Saddam Hussein's response to the United States attack, March 20, 2003 (thing)

About 3 hours after President Bush addressed the United States about the initial strike to begin Operation Iraqi Freedom, Saddam Hussein appeared on Iraqi television and addressed his people and other Arabs throughout the world. This is a rather on-the-fly translation from CNN.com and the only full English one that can be found on the Internet.

In the name of God, most merciful, most compassionate.

Those who are fought as they are treated unjustly, we're granted permission to fight and God will give them victory.

Twentieth of March, 2003 corresponding to Seventeenth of the Muharram of 1422 Hejira.

The criminal, the criminal junior Bush committed, he and his aides, his crime that he was threatening Iraq with and humanity as well. His criminal act comes from -- and the act of those who helped him, and his followers. This is added to the series of their shameful crimes against Iraq and humanity. This is a start for other additional crimes.

Oh, Iraqis and those who care in our nation, sacrificing for you and for the values of our nation and the banners of fighting, and for its religion, and for the soul, the family, the son. And here I will not repeat what should be said.

It is a duty on all people, good people, repeat what has to be done to protect and defend this dear nation and the values and sacreds. But I will say to each, this is a must on all of us. But I say on any of us -- on each of us in the family of Iraq, the believing, the honest family, that is being treated unjustly by its enemies, on all of us, on each of us, we have to remember what was said and what was pledged.

And these days will go as God's will. This will add -- these days will add to your record, your right record. All you male and female dignified people, this is your share of dignity and victory, and everything that will raise the status before God, and will let infidels down, the enemies of humanity and God.

And that you will be victorious O Iraqis. And with you -- victorious will be with you are the sons of your nation. And you are victorious with the will of God. And your enemies will be in humiliation and defeat, God willing.

Go use the sword. Draw your sword, and I'm not afraid. Draw your sword. The enemy is making a fuss. And the enemy will not be stopped, except by -- let the reins be let go anyway, but hope is there. Let thunderstorms go until the guidance appears, and injustice goes away. And let dawn be the way to confront all bad. And pull your trigger and keep the fire on.

Draw your sword. No one will be victorious unless he is a man, and a brave man. And prepare a banner and call for the will of God that the wounds will heal quickly.

Dear friends, those who fight evil in the world, peace be upon you. You notice how Bush the careless, underestimated your values that you declared against the war, and your call, your honest call for peace. And he committed this shameful crime this day.

We pledge in our name and in the name of the command and leadership, and the name of the people, the fighting people and its heroic army in its history, a record of civilization, we pledge that we will confront the invaders and we will get them to, God willing, to the limit where they will lose their patience.

And they will lose any hope in accomplishing what they were driven to by the criminal Zionists and those who have agendas. They will go to the lowest levels and they will be defeated; a defeat that we hope for them after they went far in injustice and evil.

We love peace and we are working towards this peace. Iraq will be victorious. We will win. And with Iraq, our nation and humanity will win. And evil will suffer from what makes it incapable of doing any evil or crime at a level similar to the American Zionist alliance against nations. And at the forefront is our dignified nation, Arab nation.

God is great. God is great. At the beginning -- at the forefront is our nation. God is great, God is great. And live long, Iraq and Palestine. God is great. God is great. And our Arab nation, dignified nation, let that nation live. And the human brotherhood, let it live with those who love peace and security. And the right of people in freedom, according to justice and equality.

God is great, and let the losers lose. Let Iraq live. Long live Jihad and long live Palestine.

Since the initial U.S. strike was intended to take out Saddam himself, questions were immediately raised about whether this was pre-taped before being broadcast or an appearance by one of the many supposed doubles that he has. It seems like the main evidence that it tape was live was the fact that Saddam mentioned the date of the attack in the beginning of his speech, but this date had been known as the deadline for the last 48 hours.

In the subsequent days, Saddam made a few public appearences on the streets of Baghdad, but as U.S. troops approached he disappeared. On December 13, 2003 Saddam was finally found hiding in an underground hold beneath a farmhouse near his hometown of Tikrit