The Hindu : Bush despot of the century: Saddam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 05, 2003

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International

Bush despot of the century: Saddam

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA March 4. Iraq on Tuesday mixed defiance with cooperation, with its President, Saddam Hussein calling the U.S. President, George W. Bush, as the despot of the century, but at the same time persisting with the destruction of its Al Samoud missiles as prescribed by the United Nations.

In a prepared text read over Iraqi television to mark the Islamic new year, Mr. Hussein in an apparent reference to Mr. Bush, said, "The despot imagines that he is like God, capable of controlling the universe and doing whatever he wishes, but the devil has pushed him into the abyss of blasphemy.''

"The tyrant", Mr. Hussein added, "thinks that he is capable of enslaving people and besieging their freedom, their decisions and their legitimate choices.'' But, "it is without doubt that the faithful will be victorious against aggression and against all things, against those who are faithful.''

Mr. Hussein made these observations even as the U.S. deployed 200,000 forces in the Persian Gulf for a possible attack against Iraq.

Mr. Hussein's assertions, however, appeared to have factored in the setback to U.S. war plans on account of Turkey's decision not to allow its territory as base for stationing and sending U.S. forces into northern Iraq. Turkey's move can delay the onset of the war, the timetable for which can now shift to April, observers say.

Despite Mr. Hussein's defiance, the Iraqi authorities destroyed four more banned Al Samoud missiles. Baghdad on Monday, however, warned that it would stop further destruction of these weapons in case it was confronted with a U.S. military attack.

Analysts here see Mr. Hussein's assertions as a virtual veto of what is seen as a U.S.-backed proposal circulating among a section of the Islamic countries seeking his consent to go into voluntary exile and the handing over of the Iraqi administration to the United Nations.

The six Persian Gulf States are expected to push the exile proposal, aimed at achieving "regime change" in Baghdad peacefully, before the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Conference that is currently meeting in Doha to discuss the situation in Iraq.

In related developments, seeking to override Turkey's decision on positioning U.S. forces, Washington is taking a hard look at pushing its troops into northern Iraq via Jordan. By opening a western front through Jordan, the U.S. is keen to enhance Israel's security by ensuring that Iraq does not fix missile launchers on the western side as that would bring Israel within its striking range. Besides, the presence of a western front can help in drawing Iraqi forces away from the heavily defended Baghdad-Tikrit complex.

The main thrust of a U.S.-led attack is likely to come through Kuwait, with an immediate focus on seizing the Iraqi southern oil fields around Basra.

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