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Iraq Proves Victorious Decade After Gulf War
Iraq has proven victorious 10 years after the Gulf War, while the United States has failed in its anti-Iraqi policy, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz said on Tuesday.
"Iraq emerges victorious in terms of preserving its independence, sovereignty and spirits," Aziz said at a press conference on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the Gulf War.
He added that the Iraqi people are still maintaining high spirits, their values and national objectives.
While the outgoing administration of US President Bill Clinton has failed in its hostile policy against Iraq, the Iraq official said, claiming that the US committed "a genocide" against Iraq in the past decade.
Aziz defended Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 by saying that Iraq was the "victim of a conspiracy against its national interests, and Kuwait was part of that conspiracy, so it deserved (what) it had in 1990."
"We are satisfied with our position and confidence that we are in the right direction and optimistic about future," he told reporters.
Answering questions raised by Xinhua, Aziz said that Iraq "has no great expectations" for the scheduled dialog with the United Nations next month, but Iraq is still going to engage in a " responsible" dialog with the world body.
As to the new US administration under President-elect George W. Bush, son of the former US President George Bush who launched the Gulf War, Aziz said it makes no difference to Iraq who becomes the US president. Iraq will adopt a wait-and-see attitude toward the new US government, he said.
"We are always reasonable to positive gestures," he added.
He reiterated Iraq's rejection of the UN Resolution 1284, which offers to suspend the decade-old sanctions on Iraq if it cooperates fully with UN arms inspectors.
Iraq has launched a propaganda war against the US and Britain on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Gulf War, triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
In the early morning of January 17, 1991, a multinational coalition force started the Gulf War by fiercely bombing Iraq and Iraqi occupation troops in Kuwait. The war ended after six weeks with Iraq's defeat and acceptance of all UN resolutions.
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