ShiningIce
3rd Level Green Feather
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2002
- Messages
- 4,702
- Points
- 36
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) on Saturday apologized to the Kuwaiti people for his invasion of their tiny country in 1990, saying he was not speaking from weakness but a desire to set the record straight.
In a speech read on national television by the Iraqi information minister, Saddam outlined the events that led to the invasion and said:
"We apologize to God about any act that has angered him in the past and that was held against us, and we apologize to you (the Kuwaitis) on the same basis."
He said that in 1989, he had tried to reach a peaceful settlement of Iraq's dispute with Kuwait, but that the neighboring Gulf country's officials were not interested in negotiating.
At the time, he said, American troops were carrying out maneuvers with Kuwaiti forces, threatening Iraq.
He maintained Iraq was the victim of a conspiracy by Kuwaiti officials who were syphoning off oil along the two countries' borders that actually belonged to Iraq.
He also repeated charges that Kuwait was producing oil beyond its assigned OPEC (news - web sites) quota, bringing down oil prices and hurting the Iraqi economy.
In the speech read by Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, the Iraqi leader was careful to distinguish between the Kuwaiti people and the country's leaders.
Saddam added that Iraqi officials later found documents showing the United States and Kuwaiti officials had colluded in military plans against Iraq and his country had to defend itself, leading to the invasion of Aug. 2, 1990.
"There was no hope in solving issues by diplomatic means," he said.
In a speech read on national television by the Iraqi information minister, Saddam outlined the events that led to the invasion and said:
"We apologize to God about any act that has angered him in the past and that was held against us, and we apologize to you (the Kuwaitis) on the same basis."
He said that in 1989, he had tried to reach a peaceful settlement of Iraq's dispute with Kuwait, but that the neighboring Gulf country's officials were not interested in negotiating.
At the time, he said, American troops were carrying out maneuvers with Kuwaiti forces, threatening Iraq.
He maintained Iraq was the victim of a conspiracy by Kuwaiti officials who were syphoning off oil along the two countries' borders that actually belonged to Iraq.
He also repeated charges that Kuwait was producing oil beyond its assigned OPEC (news - web sites) quota, bringing down oil prices and hurting the Iraqi economy.
In the speech read by Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, the Iraqi leader was careful to distinguish between the Kuwaiti people and the country's leaders.
Saddam added that Iraqi officials later found documents showing the United States and Kuwaiti officials had colluded in military plans against Iraq and his country had to defend itself, leading to the invasion of Aug. 2, 1990.
"There was no hope in solving issues by diplomatic means," he said.
