Saddam calmly awaits storm
2003-03-14 12:49
Baghdad - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein appears calm and determined as he awaits the military firestorm set to rain down on his regime, according to officials and journalists who have spoken to him.
Among those who have had the best chance to gain a good impression of the man Washington and London want to topple have been veteran US television presenter Dan Rather and Russian parliament speaker Gennady Seleznyov.
They both met Saddam in the past month and remarked afterwards how calm he seemed.
This, after all, is someone who has held an iron grip on power since 1979, survived two crippling wars, seen his military arsenal dismantled and watched as Iraq's economy, notably the oil industry, has been put under international scrutiny.
After interviewing Saddam over three hours one day late last month, Rather said he seemed "very calm, at least outwardly" and "as prepared as he can get", confident of an Iraqi victory in the end.
Seleznyov, speaking to diplomats after meeting the Iraqi president earlier this week, spoke of someone "sure of himself" and appearing perfectly able to "control the situation".
"Seleznyov found him calm, in control, well informed and very aware of the situation," a diplomat who was present at the briefing said.
Last month, papal envoy Cardinal Roger Etchegaray said after his two hours with Saddam that he appeared self-assured and aware of his responsibilities.
Iraqis who faithfully follow the president on state television also get the impression that here is a leader who is frankly unperturbed by the prospect of confronting the mightiest military power in the world.
"I know him well, I've seen him for 25 years now. His face is calm as if he has assurances we do not know about," one Iraqi said on Thursday, preferring not to give his name.
Saddam has been frequently on television recently, presiding meetings with military and political leaders or welcoming foreign delegations.
Usually turned out in a well-cut suit, sometimes smoking a cigar, he speaks slowly and deliberately.
He has plenty of reason to worry. More than 250 000 US and British troops are massed in the Gulf ready for the order to invade.
US President George W Bush has not concealed his goal of not just eliminating Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction but of ousting Saddam too - with even an option of assassination.
Faced with such military might, Iraq's army, including the elite Republican Guard, appears more fragile than ever.
The regular warnings that the Iraqi regime and people will fight valiantly to repel the invaders are met with scepticism by diplomats, who say Iraqis are too busy trying to ensure their own survival and that of their families.
History only underlines their fatalism: Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 ended in humiliation in the Gulf War seven months later. Eight years of war with Iran during the 1980s had already crippled the country.
Diplomats in Baghdad say Saddam's apparent calm must be based on a belief against the odds that something will happen to avert the seemingly inevitable, such as the anti-war camp persuading London and Washington to back down.
Yet even in his defiance Saddam also shows a certain resignation. "We will die in this country and we will maintain our honour - the honour that is required in front of our people," he told Rather in his interview.