Saddam Hussein (search) is alive and "among Iraqis" and will direct more attacks on Americans, according to an audiotape purported to contain the voice of the deposed Iraqi leader that aired Friday on Arab satellite network Al Jazeera (search).
The tape has not yet been authenticated. On the tape, Saddam claims he gave up power but refuses to submit to U.S. threats.
"I am still present in Iraq along with a group of (former Iraqi) leaders," says the voice on the tape. The voice also says the message was recorded June 14, and that he is with a "comrade" in Iraq.
The CIA is reviewing the tape, a U.S. intelligence official said Friday.
"We can't confirm its authenticity," the official said. "It's not clear when it was done."
The person purporting to be Saddam asks Iraqis to protect resistance fighters and to not help the U.S. "infidel occupiers."
Coalition forces have been under attack by Iraqi militants almost daily in Iraq, leaving 27 American and six British soldiers dead since the war was officially declared over by President Bush on May 1.
Claiming credit for armed attacks on U.S. occupation forces in Iraq, the voice, addressing Iraqis, said, "Oh brothers and sisters, I relay to you good news: Jihad (holy war) cells and brigades have been formed."
On the quick collapse of his regime, the voice said: "We have sacrificed the government. But we will not sacrifice our principles or surrender."
The voice continued: "We refused to hold on to power if that meant submitting to the American threats." The voice added that the previous government preferred to give up power than become a puppet state.
"They wanted to occupy us without a fight and destroy our pride," he said.
He also told Iraqis to not tell coalition forces who is taking part in attacks against American troops there.
"I call upon you to protect these heroic fighters and not give the invaders any information about them or their whereabouts during their operations," the speaker said.
"There is resistance and I know you are hearing about this. Not a day passes without them (suffering) losses in our great land thanks to our great mujahedeen. The coming days will, God willing, be days of hardship and trouble for the infidel invaders."
The voice also told Iraqis not to be angry with themselves for not yet defeating the coalition and said they have a right to be angry that they haven't heard from Saddam in a while.
"People have been asking why they haven't heard the voice of Saddam Hussein," the voice said. "We face a lot of trouble in getting our voice to you even though we have been trying."
The sound quality of the tape is poor, and analysts are studying it to determine whether the voice really is that of Saddam.
Al-Jazeera's chief editor Ibrahim Hilal said the tape was delivered to Al-Jazeera via telephone on Friday.
"Someone called us and played back the tape for us and we recorded it. It ran for over 20 minutes, but only 10 minutes are newsworthy. We don't know the source, or where the call came from. We have no reason to doubt its authenticity," he said.
If resistance fighters believe the former Iraqi president is still alive, military officials think it may give them more reason to fight coalition forces.
"We have to assume that Saddam is alive … he is trying to appeal to the Arab mindset," said Fox News military analyst Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney.
"We need to track it [the tape] and watch it closely. It is a very significant thing."
Michael Swetnam, a former CIA officer and head of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies (search), told Fox News Friday that it's unlikely the tape is authentic
"I think it's a little too convenient the day after the United States posts a reward for his head. I think it's just another shot in the propaganda war," Swetman said.
The audiotape appeared a day after Washington put a $25 million bounty on Saddam and offered $15 million for information leading to the capture of either of his sons, Odai and Qusai.
"It's more likely one of the doubles or one of the people that sound significantly like him," Swetnam added. "It would be just like the remaining leaders of the Baath party to do this type of thing to increase and continue the intimidation throughout the country."
Swetnam said both Saddam and Al Qaeda (search) leader Usama bin Laden have proved themselves to be "masters" of psychological operations geared toward turning their followers against Americans and other allies.
He also pointed out that although the tape supposedly was made June 14, the voice makes many references to the recent attacks against American troops in Iraq -- most of which have occurred within the past three weeks.
"It doesn't add up very well at all," Swetnam said. "Time will tell, but I think it's just a PR move."
Friday's tape isn't the first one to surface purporting to be the voice of Saddam.
In early May, an audiotape found in Baghdad purporting to be of Saddam called on Iraqis to wage a "secret" war against occupying coalition forces. The voice referred several times to the occupation of Iraq by foreign forces, to Saddam's April 28 birthday and accused the U.S. army of looting the Iraqi National Museum (search).
The Sydney Morning Herald (search) said it was handed the tape after those in possession of it failed to relay it to Al Jazeera.
An earlier video that surfaced showed an exhausted Saddam telling Iraqis that God will help them expel the coalition occupiers. The tape supposedly was made April 9.
Around that time, Abu Dhabi television also broadcast a videotape showing Saddam in the middle of an enthusiastic crowd in the Azamiyah district of Baghdad.
A purported letter from Saddam published April 30 in the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi (search) urged Iraqis to "rise up" against occupation.
U.S. intelligence and Bush administration officials have always remained skeptical of these communications.
There has been no conclusive evidence so far to determine whether Saddam is dead or alive. Massive bomb strikes were conducted twice on buildings he was thought to be occupying.
Fox News' Greg Palkot and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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