- BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq
said on Saturday it would battle any invading U.S. troops "from street
to street" across the country and vowed to teach attackers unforgettable
lessons.
-
- Trade Minister Mohammed Mehdi Saleh said Iraq had taken
military and economic measures and was preparing hospitals for the possibility
of a U.S.-led war against Baghdad.
-
- "He who ever attacks our country will lose,"
Saleh told a solidarity conference in Baghdad. "We will fight from
village to village, from city to city and from street to street in every
city.
-
- "The enemy will be taught an unforgettable lesson
if it tries to attack our country."
-
- The U.S. administration is stepping up preparations for
an Iraq without President Saddam Hussein, drafting plans for oil revenues,
securing cities and reopening schools and hospitals after a possible U.S.-led
invasion, U.S. officials said on Friday.
-
- "The Iraqis will fight under the leadership of the
warrior and believer President Saddam Hussein, may God preserve him, to
defend Iraq, its land, honor, dignity, freedom, independence and bright
future," Saleh said.
-
- "Iraq's oil, nationalized by the president...from
the hands of the British and Americans in 1972...will remain in the hands
of this people and this leadership," Saleh, clad in military fatigues,
said.
-
- He said Iraq has taken all military and civilian measures
to confront a possible attack.
-
- He said his ministry has supplied Iraqis with three months
of food rations to keep them supplied in case of war. He said a further
ration of two months would be distributed next month to increase household
reserves.
-
- Iraq distributes essential foodstuffs to every family
monthly, including wheat, rice, cooking oil and powder milk.
-
- It began giving out a double ration every second month
earlier this year.
-
- The food is imported under an oil-for-food deal with
the United Nations agreed since 1996 to easy the hardships of an economic
embargo on Iraq.
-
- This was imposed 12 years ago after the Gulf war to try
to force Baghdad to comply with U.N. resolutions over its suspected weapons
of mass destruction, prisoners of war and other issues.
-
- Saleh said Iraq was also preparing hospitals and starting
drives to increase blood reserves.
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