Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has sent a defiant message to the West on the ninth anniversary of the start of the Gulf War.

In a televised speech, he insisted Iraqis had emerged victorious in the six-week air and land war in which US-led multinational forces drove Iraqi troops out of its southern neighbour.

"As the true believers that you are, you stood up to oppose the tyrants and the renegade oppressors of the age," he said in his 30-minute address.

"Your heads, Arabs and loyal Iraqis, remained uplifted high before God, your nation and humanity at large."

On 17 January 1991, the United States and its allies began their assault on Iraq to end its six-month occupation of Kuwait. Iraq withdrew and signed a ceasefire but still claims victory in what it calls the "Mother of All Battles".

President Saddam urged Iraqis to endure the crippling sanctions which the United Nations has applied since then as a lever to force Iraq to destroy its weapons of mass destruction.

"The embargo has taken things from you, Iraqis ... and deprived you of things."

He told his people not to lose hope, and to ration essential supplies and work hard. Iraq's policies, he said, would never change because of the embargo.

Protests

But President Saddam's speech did not include any reference to a 17 December UN resolution, already dismissed by Baghdad, which under certain conditions could suspend sanctions.

Iraq is marking the anniversary this year with large-scale government-sponsored festivities expected to continue for 45 days.

Earlier on Monday, demonstrators called for a halt to the frequent US and British air strikes over air exclusion zones in southern and northern Iraq.

They burned a coffin draped with American, British and Israeli flags outside UN offices in Baghdad.

A delegation from international humanitarian organisations is also marking the anniversary.

Former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, a longtime opponent of his government's Iraq policies, led a 60-member team to Baghdad on Sunday bringing $2m in medical supplies for hospitals and schools.

In London, the British navy announced it was sending an 11-ship task force to the Gulf on what it called a routine training deployment to show its commitment to stability in the region.