A group claiming to be an Iraqi branch of al-Qaeda says it - and not Saddam Hussein - is behind the armed resistance against US forces in Iraq.
The claims were made in a four-minute videotape aired on the Dubai-based al-Arabiya satellite television station.It showed a black-and-white photograph of a man dressed as an Islamic cleric with a message read over the top by a distorted male voice.
The identity of the man in the photograph was not immediately clear.
The voice on the tape, which was delivered to the station's Baghdad office, described himself as a member of the Islamic Armed Group of al-Qaeda, Fallujah branch.
The voice on the tape denied Iraq's deposed president has had anything to do with the Iraqi resistance against US-led forces, saying his group was behind the series of fatal attacks.
He said: "We warn the American forces to leave Iraq's territories and to live up to their promises. I call on the Iraqi people not to believe what the toppled leader said.
"By God, not one of [Saddam's] followers carried out any of the Jihadi [holy war] operations like he claims. But it was a success granted by God and because to our Mujahedeen brothers".
PA