We don't expect the powers of evil and vice to fulfill pledges or keep promises

In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate; great people, manly men of our armed forces - the active weapon and loyal stand for our people and our nation, comrades in doctrine and comrades in arms in our valiant army;

It is the dawn of your renewed anniversary. It is your Day, and it is our Day too, for your glorious chronicle indicates that you have been performing the duty and the honour of your military career in the same spirit and on the same line as those of your ancestors. They had the honour of bearing the banner of righteousness and revolution high. They commenced by cleansing the lands of Hejaz, Nejd and Yemen of abomination. Then, after they had consolidated Islam in those lands through crushing the apostates and stamping out the spirit of apostasy, they headed for Syria and cleansed the whole land, and for Egypt, Daughter of the Nile, and broke the power of Byzantium. That coincided with cleansing the pure land of Iraq, Daughter of the Euphrates and the Tigris, and restoring to her her great, just and faithful Arab face. The cleansing of Persia followed. Before the banners of righteousness and her great edifice, the banners and edifices of falsehood and those who had upheld it were crumbling to dust.

Yes, brave and faithful men of our armed forces, men of the great and loyal Army of the Nation;

Yes, ardent sons of our Arab Nation, and sons of the great people of Iraq, the citadel of glory, faith, righteousness, virtue and justice.

Today, the 6th of January in the year 2000, corresponding to the year 1420 of the Hijra, is the prime of this year and of all other years. It is the day when we recall and do not forget, for we never forget, and when we welcome and celebrate the feats of valour of our army on the day of its establishment.

It is the day on which our army began, soon after its birth, to fill its great chronicle with glorious deeds.

May God keep it the source of honour for its people and its nation!

It is the lofty flagstaff for the God-Is-Great Banner, which has become proud of what is written on it and proud of the high level of influence it exerts on the souls, conscience, minds and hearts of the people.

With this banner, and with what supports and forms the depth of its memorable feats, stands and struggle, our army has become the devoted son of the people and the nation. It has become the quiver for the arrows of right against falsehood and the pride of the faithful military career of our nation. It has become the nation's living example in this age and the constant inspiration to its endeavour to achieve sublimity. It has become the source of great honour for those who join it and those who love it for endeavouring to please God, History, the Nation and the People.

This army has fought in defence of righteousness, virtue, faith, and noble objectives not only as it should, but also with a spirit and valour for which eyes were dazzled, heads bowed in respect and hearts amazed and awed-- even the hearts of some of those who lined with the enemies of our nation and our people.

We take great pride in our Army Day because our army has linked without breach in exemplary values, our remote past, which is the beacon of our road to the future, with our present. It has won this lofty position through the high calibre of its performance, its forbearance toward adversities, the sublime level of its faith and its virtues and manners which are those of men with a mission.

The virtuous example we are talking about - the example set, in the name of God, by our army - was not set under favourable circumstances. It did create this ideal characteristic and its underlying significance all by itself and for itself. It wrenched it away from the claws of predators to whom many, many heads, on this Earth of God, have bowed. Some of these heads are honest but powerless, some are dishonest and ignoble. So, too, from among those who are counted in the list of Arab rulers and holders of titles of responsibility, are some who have weakened and some who have abased themselves through treachery.