| Tuesday, November 13, 2001, updated at 09:34(GMT+8) |
Saddam Reiterates Intransigence Toward US |
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Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on Monday reiterated his recalcitrance toward the U.S. military pressure, vowing to bring down more U.S. planes enforcing two no-fly zones, the state-run Iraq TV reported.
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Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on Monday reiterated his recalcitrance toward the U.S. military pressure, vowing to bring down more U.S. planes enforcing two no-fly zones, the state-run Iraq TV reported.
During a meeting with a pro-Baghdad Kurdish Democratic Party delegation, Saddam condemned the U.S. and Britain for monitoring the no-fly zones in the north and south almost every day.
"They (the U.S.) say Iraq shoots down their planes, we say:'Yes, we shoot down your planes...because you are aggressors on our nation and our airspace," he said, adding that the airspace over the northern Kurdish area is also Iraq's airspace.
As to the issue of the Kurdish area in the north, Saddam said that he preferred to "wisdom rather than force," but "we still never hesitate to regain a lost right."
The northern no-fly zone, covering provinces of Dohuk, Neineva and Erbil, was set up by the U.S.-led Western allies after the 1991 Gulf War with the claimed aim of protecting the Kurdish population there from the persecution of Saddam's forces.
The U.S. and Britain have been in de facto control of the three northern provinces as the Western planes have monitored the no-fly zone since the Gulf War.
A similar exclusive air zone was also established by the Western allies over southern Iraq with the claimed aim of protecting Shiite Muslims in the south from possible attacks by Iraqi troops.
Iraq has never recognized the two zones and has regularly fired at the Western planes enforcing them.
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