وثيقة

النص الإنجليزي

لخطاب الرئيس العراقي صدام حسين

الذي أعلن فيه الانسحاب من الكويت

في 26 فبراير1991

Iraqi President’s Broadcast on withdrawal

     Following is the text of address on Iraqi radio by President Saddam Hussein, on Feb. 26 for Iraqi troops' complete withdrawal from Kuwait:

     In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. O great people: O stalwart men in the forces of Jihad and faith, glorious men of the mother of battles: O zealous, faithful, and sincere people in our glorious nations, and among all Muslim and all virtuous people in the world: O glorious Iraqi women.

     In such circumstances and times, it is difficult to talk about all that which should be talked about and it is difficult to recall all that which has to be recalled. Despite this we have to remind of what has to be reminded of, and say part a principal part of what should be said.

     We start by saying that on this day our valiant armed forces will complete their withdrawal from Kuwait.

     It was an epic duel which lasted for two months, which came to clearly confirm a lesson that God has wanted as a prelude of faith, impregnability and capability for the faithful, and a prelude of an (abyss), weakness and humiliation which God Almighty has wanted for the infidels, the criminals, the traitors, the corrupt, and the deviators to be added to this time, is the time of the military and non-military duel, including the military and the economic blockade.

     On Iraq and which lasted throughout 1990 until today and until the time God Almighty wishes it to last before that, the duel lasted, in other forms, for years before this period of time. It was an epic struggle between right and wrong: we have talked about this in detail on previous occasions.

     It gave depth to the age of the showdown for the year 1990 and the already elapsed part of the year 1991.

     Hence, we do not forget, because we will not forget this great struggling spirit, by which men of great faith stormed the fortification and the weapons of deception and the croesus treachery on the honorable day of the call. They did what they did within the context of legitimate deterrence and great principled action.

     GOD'S WILL: All that we have gone through or decided within its circumstances obeying God's will and choosing a position of faith and chivalry is a record of honor, the significance of which will not be missed by the people and nation and the values of Islam and humanity. Their days will continue to be glorious and their past and future will continue to relate the story of a faithful, zealous, and patient people who believed in the will of God and in the values and stands accepted by the Almighty for the Arab nation in its leading role and for the Islamic nation in the essentials of its true faith and how they should be.

     These values which had their effect in all those situations offered the sacrifices they had offered in the struggle, and symbolized the depth of the faithful character in Iraq will continue to leave their effects on the souls.

     They will continue to reap their harvest, not only in terms of the direct targets represented in the slogans of their age whether in the conflict between the oppressed poor and the unjust and opportunist rich, or between faith and blasphemy, or between injustice, deception and treachery on the one hand and fairness, justice, honesty and loyalty on the other but also the indirect targets as well.

     This will shake the opposite ranks and cause them to collapse after everything has become clear. This will also add faith to the faithful now that the minds and eyes have been opened and the hearts are longing for what the principles, values and stances should long for and belong to.

     The stage that preceded the great day of the call on 2nd August 1990 had its own standards, including dealing with what is familiar and inherited during the bad times, whether on the level of relations between the ruler and the ruled or between the leader and the people he leads.

     The relations between the foreigners among the ranks and infidelity and oppression and among the region's states and the world had their own standards, effects and privileges that were created by the Arab homeland's circumstances, and which were facilitated by propaganda which no one could expose more than it has now been exposed.

     The conflict was exacerbated by the vacuum that was created by the weakness of one of the two poles that used to represent the two opposite lines in the world.

     However, after the 2nd August 1990. new concepts and standards were created. This was preceded by a new outlook in all walks of life in relations among peoples, relations among states, and the relation between the ruler and the ruled, and by standards of faith and positions: patriotism = pan Arabism, and humanitarianism: Jihad, faith, Islam, fear and non-fear' restlessness and tranquility; manhood and its opposite; struggle, Jihad, and sacrifice: and readiness to do good things and their opposite. 

     O valiant Iraqi men, O glorious Iraqi women, Kuwait is part of your country and was carved from it in the past. Circumstances today have willed that it remain in the state in which it will remain after the withdrawal of our struggling forces from it. It hurts you that this should happen.

     We rejoiced on the day of the call when it was decided that Kuwait should be one of the main gates for deterring the plot and for defending all Iraq from the plotters. We say that we will remember Kuwait on the great day of the call on the days that followed it and in documents and events some of which date back 70 years.

     The Iraqis will remember and will not forget that on 8th August 1990 Kuwait became part of Iraq legally, constitutionally, and actually. They will remember and will not forget that it remained throughout this period from 8 August 1990 and until last night when withdrawal began and today we will complete withdrawal of our forces, God willing.

     Today certain circumstances made the Iraqi army withdraw as a result of the ramifications, which we mentioned, including the combined aggression by 30 countries. Their repugnant siege has been led in evil and aggression by the machine and the criminal entity of America and its major allies.

     These malicious ranks look the depth and effectiveness of their aggressiveness not only from their aggressive premeditated intentions against Iraq, the Arab nation and Islam but also from the position of those who were deceived by the claim of international legitimacy. Everyone will remember that the gates of Constantinople were not opened before the Muslims in the first struggling attempt, and that the international community (places) dear Palestine's freedom and independence in oblivion.

     When new measures spring forth and the familiar, traitorous, subservient, and corrupt (people) and tyrants are rejected then the opportunity for the cultivation of the pure soil will increase in its scope, and the seeds of this plant will take root deep in the good land.

(Radiance, 10-16 March 1991)