February 2, 1999

Name That Dictator 4

When in doubt, trying rallying the ‘Arab nation’ …

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President Saddam Hussein defiantly urged his forces to fight back as one Baghdad hospital reported five people had been killed and about 30 injured in U.S.-led air strikes against the Iraqi capital yesterday.

“Our great people and our brave armed forces … resist and fight them,” Saddam said in a statement carried by the official Iraqi News Agency. …

“Fight the enemies of God, the Arab nation and humanity. God willing, you will be the victors.” (12/17/98, Toronto Star)

Libyan radio issued a call to arms Tuesday to its citizens and the entire Arab world to strike out everywhere at Americans in retaliation for the U.S. attack on Libya, warning that those who do not heed will be “cursed forever.”

“To arms, O sons of our Arab nation, to dive on all targets which belong to terrorist America,” Libya’s Voice of the Greater Arab Homeland said in a broadcast monitored in London. (4/15/86, Chicago Tribune)

… while blaming the Zionists.

Country X Saturday blamed sabotage for the fire … and made clear it suspected the United States and Israel. …

Country X, monitored by the British Broadcasting Corporation, quoted a foreign ministry source as saying: “The colonialist states, especially the United States and the Zionist enemy, are doing their utmost to prevent the Arab countries from peaceful development and from using modern technology, even in the manufacture of medicines.” (Chicago Tribune)

The meeting came as Country X accused America and its allies of trying to split the country through military action and sanctions. The Dictator’s deputy told the opening of a poetry festival in Country X: “The tyrants and the evil of the world, America and the Zionists, and whoever is serving their interests and schemes today seek — as they did in the past and failed — to humiliate Country X and bring it to its knees by threatening destruction.”(Times of London)

Which is Libya and which is Iraq?

Get the answer — and the next scenario.

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

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