The Contemporary Middle East. A Documentary History

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Their days will continue to be glorious and their past and future will continue to
relate the story of a faithful, jealous 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....
The harvest in the mother of battles has succeeded. After we have harvested what
we have harvested, the greater harvest and its yield will be in the time to come, and
it will be much greater than what we have at present, in spite of what we have at pres-
ent in terms of the victory, dignity and glory that was based on the sacrifices of a deep
faith which is generous without any hesitation or fear.
It is by virtue of this faith that God has bestowed dignity upon the Iraqi muja-
hedeen, and upon all the depth of this course of holy war at the level of the Arab
homeland and at the level of all those men whom God has chosen to be given the
honor of allegiance, guidance and honorable position, until He declares that the con-
flict has stopped, or amends its directions and course and the positions in a manner
which would please the faithful and increase their dignity.
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 plot-
ters. 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 8 August, 1990, Kuwait became
part of Iraq legally, constitutionally and actually. They 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 ram-
ifications 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 crim-
inal entity of America and its major allies.


... Everyone will remember that the gates of Constantinople were not opened
before the Muslims in the first struggling attempt.... The confidence of the nation-
alists and the faithful mujahedeen and the Muslims has grown bigger than before, and
great hope more and more.
Slogans have come out of their stores to strongly occupy the facades of the pan-
Arab and human holy war and struggle. Therefore, victory is [great] now and in the
future, God willing....
O you valiant men; you have fought the armies of 30 states and the capabilities
of an even greater number of states which supplied them with the means of aggres-
sion and support. Faith, belief, hope and determination continue to fill your chests,
souls and hearts.


IRAQ AND THE GULF WARS 463
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