America Strikes Back

[Paule]

Saddam Hussein warns U.S., West not to launch 'new crusade'

Published on: Saturday, 27 Jamadi´ul Thani 1422 (15 September 2001)

Baghdad, Iraq

By Ibrahim Khalili


Saddam Hussain
Americans should not begin a "new crusade" against Muslims, but rather learn from the pain that Iraqis and Palestinians have been suffering at the hands of the United States and Israel, Saddam Hussein said on Saturday.

"Just as your beautiful skyscrapers were destroyed and caused your grief, beautiful buildings and precious homes crumbled over their owners in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq because of American weapons used by the Zionists," Saddam said in an open letter addressed to the American people, citizens of the West and their governments.

The Iraqi leader warned of a "new crusade" by the United States and its supporters against "an Islamic country."

He was apparently referring to Afghanistan, ruled by the radical Taliban. The United States accuses the Taliban of harboring the prime suspect in Tuesday's terror attacks, Saudi Arabian exile Osama bin Laden.

"If you rulers (from the United States and the West) respect and cherish the blood of your people, why do you find it easy to shed the blood of others including the blood of Arabs and Muslims?" said Saddam's statement, which was read on Iraqi television.

It was followed by footage of U.S. warplanes bombing Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War, and Israeli soldiers shooting at Palestinian stone throwers.

"Americans should feel the pain which they have inflicted on other peoples so that when they suffer they will know the best way to treat it (the pain)," Saddam's statement said.

Ten years after the Gulf War, Iraq is still shackled by U.S.-supported U.N. sanctions, which Saddam claims have caused the death of 1 1/2 million Iraqis.

Saddam questioned those countries that have rushed to condemn the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington, asking if they would respond in the same way if the attacks had been carried out against Arab or Islamic countries by forces from the West.

He said international security could be achieved if the United States "became rational ... and disengages itself from its evil alliance with Zionism," referring to the movement to establish and maintain a Jewish state.

Iraq, like other Arab nations, believes that the United States is biased toward Israel in its conflict against the Palestinians.




Paule "The Walnut" lives!