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'Saddam' calls for jihad

AFP

A U.S. soldier sits in his tank next to a defaced mural of the toppled Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, in the latter's hometown, Tikrit, on Thursday on the 35th anniversary of the Ba'ath Party's revolution.

BAGHDAD JULY 17. An audiotape purportedly to be of Saddam Hussein was played over Arabic television on Thursday, the anniversary of the 1968 Ba'athist revolution, with the ex-dictator appearing to criticise the newly-formed Iraqi Governing Council and calling for resistance to the U.S. occupation.

"How can the people benefit from employees named by the foreign occupiers," said the voice, part of which was played on Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya networks "What can those named by the foreign occupier offer to the people and the nation other than the will of the occupier."

The tape appeared to be new, as the Governing Council was only established on Sunday.

The tape, which reporters familiar with Mr. Hussein's voice said sounded authentic, was aired for about five minutes. There was no way to independently authenticate it or be sure of when it was made.

The Council members "were made by the will of the foreigners, therefore, it is the servant of the foreigner and not a servant of the people." The Governing Council was selected after months of consultations with Iraqi political groups.

"The occupier has occupied to weaken Iraq and destroy its will, and therefore, anything issued by occupation is to weaken Iraq. The only solution ... is a jihad (holy war) to resist the occupation," said the voice.

The voice on the tape lashed out at the U.S. President, George W. Bush, and the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, for tricking their own people to justify the war in Iraq.

AP

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