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I just saw the following interview article. Is this a legitimate interview? http://216.26.163.62/2002/me_iraq_11_05.html SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM Interview with Saddam: U.S. out to destroy centers of Arab power Middle East Media Research Institute Tuesday, November 5, 2002 Following are excerpts from an interview with Iraq's President Saddam Hussein conducted by Sayyid Nassar of the Egyptian opposition weekly Al-Usbou and published on Nov. 3. Nassar: "Mr. President, what exactly does the U.S. want from Iraq?" Saddam: "The U.S. wants to destroy the centers of power in the Arab world, regardless of whether the center of power is in Damascus or Baghdad! Look around you and see what is happening in the region. See what is happening in southern Sudan, efforts to separate the south from the north and to influence our big sister Egypt, its national security, and the overall national security of the Arab nation!!" "Look and see what is happening in Algiers, see what happened and is still happening in Somalia and all the countries in the Horn of Africa. See what is going on in Palestine and what Sharon is doing to our Palestinian brothers. All this exposes the scope of the conspiracy against our Arab nation." Nassar: "Mr. President, if we go from the general to the specific, what does the U.S. want from Iraq?" Saddam: "The U.S. wants to impose its hegemony on the Arab world, and as a prelude it wants to control Iraq and then strike the capitals that oppose it and revolt against its hegemony. From Baghdad, which will be under military control, it will strike Damascus and Tehran. It will fragment them and will cause major problems to Saudi Arabia. It is trying to create small entities controlled by safe-keepers working for the U.S., so that no country will be larger than Israel, quantitatively and qualitatively. This way the Arab oil will be under its control and the region, especially the oil sources ・after the destruction of Afghanistan ・will be under total control of the U.S. All these things serve the Israeli interests, and based on this strategy the purpose is to make Israel into a large empire in the area." "Iraq's problem is that it opposes all these conspiracies, and the others do not understand that we are defending [them]. Everyone should know that no one will be safe from [the conspiracies] that are being hatched now against Iraq. All, from the point of view of the U.S. and Israel, are the same and what will happen to us, will happen to the others later." Nassar: "Does the fragmentation conspiracy concern Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries?" Saddam: "I am not (sic) one of those who think that Saudi Arabia will be divided and that Yemen or Oman will benefit [from that], or that there are efforts to eliminate some of the Sheikhdoms or Emirates in the Gulf. To the contrary, I think that the model of the small Sheikhdoms and Emirates will expand in the region. Therefore, all the large countries such as Iraq, Syria or Saudi Arabia will be divided into small Emirates, and the oil resources will be in the hands of midget-countries in a way that will serve the interests of the U.S., which will gain complete control over the oil fields from Algiers through the countries of the Caspian Sea. After dominating Afghanistan, [the U.S.] is getting ready now to dominate Iraq, Iran and Syria." On the difference between North Korea's nuclear program and Iraq's Nassar: "Mr. President, two weeks ago North Korea admitted, or more accurately announced without any pressure, that it had a nuclear program. Nevertheless, we did not see or hear any hostile American reaction similar to the American reaction towards Iraq, despite the fact that Iraq declared that it did not have WMD and the international inspectors confirmed that. Despite that, the U.S. is directing its strike against Iraq only. What is the meaning of that in your opinion?" Saddam: "In short, North Korea does not have oil. This is first. Secondly, North Korea is not Israel's enemy, and is not close to it [geographically]." Nassar: "Mr. President, I want to ask you something that I already know, but would like your confirmation. Do you have Kuwaiti prisoners that you did not release as yet, knowing that Kuwait is demanding their release as a condition for reconciliation?" Saddam: "You know, and everyone else knows, that I issued a decision to release all prisoners, political and criminal, Arab and Iraqis. Except for the spies who worked for Israel and the U.S. We released even murderers, on condition that an agreement was reached between the families of the murderers and the families of the victims, and that the amnesty was the will of both sides. The jails in Iraq became the only jails in the world, and in history, without occupants." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! BB is Broadband by Yahoo! http://bb.yahoo.co.jp/ _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk