This is full transcript of the interview by Tony Benn with Iraqi president Saddam Hussein:
BENN:
I come for one reason only -- to see whether in a talkwe can explore, or you can help me to see, what the paths topeace may be. My only reason, I remember the war because I losta brother. I never want to see another war. There are millionsof people all over the world who don't want a war, and byagreeing to this interview, which is very historic for all ofus, I hope you will be able to help me, be able to say somethingto the world that is significant and positive.
SADDAM:Welcome to Baghdad. You are conscious of the rolethat Iraqis have set out for themselves, inspired by their ownculture, their civilisation and their role in human history.This role requires peace in order to prosper and progress.Having said that, the Iraqis are committed to their rights asmuch as they are committed to the rights of others. Withoutpeace they will be faced with many obstacles that would stopthem from fulfilling their human role.
BENN:Mr President, may I ask you some questions. The firstis, does Iraq have any weapons of mass destruction?
SADDAM:Most Iraqi officials have been in power for over 34years and have experience of dealing with the outside world.Every fair-minded person knows that when Iraqi officials saysomething, they are trustworthy. A few minutes ago when youasked me if I wanted to look at the questions beforehand I toldyou I didn't feel the need so that we don't waste time, and Igave you the freedom to ask me any question directly so that myreply would be direct. This is an opportunity to reach theBritish people and the forces of peace in the world. There isonly one truth and therefore I tell you as I have said on manyoccasions before that Iraq has no weapons of mass destructionwhatsoever. We challenge anyone who claims that we have to bringforward any evidence and present it to public opinion.
BENN:I have another which has been raised: do you havelinks with al Qaeda?
SADDAM:If we had a relationship with al Qaeda and webelieved in that relationship we wouldn't be ashamed to admitit. Therefore I would like to tell you directly and also throughyou to anyone who is interested to know that we have norelationship with al Qaeda.
BENN:In relation to the inspectors, there appears to bedifficulties with inspectors, and I wonder whether there'sanything you can tell me about these difficulties and whetheryou believe they will be cleared up before Mr Hans Blix and MrElbaradei come back to Baghdad?
SADDAM:You are aware that every major event must encountersome difficulty. On the subject of the inspectors and theresolutions that deal with Iraq you must have been following itand you must have a view and a vision as to whether theseresolutions have any basis in international law. Neverthelessthe Security Council produced them. These resolutions --implemented or not -- or the motivation behind these resolutionscould lead the current situation to the path of peace or war.Therefore it's a critical situation. Let us also remember theunjust suffering of the Iraqi people. For the last thirteenyears since the blockade was imposed, you must be aware of theamount of harm that it has caused the Iraqi people, particularlythe children and the elderly as a result of the shortage of foodand medicine and other aspects of their life. Therefore we arefacing a critical situation. On that basis, it is not surprisingthat there might be complaints relating to the small details ofthe inspection which may be essential issues as far as we areconcerned and the way we see the whole thing. It is possiblethat those Iraqis who are involved with the inspection mightcomplain about the conduct of the inspectors and they complainindeed. It is also possible that some inspectors either forreasons of practical and detailed procedure, or for some othermotives, may complain about the Iraqi conduct. Every fair-mindedperson knows that as far as resolution 1441 is concerned, theIraqis have been fulfilling their obligations under theresolution. When Iraq objects to the conduct of thoseimplementing the Security Council resolutions, that doesn't meanthat Iraq wishes to push things to confrontation. Iraq has nointerest in war. No Iraqi official or ordinary citizen hasexpressed a wish to go to war. The question should be directedat the other side. Are they looking for a pretext so they couldjustify war against Iraq? If the purpose was to make sure thatIraq is free of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons thenthey can do that. These weapons do not come in small pills thatyou can hide in your pocket. These are weapons of massdestruction and it is easy to work out if Iraq has them or not.We have said many times before and we say it again today thatIraq is free of such weapons. So when Iraq objects to theconduct of the inspection teams or others, that doesn't meanthat Iraq is interested in putting obstacles before them whichcould hinder the efforts to get to the truth. It is in ourinterest to facilitate their mission to find the truth. Thequestion is does the other side want to get to the sameconclusion or are they looking for a pretext for aggression? Ifthose concerned prefer aggression then it's within their reach.The superpowers can create a pretext any day to claim that Iraqis not implementing resolution 1441. They have claimed beforethat Iraq did not implement the previous resolutions. Howeverafter many years it became clear that Iraq had complied withthese resolutions. Otherwise, why are they focusing now on thelatest resolution and not the previous ones?
