We warmly greet our brothers, the Arabs of Ahvaz who are suffering from sup-
pression and tyranny under the Khomeini regime more than they suffered during the
shah’s reign. We also greet the honorable Kurdish militants and all the other friendly
Iranian peoples. We assure them that we do not have any ambitions on any inch of
their territories and that we harbor toward them nothing but feelings of amity and
affection. We hope that neighbor Iran will be free and independent, making a posi-
tive contribution to the region, the nonaligned movement and to the peoples’ struggle
for liberty, independence and progress.
Brothers, we affirm to the world that Iraq, which was administering navigational
affairs in Shatt al-Arab prior to March 1975, in accordance with the rights of total
sovereignty, has shown genuine ability and effectiveness as well as high responsibility
in this respect. Today’s Iraq is more capable of carrying out its tasks in this regard.
We hope that all the sides concerned, including the Iranian side, will respect Iraq’s
sovereignty over Shatt al-Arab and deal in accordance with these new facts.
Brothers, at a certain party meeting, a comrade asked me: What is the guaranteed
reserve which you have to confront the suspect racist enemy in the new regime in Iran?
I told this comrade: The leadership has accustomed the Iraqi people to always
have a guaranteed reserve to be used at historic moments to confront enemies. How-
ever, I would like to tell you and tell all the Iraqi people and all the honest sons of
the Arab nation that the basic, known and guaranteed reserve with which we will
confront the machinations of the suspect agents in Iran—who have rancorous and
backward mentalities and racist motives, and the hostile colonialist, Zionist and
racist machinations—is the great Iraqi people. The known and guaranteed reserve is
the great Iraqi people with their spirit of seriousness, their unlimited readiness to
give and make sacrifices and their strong adherence to their legitimate rights, guided
and inspired by their great historical heritage—the great legacy of Islam, the history
of the glorious Arab nation and the glories of great Iraq. This reserve is our valiant
Iraqi Army which has sprung from this spirit and which adheres to the principles
of the revolution, epitomizing in its life and battles the glittering history of its nation
and the glorious history of Iraq.
Brothers, you are the known and guaranteed reserve. The guaranteed reserve is all
the valiant and honest officers and soldiers of our Iraqi Army and the sons of our
people, men and women, young and old. This reserve is the honest spirit of Arabs
everywhere who are struggling against aggression, usurpation, exploitation and sub-
servience and who refuse to bow down to the odious Persian occupation just as they
are struggling fiercely and bravely against the treacherous Zionist occupation in Pales-
tine and other Arab areas.
Brothers, I give you greetings of honor and pledge [as heard] and thank you for
attending this extraordinary session. I am confident that our great people, who have
shouldered their national and pan-Arab responsibilities throughout history effectively
and courageously, will proceed along this course. God willing, these people will
strengthen their positive and effective role in this area and on the international level.
Iraq will continue to be a steadfast bastion of steel against all aggressors and usurpers.
It will always be a center of support for liberty, progress and good in the world. Iraq
will always be a bastion for the Arab nation and for glory.
May God’s blessings and peace be upon you.
IRAQ AND THE GULF WARS 429