“Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein announced Monday that Baghdad had decided to halt its oil exports immediately for one month in protest at Israel’s incursion of Palestinian areas on the West Bank,” Reuters reports.

“Saddam said in a speech broadcast over Iraqi media: ‘The Iraqi leadership declared the complete stoppage of oil exports starting from this afternoon April 8 for a period of 30 days when we will further decide policy or until the Zionist entity’s armed forces have unconditionally withdrawn from the Palestinian territories.’

“He said the policy was aimed at punishing U.S. support for Israel.”

‘The decision is basically taken against the Zionist entity, and the American aggressive policy and not against anyone else. It is not meant to harm anyone but those who have decided to harm the Arab nation, including the Palestinian people,’ Saddam said.

[…] Washington has said all options are open for dealing with Iraq, including the possible use of military force.

Despite its hard-line on Iraq, the U.S. is easily the world’s biggest consumer of Iraqi crude, taking more than half of Baghdad’s oil and depending on Iraqi supplies under the oil-for-food program for about nine percent of its huge imports.

Shutting down production, are you Saddam? Is that it? Not setting the oil fields ablaze this time? Pussy.

The results: 30 days worth of whining from the “international community” about the millions of “starving children” who will be further hurt by the loss of revenue Iraq will suffer as a result of their oil export “protest.” Increased calls for Israel to desist in its non-sanctioned efforts to defend itself.

What you won’t hear: Saddam’s doing just fine — the palaces are all in superb upkeep, the weapons program is ticking along nicely, thanks so much for asking.