‘Letter from Saddam’ says see me in 3 days

The newspaper published a text of the letter as well as a picture of the fax it received including Saddam’s signature. It quoted sources close to Saddam as saying the letter was authentic. If so, it will be the first indication that Saddam survived the US bombing of Baghdad.

Saddam said in the letter that he abandoned his palaces a long time ago to live in a small house. He did not say where.

He urged the Iraqis not to descend into sectarian strife. ‘‘Rise up against the occupier, don’t trust those who speak about Sunnis and Shiites because the only issue now for your great country Iraq is the occupation. There are no priorities except kicking out the infidel, criminal, murderous and cowardly occupier…Iraq…will be victorious…and we will rebuild Iraq which they want to divide into pieces.

‘‘Unite and then the enemy and the traitors who came in with it will flee…Boycott the occupier, this is your duty under Islam, religion and the nation.’’ He said the Iraqi people were defeated largely because of treason. He did not elaborate.

Atwan said his newspaper was told by members of what he called Iraqi resistance to the occupation two days ago that Saddam would be making a statement to the Iraqi people, and had therefore been ready for the arrival of the faxed letter. It is not the first time the newspaper has been used as a conduit for people on the run from US forces — it has in the past received letters and e-mails from Osama bin Laden.