'Saddam tape' probably authentic

The voice on the tape refers to recent events in Iraq

The latest audiotape message aired on an Arab television station and attributed to Saddam Hussein was "probably" authentic, US intelligence officials have said.

Officials in Washington have said that, following detailed analysis, they believe it carries the genuine voice of the ousted leader.

But they said this could not be determined with absolute certainty, because the quality of the tape - aired on al-Arabiya TV on Thursday - was poor.

The BBC's David Bamford in Washington says the Americans are painfully aware that Saddam Hussein is taunting them by issuing a series of audio tapes.

It transpired that their statements were false and lies, and that the lies included in them were known to the US president and the British prime minister Taped message Excerpts from 'Saddam message'

The latest tape - the third alleged audiotape of Saddam Hussein aired by Arab TV stations in two weeks - appeared to have been made recently.

It refers to the newly established governing council of Iraq, describing those on it as collaborators.

'Administration of evil'

The message, in Arabic, accused the US and Britain of fabricating arguments for invading Iraq and called for further attacks on US-led coalition forces.

The taped message - aired on the 35th anniversary of the seizure of power by the former Iraqi leader's Baath Party - denied the pre-war accusations by the US and Britain that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

"It transpired that their statements were false and lies, and that the lies included in them were known to the US president and the British prime minister when they decided to stage war and aggression" the speaker said.

He described the US-run administration in Iraq as an "administration of occupation and evil".

The former Iraqi president has not been seen since Baghdad fell to US forces on 9 April, despite an American offer of $25m for information leading to his capture.

The tape continued: "The only genuine solution that does not make those who implement it regret it, is to resist the occupation through jihad (holy war) in order to defeat the occupiers and expel them outside Iraq."

Earlier this week, the US chief of military operations in Iraq admitted for the first time that his troops were facing a classic guerrilla-style war.