Saddam vows to defeat U.S. if attacked

Sunday, April 7th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) _ The defiant Iraqi president vowed to defeat the United States if it attacks Iraq and to continue supplying the Palestinians ``with every means by which they can defend themselves.''

``We will fight (the Americans) with missiles, warplanes, marsh reeds and even stones and they will be defeated,'' Saddam Hussein was quoted as saying by state-run media during a Sunday meeting with top military commanders.

He rejected U.S. criticism over payments to families of Palestinian suicide bombers, saying: ``If Iraq has the chance and the capability to supply the Palestinians with every means by which they can defend themselves in a better way, we will not hesitate to do so.''

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld last week accused Iran and Syria of smuggling arms to terrorists and criticized Iraq for offering payments of up to $25,000 to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers.

President Bush has said Saddam had to go, and did not rule out military action if Iraq continues to refuse the return of U.N. weapons inspectors to verify if Iraq has dismantled its weapons of mass destruction, as it claims to have done.

Meanwhile Sunday, Saddam's son, Qusai, commander of the elite Republican Guards, pledged allegiance to his father a day after Bush reaffirmed that the policy of his government ``is the removal of Saddam.''

``Your sons in the armed forces and the brave Republican Guards are swords ready to confront any evil external aggression against our beloved country,'' Qusai Hussein, 35, wrote in an open letter to his father in Al-Iraq newspaper.