Baghdad, 6 January 2002 (RFE/RL) -- Iraqi President Saddam Hussein vowed today that any foreign attack on his country would be defeated by the "proud, faithful, and striving army of Iraq." Addressing the nation on the occasion of Army Day, Saddam praised the Iraqi army in the 20-minute speech, calling it the army of Qadissiya -- a reference to the Iraqi-Iranian war of 1980-88; the army of the Mother of all Battles -- a reference to the Gulf War of 1991; and the army of Palestine.
He also praised the Palestinian uprising against Israel, saying the Palestinians were fighting "the aggression of Zionism and its ally, the United States."
He also praised the Palestinian uprising against Israel, saying the Palestinians were fighting "the aggression of Zionism and its ally, the United States."