BAGHDAD, April 3 (UPI) -- A new message Iraq said was from President Saddam Hussein was relayed on national television Thursday.
The message, read by Information Minister Muhammad Said al-Sahhaf, hailed the Iraqi troops fighting the U.S.-led coalition near the town of Al Kut.
"Your noble struggle and heroic resistance have soothed our hearts," the letter said. "Fight them, may God drive them away, with your hands. God is great," said the letter dated April 3, 2003, the Iraqi Satellite Channel reported.
The letter ended: "Long live Palestine, long live Iraq, long live Iraq."
It is not known whether Saddam survived the early coalition onslaught of Baghdad. Coalition intelligence reports said he and his top Baath party officials may have been injured in one of the first air raids on the city in which coalition forces carried out heavy "decapitation" attack with the intent to kill the Iraqi leadership.
Iraq denied that its leaders had been injured in the attack and several have appeared since that time. Iraq has released several video tapes and messages from Saddam, but it could not be determined when the tapes had been made. Coalition leaders have refrained from guessing whether Saddam is incapacitated.
