Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, March 20, 2003
Sadam Says Iraqis Will Win Victory in War with US
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has said in a televised speech that US agression on Iraq is against humanity, calling on the Iraqi people to resist against the aggression.
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has said in a televised speech that US agression on Iraq is against humanity, calling on the Iraqi people to resist against the aggression.
He said US attacks on Iraq were a shameful crime against Iraq and humanity. He called on his Iraqi people to protect and defend Iraq.Iraqi ambassador to Russia Abbas Khalaf has condemned the US-led attack against Iraq as a perfidious crime against the Iraqi people.He said the attack once again confirms the aggressive essence of the Bush Administration.
Iran has condemned the US-led attack on Iraq an described the move as illegitimate.
Russia has expressed the hope that the casualties in US-led war against Iraq will be minimized. The Interfax news agency has cited a government source as saying that as the military campaign was launched, we can only voice our extreme regret and the hope that the casualty toll would be minimal."
No official comments from the Russian government were yet available.
Meanwhile, NATO said that it would convene an early morning emergency session over the beginning of the United States-led war against Iraq, and sounded its highest alarm level.
NATO spokesman Mike Laity said in Brussels shortly after the United States launched first rounds of raids on Iraq is not a direct NATO action.
The alliance however has sent some support to protect its member state, Turkey, and feels directly affected as a crucial consulting organ at the military level.
In the meantime, CNN reported that US-led large-scale military operation against Iraq won't start until at least 12 hours away.
The strikes started about 5.30 a.m. Thursday Baghdad time (0230 GMT), about one and a half hours after Bush's ultimatum for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to flee expired.