Posted on 04/03/2003 3:47:55 PM PST by miltonim
The following are key extracts from a speech in which President Saddam Hussein called for a holy war and assured Iraqis of victory, as read Tuesday on his behalf by Information Minister Mohammad Said al-Sahhaf:
"Oh fighting people, oh sons of our glorious nation, men who bear arms and the honor of the struggle. Peace be upon you who, with hearts full of faith, are confronting the invaders, enemies of God and humanity, the infidels.
"In these days, the most honorable in more than 700 years, God has provided you a great moment, an adversity by which He wants to test our faith and our loyalty to God. This is the moment to turn words into action so that God can grant us mercy.
"Brothers, never have the ulema (religious scholars) been as unanimous as they are today that the aggression carried out by the aggressors against the fortress of faith is an aggression against religion, property, people and honor, an aggression against the land of Islam.
"This is why jihad (holy war) is a duty in confronting them. He who dies in the arena (of jihad) will win eternal heaven and God's blessing. So seize the occasion, oh brothers.
"Each time that one of us recalls his faith at the moment of confrontation, when he recalls the patience that God has advised us, he will defeat his enemies, the aggressors will flee, cursed as their devils, while the fighters' faces will be covered with faith and honor.
"So seize this opportunity of eternity. Seize it, oh pupils of my eyes, eyes of Iraq and the (Arab) nation. This is the moment of eternity, the moment of a lifetime, a glory no one can equal.
"Hit them, fight them! They are evil aggressors. You will be victorious and they will be defeated.
"Fight them like brethren and sons of yours have done in Umm Qasr, Basra, Nineveh, Nasiriyah and Al-Anbar. Fight them in every location as you are doing today, and don't give them a chance to catch their breath until they pull out of Muslim land.
"Long live our glorious nation. Long live a free Arab Palestine from the river to the sea. Long live Iraq. Long live the fighters of our nation. Cursed be the criminals."
"Brothers, never have the ulema (religious scholars) been as unanimous as they are today that the aggression carried out by the aggressors against the fortress of faith is an aggression against religion, property, people and honor, an aggression against the land of Islam.Did he mention that we're aggressive?
"Golly, Jane, this 'Jihad thing' is tops!"
"Yes, Dick, I just can't stop my hips from moving..."
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