"The enemy has concentrated all its forces against Baghdad, which has weakened its power in other parts of Iraq ... you must now weaken them (further), deepen their wounds and deprive them of what they have taken of your land, even though it is negligible, in order to reduce their chances and accelerate their defeat," the minister quoted Saddam as saying.

He added that Iraqis should "increase the number of attacks and go all out at the enemy to destroy them, following the orders in the written plans they have received".

Saddam went on: "What has happened in Baghdad up until now is rather less than your Baghdad can put up with and God will protect it, even if it will have to cope with an even heavier burden."

He concluded: "The enemy is lost (if they) believe they can heal the wounds they have already suffered by trying to attack Bagdad."

The statement contrasts with an earlier one by Sahhaf that coalition troops had been chased out of Baghdad's airport, amid the first US push into the "heart" of the Iraqi capital since the start of the war.

US forces delivered what they called a "poke in the eye" to Saddam's regime in their raid on the battered city.

A US commander said around 1,000 Iraqi troops had been killed in the drive, and an AFP reporter saw dozens of Iraqi military vehicles burning in the streets.

US officials said dozens of tanks rumbled into the city a day after the Americans seized control of the airport to the southwest. But it was not clear how many remained in Baghdad or what was their strategic objective.

SPACE.WIRE