Saddam Meets Top Military AidesIraqi President Saddam Hussein on Tuesday met air defense commander Shahin Yassin Mohammed, Iraqi atomic energy chief Fadhil Muslim al-Janabi and other air defense officials, the official Iraqi News Agency reported. Saddam praised Iraqi people's "steadfastness" in face of the decade-old international sanctions, INA said, without giving any details of the meeting.Saddam has held several meetings with his top military aides to discuss how to improve Iraq's air defense following the US- British air strikes against Baghdad last month. The US-British air raids on February 16 were the first major military operation in more than two years. Two people were killed and over 20 others were injured in the bombing and Iraq has vowed to retaliate. While meeting his military and atomic energy officials on February 27, Saddam warned "The enemies will pay a heavy price if they keep on hurting Iraq." Iraq has been under stringent UN sanctions since its invasion of neighboring Kuwait in 1990. |
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