Iraq Says It Would Defeat Attack From 'Arrogant' US
Photos

Reuters Photo


 
By Hassan Hafidh

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said Sunday that Baghdad would defeat any U.S. military action against his country.

``America has revealed its hatred against the Arabs and Muslims and this arrogant (Bush) understands concession as weakness,'' Ramadan told reporters after opening an exhibition of Syrian products in Baghdad.

Ramadan rebuffed comments by Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) this week that President Bush (news - web sites) was considering military action against Iraq in its war on terrorism.

``America has been saying that over the last 12 years and those who defend their sovereignty and country will defeat the aggressors such as the arrogant Americans.''

The Bush administration is determined to force Iraqi President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) to let back in U.N. weapons inspectors who have been kept out since 1998 and it accuses him of seeking to develop nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

The United Nations (news - web sites) announced earlier this week that Iraq had offered talks with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) which could lead to allowing the inspectors to return. Washington has received the Iraqi offer with skepticism.

``We are ready for useful and positive dialogue with the (U.N.) secretary-general and the world body,'' Ramadan said.

Bush said last month Iraq, Iran and North Korea (news - web sites) formed an ''axis of evil'' and the United States would act to prevent them developing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

Various options apart from the military one are available to the administration, which had an official policy of ``regime change'' in Baghdad even before the September 11 attacks on the United States put countries that it calls sponsors of terrorism more firmly at the top of Bush's potential target list.

In a reply to Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's request that Iraq allow U.N. inspectors into the country, Saddam said in a letter this week that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and urged Ankara to oppose U.S. threats against Iraq.

Ramadan said Iraq's Foreign Minister Naji Sabri would travel to Ankara this week to attend a joint meeting of the Islamic Conference Organization and the European Union (news - web sites).

``It is a routine visit. We have to explain to officials all the dimensions of the problem and the hidden agenda of the enemy (against Iraq),'' Ramadan said.

"It's just a flesh wound!"
"Monty Python & the Holy Grail"

Didn't we teach them ten years ago?