Aziz, in an interview on CBS Evening News, said Iraq had not been intimidated by Bush's commitment to changing the Baghdad government and widespread expectations that Washington was planning a military strike.

"We are defending our independence, we are defending our integrity, we are defending our national interest and any aggressor cannot win a war against us," he said.

Asked about the failure of Bush's father to continue the 1991 Gulf War invasion of Iraq until Saddam had been ousted, Aziz said:

"Could he do that? ... His son is now planning to do it. Let him try, and he will find that he will lose this plan, he will lose this endeavor."

Aziz said the younger Bush was not as wise as his father.

"What Bush the father did in 1991 was in the interest of America, what his son is planning to do now is in the interests of Israel and the Zionists."

US President Bush has accused Iraq of being part of "an axis of evil" that was developing weapons of mass destruction with which to threaten the United States and its allies.

"We do not possess any nuclear or biological or chemical weapons," Aziz said.

Asked about Iraqi financial support for the Palestinians who have carried out suicide bombings in Israel, Aziz described them as heroes.

"They are not terrorists. ... They are freedom fighters, we respect them," he said.

Bush has peppered almost every public appearance lately with anti-Saddam remarks. On Friday, he said the Iraqi leader was "thumbing his nose at the world," and that he would make his decision on how to proceed to oust Saddam based on the "latest intelligence."

(China Daily August 21, 2002)