Washington: The latest audiotape purportedly made by ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is likely authentic, the Central Investigative Agency (CIA) has concluded after a technical analysis, an agency official said.

"The CIA has concluded after a technical analysis that there is high likelihood that the voice is that of Saddam," said the official.

In the tape aired on August 1 by 'Al-Jazeera', Saddam calls on Iraqis to safeguard properties of the state and his Ba'athist party until "things return to normal" and spoke of the need to "salvage" Iraqis who have "strayed".

Agencies