ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein continues to insist his country has nothing to hide. He made public comments today about the same time President Bush spoke in the Azores. For the latest from Baghdad, we go to CNN's Nic Robertson.</s>NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Even as President Bush and prime ministers Blair and Aznar were giving their speeches in the Azores, in Baghdad on Iraqi television, President Saddam Hussein was seen meeting with his top military commanders. About 30 or 40 of those commanders giving president Saddam Hussein resounding cheers of applause and support. Coming out of that meeting, the statement that Iraq was militarily combat and tactically ready for war, but all preparations are ready at this time. Also a warning for anybody who should invade Iraq, that Iraq would turn into many fires and burn anybody who invaded the country. Also, President Saddam Hussein questioning who gave the United States the authority to become an unjust judge in this world? And saying that the only reason that the United States and great Britain want to go to war with Iraq is to hide a big lie. That big lie being that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction of course. President Saddam Hussein saying that Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction. Also, Foreign Minister Naji Sabri in a recent television interview saying absolutely Iraq at this time preparing for war. That the people of Iraq had been distributed another month's food rations. Now, he says, they have food for the next five months all the way to the end of August. And on the streets of Baghdad, the lines are beginning to form at gas stations for people to buy petrol for their vehicles. In some of the luxury goods stores, store owners taking outs some of the high-value items, such as television sets, removing them for safe storage somewhere else. Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.
Iraq Reacts to Azores Summit