In the name of God the merciful, the compassionate. To those against whom war is made, permission is givento fight because they are wronged; and verily, God is most powerful for their aid. [Koranic verse]
O great people, O splendid men, the mujahideen of our heroic Armed Forces, O sons of our glorious Arabnation. With the dawn prayer today, 17 Muharram, 1424 of the Hegira, the reckless criminal, little Bush, andhis henchmen carried out their crime with which they had been threatening Iraq and humanity.
Bush's criminal deed is supported by those who sided with him. Thus, he and his followers have perpetratedfurther crimes to be added to the series of their despicable crimes against Iraq and humanity.
O Iraqis and zealous men in our nation. Our sacrifices are for you, for the principles of our glorious Arabnation, for the jihad banners and your creed and values - our souls, kinfolk, and children. We will not repeatthe duties of the splendid men and women in terms of what they must do in defence of the dear homeland and theprinciples and sanctities.
However, I say that every one of us in the family of Iraq - the family which is patient and faithful, andwhich is hated by its evil enemies - should remember all that they have said or pledged to do.
These days, whose events will be ordained by God, will add to your immortal annals. O splendid men andwomen, this is what you deserve in terms of glory and victory and whatever elevates your position before God.These days will humiliate the infidels, the enemies of God and humanity.
You will triumph, O Iraqis, and with you the sons of your Arab nation will also triumph. Indeed, you arevictorious and your enemies are in ignominy and shame, God willing.
[Here Saddam Hussein begins to read a poem]
Unsheathe your sword, fearless and intrepid. Unsheathe your sword so that Saturn might witness it.
Unsheathe your sword because the enemy has massed his forces. Only the sound-minded heroes will wipe themout.
Prepare your horses and give them free reins because they bring hope.
Let lightning brighten the dark skies until the true path is revealed and oppression is wiped out.
Kindle up the fire in the darkness with torches, to make the blind and stammering see his path.
Keep the fire on and make the ignominious and submissive fear it. Unsheathe your sword and let it shine;only the real man will win his rights. Raise your banners on every pole and pray to God to heal the wounds.
[End poem]
O friends and those who resist evil in the world, peace be upon you. You have noticed how the reckless Bushdisregarded your positions and views that you voiced against the war and disregarded your true calls forpeace. He has perpetrated his macabre deed today.
We pledge to you in our name, the name of the leadership, and the name of the Iraqi people and Iraq'sheroic army, in the Iraq of civilization, faith, and history, that we will resist the invaders.
God willing, we will pursue them until they lose their nerves and until they lose hope in realizing whatthey had planned and so that they might reach the low level to which they were driven by criminal Zionism andthose with vested interests. Now that they have indulged in their evil and crimes, they will suffer such adefeat that all the faithful people and those who love mankind and those who sincerely seek peace wished.
Iraq will triumph and with Iraq will our Arab nation and mankind also triumph. The evil ones will bedefeated because they will be unable to perpetrate crimes and commit murder, which the US-Zionist alliancehave committed against nations and peoples, especially our glorious Arab nation.
God is great. God is great. Long live Iraq and Palestine. God is great, God is great. Long live ourglorious nation, human brotherhood, and those who love peace, security, and the right of people's to enjoyfreedom and justice. God is great. May the lowly ones be accursed. Long live Iraq. Long live Iraq. Long livejihad and Palestine.
Text courtesy: BBC Monitoring which,based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, newsagencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.
