"When God wants us to fight we will be ready to fight under all circumstances. We will fight on all frontlines and whatever God wants is appropriate," Saddam was quoted by Iraq's official television as saying.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri said the United States was making business out of wars and that conflict could be avoided if the superpower stopped "warmongering."
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"We are preparing as if war will break out in one hour and we are psychologically ready for that," Saddam told the independent Egyptian newspaper al-Osboa.

"Iraq will never be like Afghanistan. This does not mean that we are stronger than the United States, which owns fleets and long-range missiles, but we have faith in God, in the nation, the Iraqi people and...the Arab people and we will never let it be a walkover for American or British soldiers."

"Time is definitely on our side and we must buy more time because the American-British alliance will disintegrate for internal reasons and because of world opinion," Saddam said.

The Iraqi leader said Washington's real motive for any attack lay in controlling the region and its oil.

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