Arabic TV airs Saddam tape

BAGHDAD - An audio tape purporting to be from Saddam Hussein and aired by Arabic television channel al Jazeera urged Iraqis to support resistance to United States forces and warned Americans of more bloodshed to come.

US President George W Bush, in a speech to mark America's 4 July Independence Day, said the United States was still at war, shortly after US forces killed 11 gunmen who tried to ambush a patrol northwest of Baghdad.

US authorities said they would examine the recording, but said it was too soon to tell if the voice on the tape was indeed that of Saddam, who has not been seen in public since he was ousted from power on April 9 in the US-led war on Iraq.

The man's voice sounded like Saddam's and the bellicose tone of the message was similar to his previous speeches.

Addressing the Iraqi people, he said: "I urge you to protect the heroic resistance fighters and not to give the infidel invaders or their aides any information or help..."

It said the recording was made on June 14 from inside Iraq.

In a longer version of the tape aired later by Jazeera television, the voice mocked the United States for failing to find weapons of mass destruction, which Washington gave as the main justification for its invasion.

"They saw that Iraq, with its anti-Zionist stand, was a threat to their illegal aims and plots to take over the Arab nation as a first step to taking over the world.

"Now that all has been revealed, I would like you, Iraqis, to ask the invaders: 'Where are the weapons that you claimed Iraq was hiding and which you used as a pretext to wage war and aggression on our country?"'

Speaking to troops in Ohio, Bush did not refer directly to the situation in Iraq but issued a tough message about the war on terrorism, which has sent US forces to Afghanistan, the Philippines and Georgia in addition to Iraq.

"Our nation is still at war. The enemies of America plot against us. And many of our fellow citizens are still serving and sacrificing and facing danger in distant places," Bush said.

Bush appeared to be trying to maintain American support for the far-flung military missions around the world.

A USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll this week found that the share of Americans who said things were going well for US forces in Iraq had dropped to 56 per cent from 70 per cent a month ago.

The United States, backed by Britain, had hoped to be welcomed as liberators by Iraqis. But in recent weeks dozens of its soldiers have been killed or wounded in an increasingly concerted campaign of armed resistance.

Many Iraqis in Baghdad had not heard the "Saddam" message. The few who own satellite dishes appeared disinterested.

"We don't care if Saddam is ruling us or the Americans. We want water and electricity and security and stability," said one man at a barber shop who declined to be named.

The United States has offered a US$25 million ($42 million) bounty for information leading to Saddam's capture or evidence of his death, and similar rewards for his sons, Uday and Qusay.

Hostile fire has killed 26 American soldiers in Iraq since Bush declared major combat over on May 1. Six British soldiers have died in the same period. Washington says Saddam loyalists launched on average 13 daily attacks over the past six weeks.

The latest US casualty was a soldier guarding the National Museum in Baghdad, shot dead by a sniper on Thursday evening. Another was wounded in a blast in the Iraqi capital on Friday.

The US military said a patrol later "defeated an ambush" near Balad, 90km northwest of Baghdad, killing "all of the attackers". A spokesman said 11 gunmen had been killed.

Hours earlier, 16 US soldiers were wounded when mortar bombs slammed into a base used to supply troops near Balad.

News of the attacks cast a sombre shadow over July 4 celebrations for US troops and civilian administrators in Iraq. In a badly needed distraction from the violence, movie megastar Arnold Schwarzenegger visited American soldiers celebrating Independence Day.

"Congratulations for saying 'hasta la vista baby' to Saddam Hussein," he said to cheers from soldiers.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq