President Saddam Hussein went on Iraqi television in his field-marshal's uniform yesterday to reject President George W. Bush's ultimatum that he leave the country by 1 a.m. tomorrow or face war.
"This battle will be Iraq's last against the tyrannical villains and the last battle of aggression undertaken by America against the Arabs," President Saddam told the joint meeting of the Baath party and Iraq's ruling Revolutionary Command Council.
An official statement said that the meeting "proclaimed its firm and decisive condemnation of the despicable ultimatum of George W. Bush". The purpose of the session, it said, was to discuss "resisting the invaders, preparing for combat and mobilising to confront the aggressor".
The meeting was attended by President Saddam's son, Qussay, the commander of Iraq's 80,000-strong Republican Guard, who has been placed in charge of the defence of the capital. His other son, Uday, also made a defiant statement, saying that any aggression against Iraq would make the Americans regret their tragic fate. "The wives and mothers of the Americans who fight us will cry tears of blood," he said, adding that Americans would not be safe "anywhere in Iraq or in the world".
The United Nations meanwhile completed the evacuation of its remaining personnel in Iraq, flying 216 people out in three flights to Cyprus. Fifty-six of those departing were weapons inspectors. Many of the others had run the "Food for Oil" programme, which provided rations to 16 million Iraqis.
The weapons inspectors dismantled 72 of Iraq's 120 Al-Samoud 2 missiles in recent weeks, a measure which the chief inspector, Dr Hans Blix, had called "significant disarmament". At Saddam Hussein International Airport, Mr Hero Ueki, the spokesman for the weapons inspectors, said it was "unfortunate" that they had to leave while their job was "unfinished".
Although the Iraqi government has made it clear that it will not waste its military forces defending the entire country, hoping instead to inflict the greatest damage to invading US forces in Baghdad, there are few signs of mobilisation in the capital.
I saw a freshly-fortified anti-aircraft gun emplacement on the banks of the Tigris and cement barges are being prepared to forge the river if, as expected, the US cuts the city in two by bombing the bridges. Government officials say that they will impose a round-the-clock curfew on the city as soon as the bombardment starts - apparently out of fear that the impoverished Shi'ites of Saddam City might head en masse for Baghdad city-centre to loot shops.
The Iraqi Foreign Minister, Mr Naji Al-Sabri, was asked at a press conference why Baghdad appeared so lightly defended. "We have our own plans to defend ourselves. It's not our job to tell others. We have been preparing for the last 13 years."
Mr Al-Sabri said that he saw President Saddam three times yesterday. "He is certain of victory," he said. "He is relying on his deep faith in God, the justice of our cause and [on his] deep faith in the Iraqi people."
Mr Al-Sabri said that war could be avoided "if Mr Bush went into exile".