A demoralised and weary group of American soldiers stationed in Iraq have publicly aired their grievances. Told several times they would be going home only to have their hopes dashed, soldiers from the 3rd Infantry division imagined what they would like to say to Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. "I would ask him why we are still here. I don't have a clue why we are still here in Iraq," said one soldier. "If Donald Rumsfeld were here, I would ask him for his resignation," said another. Part of their problem could lie in the fact that Washington is facing difficulties finding allies to share the burdens of reconstructing Iraq. Some United Nations countries are demanding a new resolution before they commit troops. "It is true that some countries have raised the question of whether or not that is adequate from their point of view and there have been some discussions about the possibilty of a new mandate", said US ambassador to the UN, John Negroponte. This debacle comes against a backdrop of rising hostilities against US forces in Iraq. As the death toll there mounts, US President George W. Bush is facing pressure at home over spiralling war costs and claims that he misled Americans into conflict. Opposition politicians are fuelling the debate. "Winning the war was not what was difficult, it's winning the peace and I don't think the President put together a plan to do that," says Democratic Presidential contendor John Kerry. The Pentagon is considering calling up as many as 10,000 US National Guard soldiers - joining the 150,000 US troops already serving in postwar Iraq. **New Saddam Tape *** An audiotape message attributed to Saddam Hussein has accused the US and Britain of fabricating arguments for invading Iraq. It calls for further attacks on US-led coalition forces in the country and condemns Iraqis who co-operate with the occupying powers. The message, in Arabic, was aired on the al-Arabiya television station on Thursday - the 35th anniversary of the seizure of power by the former Iraqi leader's Baath Party. In the message, the speaker denies the pre-war charges by the US and Britain that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. "It transpired that their statements were false and lies, and that the lies included in them were known to the US president and the British prime minister when they decided to stage war and aggression" he says. The message describes the current US-run administration in Iraq as an "administration of occupation and evil". It continues: "The only genuine solution that does not make those who implement it regret it is to resist the occupation through jihad in order to defeat the occupiers and expel them outside Iraq." The message says Iraqi officials appointed by the coalition - including the newly established Iraq Governing Council - are collaborating with the enemy. "What could those whom the foreign occupier appoints offer to the people and homeland, unless their offerings correspond to the will of the occupation? "They are appointed by the will of the foreigner. Hence, they serve the foreign occupier and are not servants of the people nor masters in the homeland." Al-Arabiya said the tape was handed to one of its journalists in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. US intelligence officials say they are reviewing the tape to determine its authenticity. The last taped message purporting to be from Saddam Hussein was broadcast by al-Jazeera television and Lebanon's al-Hayat-LBC television less than two weeks ago. **PHOTO CAPTION*** U.S. soldiers help a wounded comrade after an Iraqi threw a grenade at a U.S. military vehicle in Baghdad July 16, 2003. Photo by Reuters (Handout)