MoD Information

Iraq Goes on War Footing

Sun, March 16, 2003

Source: Ananova News

Saddam Hussein has placed Iraq on a war footing, placing his son and three trusted lieutenants in charge of four military regions to defend against a US-led invasion

Saddam Hussein has placed Iraq on a war footing, placing his son and three trusted lieutenants in charge of four military regions to defend against a US-led invasion. According to the Iraqi News Agency, Saddam's son, Qusai, has been placed in charge of the regime's heartland - Baghdad and the president's hometown Tikrit.

Saddam's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid has been placed in charge of the key southern sector facing US and British troops massed in Kuwait.

Al-Majid is known among Saddam's opponents as "Ali Chemical" for his role in the 1988 campaign against rebellious Kurds in northern Iraq in which thousands of Kurds died, many in chemical attacks.

Saddam's deputy Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri was placed in command of the strategic northern region. The central Euphrates district, which includes the Shiite Muslim holy sites, was placed under Mazban Khader Hadi, a member of the ruling Revolutionary Command Council.

Saddam himself retained sole authority to order the use of surface-to-surface missiles and aviation resources, the decree said.

"Each command of a region is in charge of defence affairs within its geographic boundaries and to lead and use all the financial, human, party organisation, the people and military division to confront any foreign aggression aimed at Iraq's sovereignty, independence and security as well as maintaining internal security," the decree said.

Despite the decree, it appeared Iraq had not given up hope that it could avoid a US-led attack by dealing with United Nations inspectors, who are trying to determine if Saddam is still hiding weapons of mass destruction.