Statue blown up a day after another 'Saddam tape' emerges

US troops blew up a 30ft statue of Saddam Hussein on horseback today, a day after a new tape apparently from the former Iraqi dictator urged his followers to continue a “holy war” against the Allies.

The recording was sent to two Arabic TV stations on the 35th anniversary of the Baathist coup that brought Saddam’s political party to power.

The voice on the tape lashed out at the new US-backed Governing Council of Iraq and said President George Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair had lied to the world to justify the war.

British Maj Josslyn Aberle of the 555th US Combat Engineering brigade was asked why the statue in Saddam’s hometown Tikrit was not brought down yesterday, on the anniversary.

“We thought about doing that,” she said, “but it was more symbolic the day after because they (the Baathists) were supposed to come back.” There had been rumours of major attacks planned for yesterday by Saddam loyalists.

“Well guess what, they are not coming back and the statue has come down,” she said.

But Mustafa Ismail, a 36-year-old grocery shop owner, said the destruction of the statue meant little to him.

“I am more interested in being able to pay my rent. To be honest I really don’t care. We were inside and only heard the explosion,” he said.

But for others the removal of the statue was unpopular.

“He was the symbol of Iraq, and this action was like a challenge to us,” said Hayam Latif, a 32-year-old woman, who lives opposite the palace.

“We are a very simple family, but we are ready to sacrifice ourselves for Saddam.”

Highlighting the risks from insurgents, who have launched a string of attacks on US forces since major combat was declared over on May 1, a huge weapons cache was found in a farmhouse nearby.

Aberle said American soldiers removed 250 assault rifles, 11,000 rocket-propelled grenades and two tons of C4 explosives.

In Baghdad meanwhile, US army engineers spotted a large bomb in a sack on the central reservation of the road leading to the airport.

The device measured three feet by one foot and was built into a container normally used to make ice blocks.

“It was wired to a remote controlled doorbell ringer. It had a 100ft blast radius,” Lt Robert Sachi said.

The troops planned to take it to a remote area for a controlled detonation.

“We blow that here, and we’ll shatter every window for blocks around,” Sachi said.

:: The US military yesterday announced the discovery of another mass grave, this one believed filled with as many as 400 Kurdish women and children allegedly executed by Saddam’s forces.

Soldiers found the grave next to a dry riverbed in Hatra, 200 miles north of the capital. An assessment team was sent to the site.

About 25 sets of remains – all women and children – have been pulled from the grave, each with a bullet hole in the skull.

Since the end of the war, dozens of mass graves have been discovered – many of them containing hundreds of bodies. The UN is investigating the killing or disappearance of at least 300,000 Iraqis believed murdered by Saddam’s regime.