Gennadii Seleznev met with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in Baghdad on 10 March and conveyed to him an oral message from President Vladimir Putin, RTR reported. Seleznev was also harshly critical of the United States. \"Iraq will never give up, and [the United States] will break its teeth on it,\" Seleznev said. He added that the United States has achieved its goal and compelled Hussein to begin to disarm and, therefore, can now withdraw its forces without losing face. Earlier in the day, Seleznev said that \"a strike on Iraq would be an assault on all peace-loving people,\" and that the Russian people are in solidarity with the people of Iraq. (RFE/RL)