Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, September 14, 2002
Iraq Accuses Bush of Telling Lies in UN Speech
In Baghdad's first reaction to US President George W. Bush's speech to the United Nations, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz said on Friday that the speech wasfull of "lies and fabrication."
In Baghdad's first reaction to US President George W. Bush's speech to the United Nations, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz said on Friday that the speech wasfull of "lies and fabrication."
"I will refute the lies and fabrication in the speech after I read it paragraph by paragraph," Aziz told reporters in the Information Ministry building.
A press conference might be held to comment on Bush's speech later, he added, without giving the specific time or date.
Facing widespread scepticism around the world over a US plan to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein with force, Bush delivered a speech to the UN General Assembly on Thursday to build up a case against Baghdad in an attempt to fend off criticism over his administration's unilateral approach.
The US president accused Saddam of repeatedly violating UN resolutions and continuing the efforts to seek weapons of mass destruction.
Bush urged the United Nations to enforce its resolutions on Iraq, warning that it would otherwise be "irrelevant."
Bush has repeatedly accused Iraq of pursuing weapons of mass destruction and supporting terrorists by providing them with such weapons, and vowed to achieve a "regime change" in Iraq with all the tools at his disposal, including military actions.