Dubai, Sept 01: An audiotape attributed by an Arab TV station to Saddam Hussein today called on Iraqis to step up "painful blows" to occupiers of all nationalities but stopped short of urging the killing of Iraqis who cooperate with them. "O heroes, intensify your painful, courageous blows to foreign aggressors wherever they come from and whatever their nationalities," said the voice on the audiotape aired on a Lebanese television channel.
"Besiege the criminals who get entangled in cooperating with the criminal, infidel foreigner. Take the measures that do not anger god and are deemed necessary to protect and defend yourselves towards them,” he said. "Let your gauge in this be your tolerant religion (Islam)," said the voice on the tape, which also carried a denial that Saddam supporters were involved in the assassination of top Shiite cleric and political leader Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer al-Hakim.
Excerpts of the audiotape were earlier aired by Qatar-based al-Jazeera satellite channel. Bureau Report