Kevin Sullivan
Hussein Recording Calls Bush, Blair 'Liars'
Fri Jul 18 02:17:14 2003
208.152.73.131

Purported Hussein Recording Calls Bush, Blair 'Liars'
Tape Aired on Anniversary of Baath Coup
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8115-2003Jul17.html?nav=hptop_ts&nav=hptop_ts

By Kevin Sullivan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Friday, July 18, 2003; Page A08

BAGHDAD, July 17 -- Two Arab television stations aired an audio tape today on which a voice purported to be that of Saddam Hussein accused President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair of intentionally misleading their countries about their reasons for invading Iraq.

"What will the two liars Bush and Blair say to their people and to humanity? What will they tell the world? What they said was wrong and baseless," said the voice, which could not be independently confirmed as Hussein's.

In an apparent reference to increasing questions about whether Bush and Blair accurately portrayed intelligence presented to them about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the voice on the tape said the two leaders have tried to "picture the situation differently and lay responsibility on others."

The 20-minute recording was carried by Al-Arabiya and al-Jazeera, satellite networks that broadcast a similar tape earlier this month of what the CIA concluded was probably Hussein's voice. Hussein has not been seen publicly since the war; it remains uncertain whether he is alive or dead, although U.S. officials say he is probably alive.

The tape was aired on the 35th anniversary of the coup that brought Hussein's Baath Party to power in Iraq, a holiday that has been officially outlawed but is still regarded by Iraqis loyal to the former dictator as the country's national day.

The occupying U.S. military forces and many Iraqi citizens had feared that the holiday could be used as a symbolic opportunity to escalate the guerrilla-style attacks that have killed at least 34 U.S. soldiers since May 1. But military officials reported no serious attacks against U.S. troops today.

Also today, the U.S. military announced that troops had discovered a mass grave near the city of Mosul, about 200 miles north of Baghdad, where as many as 200 bodies might be buried. The military said the dead were likely ethnic Kurds, who were frequently the target of mass killings during Hussein's rule.

The military issued a statement saying that about 25 bodies were uncovered in Hatra, a town near Mosul. The victims were women and children, and all had bullet holes in their skulls. Several mass graves have been unearthed in Iraq since Hussein was driven from power.

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz, one of the chief architects of Bush's strategy for Iraq, arrived in Baghdad today to visit troops and to assess reconstruction efforts and the volatile security situation.

Wolfowitz arrived at Baghdad's international airport, where attackers fired a surface-to-air missile at an incoming military cargo plane Wednesday, raising concerns that attacks against U.S. interests might be growing more organized and sophisticated. Wolfowitz then met with L. Paul Bremer, the U.S. civil administrator of Iraq, and Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the commander of ground forces here.

"I look forward to seeing firsthand evidence of what it means for the Iraqi people to be liberated from decades of brutal repression," Wolfowitz told reporters traveling with him upon arrival at the airport. "I'm here to better understand what is needed to complete the transition to a government and a society of, by and for the Iraqi people."

After meeting with Wolfowitz, Bremer told reporters that elections could possibly be held in Iraq next year, depending on how quickly the country's new, U.S.-backed Governing Council can draft and ratify a constitution, the Associated Press reported. The new council, a 25-member group drawn from a broad spectrum of political, religious and ethnic groups, was named last weekend. Its primary mission is to draft a constitution and prepare Iraq for democratic elections.

"I think it's realistic. It's up to them," Bremer said, according to the Associated Press. "Look, how long is it going to take you to write the constitution? You ought to be able to write a constitution in six to eight months." If drafting the document begins in September, "you ought to be able to have elections in a year," he said.

Iraqis, who have listened to Hussein's speeches every July 17 for 35 years, listened closely to the tape aired today. Many people who heard it said it sounded exactly like Hussein's voice and syntax.

The tape, which was reportedly handed to a reporter in Baghdad working for Al-Arabiya, a news station based in the United Arab Emirates, began with little warning and ran for more than 20 minutes in mid-afternoon, with a photo of a jowly Hussein on the screen. Al-Jazeera later played excerpts of the tape.

The voice on the tape, as with at least two previous tapes that have emerged since Hussein disappeared before the war, urged all Iraqis to wage jihad, or holy war, against the "evil aggressors" occupying the country.

The tape also blasted the Governing Council, saying it was taking instructions "from Washington, Tel Aviv and London," where the leaders want to "partition Iraq and the whole Arab homeland."

The voice on the tape lavished praise on the town of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, where many attacks against U.S. soldiers have occurred. The voice on the tape called the town "the crown jewel of faith, the great Fallujah."

On the streets of Baghdad after the broadcast, some Iraqis reacted with reverie, others with revulsion.

"The Iraqi president is a patriotic man," said Abdul Rahman Janabi, 25, a college student. "Every honest Iraqi person should resist the Americans. If the resistance continues several months, the Americans will leave."

He echoed a common complaint among average Iraqis: that life under the U.S. occupation is no better now than life under Hussein. "We were secure when Saddam was the government," he said. "But now there is no security. We are living in terror."

Firas Noaimi, 26, who owns a men's clothing shop, said jihad against the U.S. forces was "a natural thing, because we are all Muslims."

"Saddam will return, God willing," he said. "And God willing, the Americans will leave. If I get a weapon I will resist, too. Not because I am defending Saddam Hussein, but because I am defending my country."

But many others said they had had enough of Hussein and had no interest in following his call to fight against the Americans. "He has no power; these are hollow words from a hollow man," said Mohammed Thamer, 23, who owns an electronics parts store here.

Youssef Lazar, 42, who works at a currency exchange company, said Iraqis "should give the Americans a chance."

Mohammed Hashim, 32, a mechanic, said Hussein's speech left him unmoved. "We didn't listen to him before, why should we listen to him now?" he said. "We hate this man. He put us through a black tunnel. But now we finally see the light."

Special correspondents Jill Carroll and Souad Mekhennet contributed to this report.

© 2003 The Washington Post Company
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Friday, July 18, 2003 at 08:00 JST
WASHINGTON — British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President George Bush forcefully defended their decision to oust Saddam Hussein from power on Thursday, dismissing criticism that no weapons of mass destruction have yet been found.

"As long as I hold this office I will never risk the lives of American citizens by assuming the good will of dangerous enemies," Bush said at a White House news conference with Blair at his side.

Less than an hour earlier, in a speech to Congress, Blair said failure to confront the threat would have been "something that history will not forgive."

Bush said, "We're being tested in Iraq. Our enemies are looking for signs of hesitation. They're looking for signs of weakness. They will find none."
FULL STORY:
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=8&id=266767