raids as their troops suffer casualties on the ground. "Be patient. God's victory is coming ... Be tolerant," he added. He mentioned several units and commanders, saluting them "for their heroic feats in the battlefield." He told the people of Iraq's second largest city, Basra, which has been isolated but not occupied by allied forces, to be patient because "victory is imminent." Saddam said the allies were "trying to avoid engaging our forces" — a clear reference to the U.S. strategy of avoiding having to enter provincial cities — adding that "in most cases they are using their warplanes to attack our troops without engaging them in fighting."
To my mind, we're not doing enough of that...
"Whenever they penetrated our territory, they were faced with fierce resistance from Iraqi people, tribes, party members, Saddam's Fedayeen and security forces," he said.
Posted by:Bulldog

#7  I can't believe Iraqi TV is still on the air. I assume it's so we can tell the population that the war is over (when it's over).
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-03-24 15:59:17  

#6  Everybody wants to be Harry Seldon.
Posted by: Pink & Fluffy   2003-03-24 11:42:34  

#5  Yeah Saddam
At least post the "Sweet 16" brackets on the wall behind you. I am sure you can pull them from www.cnn/ncaa/marchmadness.com

Posted by: Capsu78   2003-03-24 11:10:31  

#4  This fresh from the BBC (excerpts):

UK doubt over Saddam broadcast

UK Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon says he is not yet convinced that a television broadcast by Iraqi president Saddam Hussein is genuine. Mr Hoon told a press conference in London that the recent events referred to by Saddam were not "unambiguously contemporary". He added: "We are well aware he spent many hours recently tape recording messages. Later, armed forces minister Adam Ingram said the UK believed Saddam Hussein had recorded "10 hours of pre-recorded messages".

Expect his broadcasts to get more general, less attached to "reality"...

He really does believe he's some pre-destined leader of Iraq, and has spent millions rebuilding ancient sites using bricks enscribed with his own name. He could well have taken precautions for the fight to continue should he have been be taken out early on. Of course, he could be out of the country, but they wouldn't be putting out this rubbish unless they had no ability to do otherwise.

All it would take to confirm he's alive would be mention of one event, one date. I wonder if there's a tape marked "why we're using non-conventional weapons in retaliation against the evil US/UK".
Posted by: Bulldog   2003-03-24 08:53:43  

#3  See
http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/03_03_23_corner-archive.asp#005746

for a thought about authenticity.

dorf
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-03-24 08:23:19  

#2  The other possibility is that Saddam is trying to confuse us into thinking that he might be dead so no one will come hunting for him.

Posted by: bernardz   2003-03-24 08:21:37  

#1  People don't seem to be considering the possibility that the "injured Saddam" was actually one of his doubles, and the real Saddam has gone underground or into exile.

Or, at least, media people don't seem to be...
Posted by: mjh   2003-03-24 07:22:16  

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