BENN:May I broaden the question out, Mr President, to therelations between Iraq and the U.N., and the prospects for peacemore broadly, and I wonder whether with all its weaknesses andall the difficulties, whether you see a way in which the U.N.can reach that objective for the benefit of humanity?
SADDAM:The point you raised can be found in the UnitedNations charter. As you know Iraq is one of the founders andfirst signatories of the charter. If we look at therepresentatives of two super powers -- America and Britain --and look at their conduct and their language, we would noticethat they are more motivated by war than their responsibilityfor peace. And when they talk about peace all they do is accuseothers they wish to destroy in the name of peace. They claimthey are looking after the interests of their people. You knowas well as I do that this is not the truth. Yes, the world wouldrespect this principle if it was genuinely applied. It's notabout power but it is about right and wrong, about when we baseour human relations on good, and respect this principle. So itbecomes simple to adhere to this principle because anyone whoviolates it will be exposed to public opinion.
BENN:There are people who believe this present conflict isabout oil, and I wonder if you say something about how you seethe enormous oil reserves of Iraq being developed, first for thebenefit of the people of Iraq and secondly for the needs ofmankind.
SADDAM:When we speak about oil in this part of the world -we are an integral part of the world -- we have to deal withothers in all aspects of life, economic as well as social,technical, scientific and other areas. It seems that theauthorities in the U.S. are motivated by aggression that hasbeen evident for more than a decade against the region. Thefirst factor is the role of those influential people in thedecision taken by the President of the U.S. based on sympathywith the Zionist entity that was created at the expense ofPalestine and its people and their humanity. These people forcethe hand of the American administration by claiming that theArabs pose a danger to Israel, without remembering theirobligation to God and how the Palestinian people were driven outof their homeland. The consecutive American administrations wereled down a path of hostility against the people of this region,including our own nation and we are part of it. Those people andothers have been telling the various U.S. administrations,especially the current one, that if you want to control theworld you need to control the oil. Therefore the destruction ofIraq is a pre-requisite to controlling oil. That means thedestruction of the Iraqi national identity, since the Iraqis arecommitted to their principles and rights according tointernational law and the U.N. charter. It seems that thisargument has appealed to some U.S. administrations especiallythe current one that if they control the oil in the Middle East,they would be able to control the world. They could dictate toChina the size of its economic growth and interfere in itseducation system and could do the same to Germany and France andperhaps to Russia and Japan. They might even tell the same toBritain if its oil doesn't satisfy its domestic consumption. Itseems to me that this hostility is a trademark of the currentU.S. administration and is based on its wish to control theworld and spread its hegemony. People have the right to say thatif this aggression by the American administration continues, itwould lead to widespread enmity and resistance. We won't be ableto develop the oil fields or the oil industry and thereforecreate worldwide co-operation as members of the human familywhen there is war, destruction and death. Isn't it reasonable toquestion this approach and conclude that this road will notbenefit anyone including America or its people? It may servesome short-term interests or the interests of some influentialpowers in the US but we can't claim that it serves the interestof the American people in the long run or other nations.
BENN:There are tens of millions, maybe hundreds of millionsof people in Britain and America, in Europe and worldwide, whowant to see a peaceful outcome to this problem , and they arethe real Americans in my opinion, the real British, the realFrench, the real Germans, because they think of the world interms of their children. I have ten grandchildren and in myfamily there is English, Scottish, American, French, Irish,Jewish and Indian blood, and for me politics is about theirfuture, their survival. And I wonder whether you could saysomething yourself directly through this interview to the peacemovement of the world that might help to advance the cause theyhave in mind?
SADDAM:First of all we admire the development of the peacemovement around the world in the last few years. We pray to Godto empower all those working against war and for the cause ofpeace and security based on just peace for all. And through youwe say to the British people that Iraqis do not hate the Britishpeople. Before 1991 Iraq and Britain had a normal relationshipas well as normal relations with America. At that time theBritish governments had no reason to criticise Iraq as we hearsome voices doing these days. We hope the British people wouldtell those who hate the Iraqis and wish them harm that there isno reason to justify this war and please tell them that I say toyou because the British people are brave -- tell them that theIraqis are brave too. Tell the British people if the Iraqis aresubjected to aggression or humiliation they would fight bravely.Just as the British people did in the Second World War and wewill defend our country as they defended their country each inits own way. The Iraqis don't wish war, but if war is imposedupon them - if they are attacked and insulted - they will defendthemselves. They will defend their country, their sovereigntyand their security.