HUSSEIN SAYS IRAN'S YEAR OF DECISIVENESS FOILED
President Saddam Hussein said Iraq had
foiled Iran's promise of a decisive victory in their war but
acknowledged the latest fighting cost his nation higher losses
than previous battles.
    Hussein warned his frontline troops to expect further
Iranian attacks to spoil celebrations being organised
throughout Iraq to mark what Baghdad has hailed as the failure
of Iran's so-called year of decisiveness.
    Iran's leadership had pledged a decisive breakthrough in
the 6-1/2-year-long war in the Persian year -- which ended
yesterday -- and mounted a major offensive towards Iraq's
second city of Basra, on the southern front, in January.
    Iraq has never given any casualty figures but Hussein
conceded they were high.
    "It was clear to all of us the fighting this time would be
long and severe with more blood flowing than in previous
battles and that we would lose more of our loved ones than we
have before," he said in a speech read on radio and television.
 REUTER
