‘Advise the Ignorants Not to Push Things’

Excerpts from Iraq’s letter:

In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful.

“Go thou to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed all bounds. But speak to him mildly; perchance he may take warning or fear.” -- Allah

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Your excellency Mr. Kofi Annan,

You may recall the huge clamor fabricated by the president of the United States administration, in the biggest and most wicked slander against Iraq, supported in malicious intent, and spearheaded in word and malevolence, by his lackey Tony Blair, when they disseminated the claim that Iraq had perhaps produced, or was on its way to produce, nuclear weapons during the time when the United Nations inspectors had been absent from Iraq since 1998.

Then they returned to stress that Iraq had in fact produced chemical and biological weapons. They both know, as well as we do, and so can other countries, that such fabrications are baseless. But does the knowledge of the truth constitute elements for interaction in the politics of our day, which has witnessed the unleashing of the American administration’s evil to its fullest extent, dashing away all hope in any good? Indeed, is there any good to be hoped for, or expected, from the American administrations, now that they have been transformed by their own greed, by Zionism as well as by other known factors, into the tyrant of the age....

The Security Council ... instead of leaving the American administration and its lackey to reap the result of their evil, saved wrongdoing rather than halted it ....

We hereby inform you that we will deal with Resolution 1441, despite its bad contents, if it is to be implemented according to the premeditated evil of the parties of ill intent; the important thing in this is trying to spare our people from any harm.... We are prepared to receive the inspectors, so that they can carry out their duties....

We hope that you will, Mr. Secretary-General, advise the ignorants not to push things to the precipice in the implementation, because the people of Iraq will not choose to live at the price of their dignity, country, freedom or sanctities, and they would rather make their lives the price if that was the only way before them to safeguard what they must safeguard.

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To read the full text of Iraq’s letter to the United Nations, go to latimes.com/iraqletter.