Iraq intends to declare that President Saddam Hussein will not step down from power, whatever the circumstances. According to a report in the London-based Arab daily A-Sharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday, Iraq will declare this at a conference of Arab foreign ministers which will take place February 16th. The newspaper obtained a document which Iraq intends to deliver to the conference via the Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji ‘Sabri. According to the document, “Saddam Hussein’s resignation is not feasible, since he respects the trust the Iraqi people have in him, as demonstrated in a referendum carried out last year in which Saddam Hussein received 100 percent of the votes… Iraq feels somewhat uncomfortable with recent proclamations from Arab states concerning the possibility that he will resign.” “Not [only] Saddam’s [head] is in danger,” states the document, “but the whole Arab area. [There is a danger] that the map of the area will be rearranged and Arab resources will be subordinate to the U.S. and Israel.”
During the conference Iraq will request that the Arab states not join the Americans in their threats, and not enable the U.S. to use their bases to fight Iraq. After the ‘Eid Al-A’dkha festival which will end this week, Iraq intends to continue its diplomatic campaign in the Arab world before the conference. During this campaign Iraq will be clarifying that it is cooperating with the international inspectors and is refuting American pretexts.
The Iraqi whistle-stop started on Sunday, February 10th , when Naji ‘Sabri met with the Iranian President, Muhammad Khatami. The Iraqi news agency reported that according to ‘Sabri, “the people of Iraq are determined and fully prepared to defend their homeland and territory, and they will teach an unforgettable lesson to those who act upon their sick imagination, their yearnings and hostilities.”
Despite their efforts to eliminate the war threat, the Iraqis know the chances of carrying this out are slim and therefore are preparing for the possibility of a war. Apart from the Iraqi foreign minister’s whistle-stop, the Iraqi press has been reporting daily of Saddam Hussein’s visits to soldiers and head army officers, checking on their spirits and readiness. In an attempt to uplift the national morale, Saddam declared at the beginning of the month that even if the U.S. sends a million soldiers to Baghdad, the Iraqi youth will have no problem killing them. On another occasion he stated that Iraq will turn into a second Vietnam due to the devotion of the Iraqi soldiers to fight the infidels.