"Many thousands of soldiers are defending the homeland ... and they will not allow them (allied forces) to go into Baghdad without defeating and repelling them," Saddam said in response to a message of support from one of his nieces, the television said.

The latest message, which like scores of recent statements by Saddam predicted victory over the US and British forces that launched war on March 20 to topple him, came as the allies were reported to have advanced to within 50 miles (80 kilometers) of Baghdad's southern outskirts.

But an Iraqi military spokesman Wednesday denied a report from the US Central Command that US forces had destroyed the Baghdad division of the elite Republican Guard.

SPACE.WIRE