BAGHDAD, Oct 16: Former president Saddam Hussein appealed to Iraqis on Monday to stay united and fight against the ‘invaders’ but also warned against trying to settle other scores, an apparent reference to Sunni-Shia violence.

However the letter, written by Saddam from his US-run prison cell, makes no mention of his trial.

Saddam, who has repeatedly been unruly in court and launched frequent outbursts that have occasionally seen him thrown out of the proceedings, struck an unusually forgiving chord in his letter.

“Resistance against the invaders is a right and a duty ... but I urge the brothers in the noble resistance and the great Iraqi people to be just and fair,” Saddam wrote.

“I also urge you to forgive those who lost their way ... and keep the door of forgiveness open until the last minute that precedes the hour of liberation,” Saddam said.—AFP