Iraq Fedayeen - Fedayeen fighters vow revenge for Saddam sons' killing
TAPE: EF03/0670
IN_TIME: 00:47:58
DURATION: 3:40
SOURCES: AL ARABIYA
RESTRICTIONS: Must On Screen Credit "Al Arabiya"
DATELINE: Unknown
SHOTLIST:
Al Arabiya Material
1. Al Arabiya TV presenter
2. Various amateur video shots of a group of masked men seated in a room decorated with posters of Saddam Hussein
3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Masked man, speaking over pictures of group, their weapons, and Saddam posters:
"To our dignified (Iraqi) people. Now the invaders have entered our country, destroyed our dignity, killed our young men and women, and humiliated our elders and our beloved people. Is this the freedom they came to bring? My great people, we are your brothers from Fedayeen Saddam, (of) al-Anbar province.
"We are proud of what happened last evening, when Odai and Qusai Hussein were martyred in a fierce battle. The occupying force sent over two hundred soldiers, tanks and warplanes. The fighting went for three hours, and they didn't give themselves up. As the Americans admitted, they preferred to be martyred.
"I swear by Allah, this is the Karbala of this century. I swear by Allah, this is the Karbala of this century. The first drop of blood they spilled has purified the sins. And long live Iraqi people and Saddam Hussein. This martyrdom shows the toughness of the Iraqis, and shakes the disbelievers and the oppressors. And I want to note that they were in Iraq and did not leave for the Swiss Alps, as they were accused of by traitors.
"I want to say to our President Saddam, your sons have died but the Iraqi people did not die, we did not die and we will give our blood for the land of Iraq. And we promise our people we will continue our struggle against the infidels, and these deaths will increase our determination.
"And we want to say to the occupiers, who said last evening that the killing of Odai and Qusai would decrease the attacks on the invaders -- we want to say to them that the deaths of Odai and Qusai will increase the attacks on their soldiers.
"God is witness to what what we are saying. Our great Iraqi people, the traitors and the spies spread everywhere in our land. We want to fight them before we fight the Americans, we want to make clear to our Iraqi brothers that this uprising will continue until we liberate our country from the Americans.
God is great, God is great. Long live the mujahideen (holy fighters) in Ramadi and Falujah, and Hit, and Hadita, and Ana and Rawah. Long live the mujahadeen, the people of Umbar will always be the sword in the right hand of the leader and mujahid Saddam Hussein. God is witness to what what we have said, on 22 July 2003."
4. Al Arabiya presenter
STORYLINE:
The Al-Arabiya television channel has aired images of armed men claiming to speak for the fanatical Fedayeen Saddam paramilitaries, and vowing to take revenge for the deaths of Saddam's sons, Odai and Qusai.
A journalist in al-Arabiya newsroom said the station had received the tape in its office in Iraq on Thursday
The images shown by Al-Arabiya show a group of men sitting in a room beside heavy weapons, masked in arab scarves.
One of the men is shown reading a statement in Arabic, and says he speaks for "Saddam's Fedayeen, al-Anbar province."
On the tape he says he is speaking on 22 July.
The man speaking on the Al-Arabiya tape vows to increase attacks against the occupying forces in revenge for the deaths of Odai and Qusai.
He calls their last battle "the Karbala of this century," referring to the Seventh Century battle between the Sunni and Shi'ite factions of Islam near Karbala, in what is now Iraq.
The Fedayeen Saddam paramilitaries were formed in 1995 by Odai Hussein, but were controlled at other times by his brother, Qusai.
The Arabic term fedayeen means "men of sacrifice" and has been used by other, unconnected arab paramilitary groups.