Saddam Hussein deputy Tariq Aziz calls for US forces to stay in Iraq
Exclusive: In his first interview since the fall of Baghdad, Tariq Aziz accuses Barack Obama of 'leaving Iraq to the wolves'
Martin Chulov in Baghdad
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 5 August 2010
"Saddam Hussein's most loyal deputy, Tariq Aziz, has accused Barack Obama of 'leaving Iraq to the wolves' by pressing ahead with a withdrawal of combat troops in the face of festering instability and a surge in violence.
In his first interview since he was captured shortly after the fall of Baghdad more than seven years ago, Iraq's former deputy prime minister and long-time face to the world said the United States would cause the death of Iraq if it continued to withdraw its combat forces.
"We are all victims of America and Britain," he told the Guardian from his prison cell in Baghdad. "They killed our country in many ways. When you make a mistake you need to correct a mistake, not leave Iraq to its death.".....
Saddam, however, preferred a policy of ambiguity, a stance that heightened US and British suspicions. After his capture, Saddam told the FBI that his main intent had been to keep Iran guessing, not to beat the drums of war.
"Partially it was about Iran," Aziz confirmed. "They had waged war on us for eight years, so we Iraqis had a right to deter them. Saddam was a proud man. He had to defend the dignity of Iraq. He had to show that he was neither wrong nor weak.
"Now Iran is building a weapons programme. Everybody knows it and nobody is doing anything. Why?"
"Bush and Blair lied intentionally. They were both pro-Zionist. They wanted to destroy Iraq for the sake of Israel, not for the sake of the US and Britain.""
Exclusive: In his first interview since the fall of Baghdad, Tariq Aziz accuses Barack Obama of 'leaving Iraq to the wolves'
Martin Chulov in Baghdad
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 5 August 2010
"Saddam Hussein's most loyal deputy, Tariq Aziz, has accused Barack Obama of 'leaving Iraq to the wolves' by pressing ahead with a withdrawal of combat troops in the face of festering instability and a surge in violence.
In his first interview since he was captured shortly after the fall of Baghdad more than seven years ago, Iraq's former deputy prime minister and long-time face to the world said the United States would cause the death of Iraq if it continued to withdraw its combat forces.
"We are all victims of America and Britain," he told the Guardian from his prison cell in Baghdad. "They killed our country in many ways. When you make a mistake you need to correct a mistake, not leave Iraq to its death.".....
Saddam, however, preferred a policy of ambiguity, a stance that heightened US and British suspicions. After his capture, Saddam told the FBI that his main intent had been to keep Iran guessing, not to beat the drums of war.
"Partially it was about Iran," Aziz confirmed. "They had waged war on us for eight years, so we Iraqis had a right to deter them. Saddam was a proud man. He had to defend the dignity of Iraq. He had to show that he was neither wrong nor weak.
"Now Iran is building a weapons programme. Everybody knows it and nobody is doing anything. Why?"
"Bush and Blair lied intentionally. They were both pro-Zionist. They wanted to destroy Iraq for the sake of Israel, not for the sake of the US and Britain.""
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