Saddam tape rallies rebels as US death toll rises

An audio broadcast purportedly made by Saddam Hussein told Iraqis today to step up their resistance to the US-led occupation, saying the United States and its allies misjudged the difficulty of occupying Iraq.

The speaker, who sounded like the ousted Iraqi leader, told Iraqis that the “road of jihad (holy war) and resistance” is the only one to make the “armies of the unjust occupation leave our country”.