IRAQ: Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has accused the US of seeking to "control" the oil of the Gulf region, which sits on the world's largest crude reserves.
"The United States imagines that it will be able to control the whole world if it manages to control the oil of the Middle East," he was quoted as saying by the official INA news agency.
"The United States believes it will control the oil of the Middle East . . . which sits on 65 per cent of world reserves, if it destroys Iraq," the Iraqi leader said.
President Saddam, who was speaking to a trade union official from Belarus, charged that Washington was resorting to "the military option" in an effort to dominate the world, chiefly oil resources.
"When it controls the oil, the United States can decide on the amounts of crude sold to consumer nations and its price . . . Thus it would be able to set the rate of economic growth in these countries," he said.
"It seems Europe has finally realised" that the United States is seeking to lay its hands on the world's oil wealth, President Saddam said, referring to differences between Washington and its European allies on the use of force against Baghdad.
"Europe's solidarity with Iraq is not solely driven by humanitarian considerations. It is also aimed at protecting European interests from attempts by the American monster to dominate the world," he added.