(2003-03-05) -- The top aide to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein issued a statement to explain why he referred to a Kuwaiti delegate as a "monkey" at today's emergency summit of the 56-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

Izzat Ibrahim, the second-in-command of Iraq's Revolutionary Command Council, made the following statement: "Yes, I called him a monkey. But this is very similar to the misunderstanding that arose when Donald Rumsfeld referred to France and Germany as 'old Europe'. He said at his age 'old' was a term of endearment. To the Iraqi leadership, with our vast intellectual powers, the word monkey is a term of endearment. I think apes are even mentioned in the Koran."

Indeed, a search of an English translation of the Koran reveals the following passage: "Therefore when they revoltingly persisted in what they had been forbidden, We said to them: Be (as) apes, despised and hated." [7.166]

Micky Dolenz could not be reached for comment.