Coalition forces have advanced to within 80 kilometers of Baghdad and are bombing the Iraqi capital at will, but a senior Iraqi official says his government is winning the war against coalition forces.
Calling for coalition forces to either surrender or retreat, Iraqi foreign minister Naji Sabri told a news conference in Baghdad that Iraq is winning the war, as he put it, "on all fronts," and said Iraq would turn the desert into a big grave for coalition forces.
Mr. Sabri called for the U.N. Security Council to immediately stop the war in Iraq. He accused the United States and Britain of attempting to divide Iraq and colonize it.
He told reporters that coalition forces are facing a unified fight against occupation.
"They fell into a trap made by their own hands," he said. "They faced a unified people, one body, a single body. The leader, the leadership, the government and the people, they are unified in this country. A unified entity, fighting entity against their colonial war against our country."
The Iraqi foreign minister claimed hundreds of coalition forces have been killed and captured. He said no coalition forces staying in Iraq would be safe and promised Iraq would defeat the enemy no matter how long it takes.
Coalition officials say no more than a few dozen of their troops have been killed or captured.
