The text of Saddam Hussein’s address to the nation, broadcast on Thursday on Iraqi television shortly after the first US strikes against Baghdad, translated from Arabic by AFP:
“On this day of the Hijra year 1424, the criminal (US President George W.) Bush the younger and his agents have commited the crime of threatening Iraq and humanity. He and his agents have added to the series of ignominious crimes committed against Iraq and, above all, against humanity.
“O Iraqis and O worthy sons of our nation, we sacrifice for you, for the principles of our nation and for the jihad, our soul, our families and our children. I would not like to repeat all that the glorious ones are prepared to do to defend our dear nation, our
principles and our sanctuaries.
“But I will say that each of you, at the heart of the Iraqi family of believers, patient and victim of the injustice of the evil enemies, must remember and never forget all they have done.
“By the will of God, these days add to your immemorial past, your share of glory and victory. All of it honors the believer before God and degrades the infidels, the enemies of God and humanity.
“O Iraqis, you will be victorious, along with the sons of your nation. You are already victorious by the will of God.”
(Saddam Hussein then sang verses in praise of heroism taken from ancient Arabic chivalrous poetry.)
“O friends, O enemies of the forces of evil in the world, peace for your soul.
“Now you have seen how Bush has ignored your views, the opinions that you have voiced against the war and your sincere calls for peace, and has committed his odious crime today.
“We promise you, in our name, in the name of the Iraqi leadership and in the name of the fierce Iraqi people and the heroic army of Iraq, the country of civilization and history and faith, that we will fight the invaders, that we will make them lose patience and eliminate any hope of realizing the aims encouraged by criminal Zionism.
“We will inflict defeat on those involved in the crime and the evil who believe themselves to be defenders of humanity and peace.
“Iraq will triumph and with it, our nation and all of humanity.
“The forces of evil will be unable to perpetrate crimes of the scope of those committed by the criminal American-Zionist alliance against nations and peoples, in particular our glorious Arab nation.”