GLOBAL DEMO HELPED SADDAM TO DECLARE VICTORY

national | miscellaneous | news report Sunday February 16, 2003 16:01 by The Associated Press

GLOBAL DEMO'S SLOGAN SHOULD HAVE BEEN "NO TO WAR -NO TO SADDAM - NO TO BUSH" UNFORTUNATELY SADDAM THINKS GLOBAL DEMO IN SUPPORT FOR HIM.

BAGHDAD, Iraq Feb. 16 —
Iraq on Sunday gloated over the global outpouring of opposition to the U.S. threat of attack, saying anti-war demonstrations in dozens of countries signaled an Iraqi victory and "the defeat and isolation of America."

Iraq's tightly controlled news media gave prominent coverage to anti-war demonstrations staged around the world on Saturday. Iraqi television showed footage of millions marching in the world's cities under the logo "International Day of Confronting the Aggression."

"The world said with one voice: 'No to aggression on Iraq,'" read a headline in the government daily Al-Jumhuriya. "The world rises against American aggression and the arrogance of naked force," read a front page headline in the army daily Al-Qadissiya.

"These demonstrations expressed in their spirit, meaning and slogans the decisive Iraqi victory and the defeat and isolation of America," Al-Jumhuriya said in a commentary.