Alleged Hussein Tape Urges Escalating Attacks

A new audiotape message from a man claiming to be former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein called on Iraqis on Wednesday to escalate their attacks on the U.S.-led occupation using every means possible.

The tape, broadcast on the widely viewed Al Arabiya satellite television station, told the U.S. military to withdraw its forces from Iraq “to avoid losses that will be catastrophic for America” and improbably offered to help negotiate a peaceful surrender.

The speaker urged Iraqis to fight the Americans not only with arms but by contributing money to the resistance and by publicly protesting the occupation.

“Increase your attacks on your enemies to make them lose their balance by shouting, demonstrations, graffiti, demanding your rights

The military spokesman for the occupation forces dismissed the threats. “With respect to speeches that Saddam Hussein is making, his time, the time of that regime is passed -- that is past history,” said Lt. Col. George Krivo. “We are looking forward to where Iraq is headed. We’re confident that the security situation improves every day.”

Krivo also said that no Americans or British citizens were being held in coalition detention centers on charges of being involved in attacks on American troops. This week, several media outlets had carried reports that a U.S. brigadier general had said people claiming to be American and British were being held.

“What was said was there were a small number of detainees who made that claim on capture,” Krivo said. Under questioning, he added, it appeared that the detainees had claimed to be Americans or British “to avoid detention.” There are some foreign nationals in detention, Krivo said, but no Americans or British.

Meanwhile, on the first visit to Iraq by a high-ranking representative of the European Union, Chris Patten said Wednesday that the task of reconstructing the country would be “clearly the most difficult” in recent history, exceeding the demands of Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Afghanistan.

Patten, the EU’s commissioner for external affairs, said, “It is going to be a hell of a challenge,” adding that it was “in the interests of the international community to pull it off.”

Patten said it would be crucial for Iraqi representatives to appear in force at an international donors meeting scheduled Oct. 24 in Madrid to make a strong case for the maximum contribution from European nations and others.

The EU official said that to bring more governments into the Iraqi reconstruction effort, it was crucial to show Europeans that Iraqis are gaining genuine control over their government.

He added that among other things, the coalition needed to ensure that the interim government and its ministers have “real authority.”

Iraqi Governing Council President Ahmad Chalabi, who held a news briefing Wednesday, appeared to be trying to demonstrate just that to Iraqis and the international community.

Chalabi announced that the council had enacted a dozen laws for the country, including ones concerning nationality, income taxes and foreign investment. He gave few details, saying only that the new economic rules set “very low” tax rates for foreign investment and that there would be a large number of tax exemptions for upper-income Iraqis, which are meant “to allow Iraqis to take their place in the international economy.”

Chalabi’s position as council president is one that rotates monthly among the body’s 25 members.

Asked under what authority the council was passing laws since it is an unelected, interim body, Nasir Chaderchi, another council member attending the news briefing, answered: “We are an executive body; all of us know the problems of the majority of the citizens.... We are in touch with practically all factions in the nation; we bear their hardships all the time.”

The council, appointed in July after weeks of discussion by the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority, can consult with the authority’s civilian chief, L. Paul Bremer III, and can propose legislation, but the authority must sign off on it. Although Bremer has ultimate veto power over any council decision, he has not used it and has taken pains to avoid situations in which he would end up in a showdown with the council.

The new economic rules, for example, have been approved by Bremer, and they will be unveiled this weekend in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was unclear Wednesday whether he has approved the other measures enacted by the council.

In response to questions, Chalabi said Governing Council members are paid $500 per month, with a monthly entertainment allowance of $1,000.