Iraqi President Saddam Hussein hailed Iraqi military efforts to resist a US-led invasion to overthrow him today and said the invaders had suffered heavy losses.
"Be patient, victory is coming," Saddam said in an address on state television, praising the "valiant" contribution of the Iraqi military in resisting a US and British invasion that began on Thursday.
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Jordanians raise their fingers in victory signs as they watch Iraqi President Saddam Hussein speaking on Iraqi television, broadcast in Amman today.
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Wearing military uniform and reading a speech from behind a podium, Saddam praised Iraqi commanders including one at Umm Qasr, where US-led tanks, ground-attack jets, artillery and infantry have failed to dislodge more than 120 Iraqi Republican Guards.
It was not clear where or when the 20-minute speech was recorded but the fact that Saddam mentioned successes in Umm Qasr and other battles suggested it had been made in the last day or two. Behind Saddam was a white wall and an Iraqi flag.
He also said "victory is very near" in Basra, southern Iraq, a city US and British tank units are still trying to secure. He called on defenders of Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul to hold firm, saying "despicable enemies would be defeated".
Saddam said Iraqi forces had inflicted serious losses on US-led forces. He said that victory was coming and that the invaders were "trapped" by heroic Iraqi resistance.
"The more they lose, the more they will bombard you," he said, pledging "to do all we can to humiliate the enemy".
Senior correspondents in the Middle East said they were confident that the man on television was Saddam.