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Iraqi President Delivers Address on Revolution Anniversary
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein delivered his annual nationwide address to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the revolution on July 17, 1968, which brought the Arab Baath Socialist Party to power in Iraq.
The president touched upon the glory of the revolution, which overthrew the then military government.
Before the July revolution, Iraq can be described as a " wasteland," said Saddam, adding that the revolution led Iraq to the light and enabled Iraqis to give free rein to their potentials.
Saddam was the power behind the revolution and Ahmed Hassan Al- Baker became president. Eleven years later, Saddam came to power and has ruled Iraq since then.
In his highly philosophical address, Saddam made little reference to Iraq's current situation, or gave any hint that Iraq would allow the United Nations arms inspectors back.
However, analysts point out that Saddam has told the Iraqis, rather ambiguously, that they will have to continue to live under sanctions.
Iraq has been under UN sanctions ever since its 1990 invasion of Kuwait, and arms inspections on Iraq have been suspended after the US and Britain launched the Desert Fox Operation air strikes against the country in December 1998.
One day before the annual event, Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan condemned the US domination in the UN Security Council and vowed that Iraq will never yield to the US.
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