President receives Palestinian poet

Baghdad, Jan. 5, INA

President Saddam Hussein received Thursday Palestinian poet Shahla al-Kiyali.

Mrs. Al-Kayali expressed pleasure to meet President Saddam Hussein. She conveyed Palestinians and Jordanian people's greetings to the President.

Mrs. Al-Kiyali recited poems expressing Palestinians' love and appreciation to the great moral and financial support from President Saddam Hussein to Palestinian Intifada. She handed the President the key of her old house in al-Lud, where she and her sisters were born and grew up, which was usurped by the Zionists 50 years ago. She said that this key is deposited in trust and she could receive it whenever Palestine is liberated under President Saddam Hussein's leadership.

The President affirmed the necessity to hold an Arab meeting to save Palestine from occupation and support its just issue.

"The Americans legislated killing women, children and the elderly and destroying properties. They are talking about terrorism while they support the Zionists who usurp lands, pluck trees, kill children, women, the elderly and destroy houses in the occupied territories," the President said.

"How does America want the Arabs to deal with it naturally while they daily watch on TV their women insulted and their children's bodies torn by U.S weapons?" the President inquired.

President Saddam Hussein expressed pleasure to meet the Palestinian poet and appreciated the key, saying that this key would be a trust with every Iraqi citizen.

Present at the meeting was deputy chairman of Revolution Command Council Izzat Ibrahim.