Saddam Tape Says War Not Over Yet in Iraq
Wed Jul 23, 6:39 AM ET Add Top Stories - Reuters to My Yahoo!
By Samia Nakhoul
DUBAI (Reuters) - An audio tape purportedly by deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) urged Iraqis Wednesday to fight occupying U.S. forces, saying the war was not yet over.
"Our will will not surrender and won't be defeated. The battle is not over yet," the tape, addressing Iraqi armed forces, said.
The tape, aired by Dubai-based Al Arabiya television, was dated July 20, two days before U.S. troops killed Saddam's two sons, Uday and Qusay, in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
"We tell our armed forces and our people that if America has achieved military superiority, it will not achieve supremacy in the battle of wills against the Iraqi people," the tape said.
The voice on the tape and the language sounded identical to that of Saddam. He used many verses of the Koran -- the Islamic holy book.
"Although the occupation is factually present in the form of the U.S. army, occupation is not officially settled. The will of the people and that of the armed forces and the political leaderships are not subdued," he added.
The tape said U.S. forces, facing increased attacks, would not be safe in Iraq (news - web sites) despite their military might and weaponry. It urged Iraqis and armed forces to rise up in a new "liberation army."
"Let our awakening be a new lesson that can be added to the history of our nation and humanity," he added.
FOURTH TAPE IN MONTH
U.S. officials have blamed die-hard Saddam loyalists for the guerrilla insurgency against American forces. At least 41 U.S. troops have been killed in attacks against them since President Bush (news - web sites) declared combat over on May 1.
But other groups have also claimed responsibility for the attacks, distancing themselves from Saddam's secular Iraqi nationalism and embracing the Islamist, anti-American slogans of Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s al Qaeda network.
Wednesday's audio tape was the fourth in a month aired by Arab broadcasters and claiming to be from Saddam. A tape last week called on Iraqis to fight the Anglo-American occupiers and "evict the enemy from Iraq."
A CIA (news - web sites) analysis has determined that the audiotape last week was "probably" the voice of Saddam.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030723/ts_nm/iraq_saddam_tape_dc_1
Wed Jul 23, 6:39 AM ET Add Top Stories - Reuters to My Yahoo!
By Samia Nakhoul
DUBAI (Reuters) - An audio tape purportedly by deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) urged Iraqis Wednesday to fight occupying U.S. forces, saying the war was not yet over.
"Our will will not surrender and won't be defeated. The battle is not over yet," the tape, addressing Iraqi armed forces, said.
The tape, aired by Dubai-based Al Arabiya television, was dated July 20, two days before U.S. troops killed Saddam's two sons, Uday and Qusay, in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.
"We tell our armed forces and our people that if America has achieved military superiority, it will not achieve supremacy in the battle of wills against the Iraqi people," the tape said.
The voice on the tape and the language sounded identical to that of Saddam. He used many verses of the Koran -- the Islamic holy book.
"Although the occupation is factually present in the form of the U.S. army, occupation is not officially settled. The will of the people and that of the armed forces and the political leaderships are not subdued," he added.
The tape said U.S. forces, facing increased attacks, would not be safe in Iraq (news - web sites) despite their military might and weaponry. It urged Iraqis and armed forces to rise up in a new "liberation army."
"Let our awakening be a new lesson that can be added to the history of our nation and humanity," he added.
FOURTH TAPE IN MONTH
U.S. officials have blamed die-hard Saddam loyalists for the guerrilla insurgency against American forces. At least 41 U.S. troops have been killed in attacks against them since President Bush (news - web sites) declared combat over on May 1.
But other groups have also claimed responsibility for the attacks, distancing themselves from Saddam's secular Iraqi nationalism and embracing the Islamist, anti-American slogans of Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s al Qaeda network.
Wednesday's audio tape was the fourth in a month aired by Arab broadcasters and claiming to be from Saddam. A tape last week called on Iraqis to fight the Anglo-American occupiers and "evict the enemy from Iraq."
A CIA (news - web sites) analysis has determined that the audiotape last week was "probably" the voice of Saddam.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030723/ts_nm/iraq_saddam_tape_dc_1