'Saddam' tape urges Iraqis to fight

Excerpts from the new audio tape attributed to the former Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, broadcast on Al-Arabiya TV

In a previous statement, I brought you the good news about the imminent beginning of the fall of the enemy ranks. Now I bring you the good news through which the Almighty God has brought happiness into the hearts of mujahideen and every zealous man and glorious woman.

I say that erosion has begun to eat up the enemy ranks, just as fire spreads in hay. The day when they [enemies] will not be able to even rescue their military equipment is near, God willing. In fact, it is approaching quickly.

O Mujahideen, Iraqis, and glorious women, you must tighten the grip around and increase your attacks against your enemies to make them lose their balance. This can be achieved by shouting slogans, staging demonstrations, writing on walls, calling for attaining your rights - including the very small ones - and carrying out jihad by donating money.

We ask you to withdraw your armies as soon as possible, and unconditionally 'Saddam Hussein'

The crown of all this is armed jihad and the painful strikes that make the heads that are empty of wisdom and faith wake up and resign to God's ordains regarding the plain right. The base of all this after Almighty God has ordained all that make you proud is to safeguard the people's unity and solidarity, and not to listen to the voice of Zionism and occupation, which is fomenting sedition...

The 'lies' of President Bush

To the US president, I say in the name of the great people of Iraq, that you lied to yourself, to your people, and to all others. You did this along with those who got involved with you. Or there might be some who lied to you, but you believed those lies after you were tempted to do some action. You even changed your slogans and the reasons you used several times as a pretext for your hostile military campaign against our country.

Just as Zionism implicated you and US foreign policy in antagonising the Islamic and Arab nations and in belittling the world, it implicated you in antagonising Iraq and launching an aggression against it.

In order not to speak at great length, we say that the scandal of those who made lies and your implication in the dilemma of aggression against mujahideen great Iraq and the size of losses inflicted on your army, whose powerlessness has become evident because it has no honourable cause in face of the people of civilizations, principles, and position in defence of any honour and honourable thing, make your declaration of defeat in an official and open way and your withdrawal from our country something inevitable, if not today it will be tomorrow, and tomorrow is so close, God willing...

US should discuss 'withdrawal arrangements'

Therefore, we ask you to withdraw your armies as soon as possible, and unconditionally, because there is no reason for further losses, which will be catastrophic to the United States, if your officials - including you - show intransigence and continue with their aggression and hostility.

Therefore, we hope that no one of the Security Council members will slide into the pitfalls of the dark US policies. 'Saddam Hussein'

If you want to discuss the withdrawal arrangements, after you decide to make an unconditional withdrawal, which should not be a cover for a ploy, then you have some of the officials in the [Iraqi] leadership arrested by your army as prisoners of war in Iraq. They are well known on the international level, as much as they are known among their people and the Mujahideen.

Based on this, you can contact them and hold a suitable dialogue on this, in a manner that can guarantee the security of your soldiers during the withdrawal, according to any agreements reached by the two parties.

Warns Security Council members

As for the Security Council, I say: Facts have been completely revealed to you as they have been revealed to the international public opinion despite the US Administration's attempts to twist facts and hide those that expose it.

Therefore, we hope that no one of the Security Council members will slide into the pitfalls of the dark US policies. You should also know that the people of Iraq and its leadership will reject any solution that is proposed in light of the occupation. Moreover, we will consider any solution in light of the occupation as a mere exposed ploy that aims to apply the basic objective of the occupation and occupiers.

Therefore, if anyone wants stability and security to prevail in the region, he should not ignore the solid facts in the region, among which is that people in this region do not accept injustice and humiliation and reject any occupation...

We hope that Europe will develop its relatively balanced position so that this position would become legitimate and clear enough. Everybody should look forward to the future.

God is great. Paradise and glory to the martyrs. God is great. God is great. Long live our glorious nation. Let us heed the call to jihad.

Long live the great Iraq. Long live Iraq. Long live Palestine, free and Arab. Shame and disgrace on the invading occupiers and their Zionist masters.

[Dated] Mid-September 2003, corresponding to mid-Rajab 1424 hegira.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.