Wearing his military uniform, the Iraqi leader listened to "a briefing on the preparations for the fighting ... by the armed forces and Saddam's Fedayeen ... in Baghdad against the invading forces," the station said.

Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan, Defence Minister Sultan Hashem Ahmad and officials from the ruling Baath party were present at the meeting.

Saddam repeated several times that "victory is assured," the channel said in a programme monitored in Nicosia.

His defiant remarks came as coalition troops said they had entered Baghdad's outer rim and fighting was underway at the Saddam International Airport, some 20 miles (12 kilometres) from the centre of the capital.

There was no indication as to when the pictures were recorded.

On Tuesday Saddam's non-appearance on Iraqi television when a messaage was read out in his name sparked speculation as to whether he had been killed or injured by coalition attacks.

SPACE.WIRE