President Saddam Hussein told his military commanders in a meeting on Wednesday that Iraq is unconquerable if going to war with the United States, according to the official INA news agency.
"The one who wants to occupy a land should deploy soldiers on the occupied ground. Without a deployment of ground forces, the enemy could destroy and hurt but will never occupy the land," he said.
"Even if the enemy brings all its army and those allied with it,this land will never be conquered," the Iraqi leader told the commanders, including his son Qusay, superviser of the elite Republican Guards, and Defense Minister Sultan Hashem Ahmad.
Saddam's remarks came against backdrop of the United States accusing his regime of secretly developing weapons of mass destruction and pouring tens of thousands of troops into the Gulf region to back up its threats to disarm Baghdad by force.
Iraq categorically denies the US allegation that it has prohibited weapons and promises to cooperate with UN arms inspectors to verify its claim.
(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2003)
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