DUBAI, Sept 17: A new audiotape attributed to Saddam Hussein called on US President George W. Bush Wednesday to pull his forces from Iraq and urged Iraqis to step up resistance to US and British troops occupying their country.

“I ask you to withdraw your army, as soon as possible and without any conditions, because there is no justification for further losses that will prove catastrophic for America,” said the voice attributed to Saddam Hussein by Dubai-based Al Arabiya news channel.

“Your withdrawal ... is unavoidable, if not today then tomorrow ... Our aim is not to kill more children of the peoples of America, Britain or elsewhere,” said the more than 20-minute message.

“The enemy is starting to collapse,” said the speaker, who offered withdrawal negotiations with members of the previous government now in US detention.

“If you want to negotiate ... you can open a dialogue with officials from the Iraqi leadership, who are held by your army as prisoners of war,” the voice said.

This would allow the security of withdrawing soldiers to be guaranteed, he added.

The author of the tape, who signed off with “mid-September,” also urged Iraqis to continue to fight the occupation.

“O mujahedeen, you must tighten the noose and increase your strikes against the enemies ...”

The speaker also accused the US administration of “lying” about weapons of mass destruction Baghdad allegedly possessed and called on the UN Security Council and Arab countries to review their positions on Iraq.

“I tell Bush, in the name of the Iraqi people, ‘you lied to yourself, to your people and the whole world.’

“I also tell the Security Council that the facts have come out despite attempts by the United States administration to conceal them ... We, therefore, hope that the council will no longer allow itself to be deceived by United States policy.”

In a veiled reference to the Iraqi interim Governing Council, the speaker said: “The Iraqi people and their leadership will reject any decision taken under occupation ... The Iraqi people are represented by ... Saddam Hussein ... All that those who pretend not to know this should do is ... listen to the mujahedeen chanting ‘With our soul, with our blood, we will redeem you Saddam’ while carrying out their acts (of resistance).”

It was the eighth audiotape attributed to Saddam by Arab satellite TV stations since his ouster.—AFP