"SADDAM 'FIGHTING AMERICANS'"
Middle
East Online
First
Published 2003-05-28
“Ousted
Iraqi leader urges Iraqis to resist US, British forces as Iraqi
resistance group claims Fallujah attack.
Saddam
Hussein has claimed to be "fighting the Americans"
and appealed for resistance against the US and British forces
that ousted him last month, according to a letter attributed
to the deposed Iraqi president, received by Middle East Online.
The
statement said the so-called "General Command of the
Iraqi Armed, Resistance and Liberation Forces"
claimed responsibility for an ambush which was confirmed to
have killed two US soldiers and wounded nine others in the
Iraqi city of Fallujah earlier in the day.
The
statement said the attack was carried out by "special
forces, al-Faruq Brigades, and members of the Baath Party"
that ruled Iraq until its ouster by the US-led coalition on
April 9.
(...)
The US Central Command said two of the assailants were also
killed when US troops returned fire from an unknown number of
guerrillas who attacked with rocket-propelled grenades (RPG)
and small arms in Fallujah, a stronghold of Saddam supporters
50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Baghdad.
Witnesses
said that RPG fire also brought down a US helicopter, while
Centcom said the chopper was struck by an armored vehicle as
it was trying to get into firing position.
The
claim of responsibility posted on the website spoke of "downing
a US aircraft and killing its four crew."
It
also said that the al-Faruq Brigades, "the armed wing of
the Islamic resistance in Iraq," killed a US soldier in
Baghdad.
In
the letter attributed to Saddam and dubbed his "fourth
handwritten letter" since he was ousted, the former Iraqi
strongman called for more attacks against Americans.
"As
we fight and ensnare the cowardly American and British enemy,
we urge you to ... boycott anyone installed by the criminal
invading forces to run any area of government," said
Saddam's message to "mujahedeen everywhere, the
courageous sons of the Arab nation, and members of the Arab
Baath Socialist Party."
"Brethren
in jihad (holy war), we call on you to expel all traitors who
supported the occupation or came in its trail and who call
themselves Iraqis," it said.
"Make
every American and Briton feel that he will live on Arab land
in fear and terror so long as they do not withdraw from Iraq
and change their position on the criminal Zionist occupation
of Arab Palestine," it added.
The
message, dated May 25, saluted "the courageous sons of
Iraq resisting the occupier."
"Long
live the al-Faruq Brigades, long live the men of the army
waging honorable guerrilla warfare, long live members of the
Arab Baath Socialist Party, long live Iraq's woman mujahedeen."
The London-based Arabic daily al-Quds al-Arabi has
published three letters attributed to Saddam, whose
whereabouts are unknown, since his overthrow.
Home
- Take
Contact - Write a Message
|