In an Internet letter released on Wednesday, former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein called on the Iraqi people to unite against invaders and said his execution would be a sacrifice for Iraq.

"Your unity stands against falling into servitude," he wrote. "Do not let them (invaders) divide you ... Long live jihad (holy war) and the mujahdeen against the invaders," Saddam said in the hand-written letter.

He called on the Iraqi people to "preserve the values that enabled you to be worthy of carrying out shouldering the faith and to be the light of civilization."

The authenticity of the letter was confirmed by one of Saddam's defense lawyers in Jordan, who disclosed that the letter was written by Saddam on Nov. 5 when he was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity.

It was released on Tuesday when an Iraqi appeal court upheld his death sentence and then published on the Baath Party's website on Wednesday, according to the lawyer.

Saddam's letter said, "Here I offer myself in sacrifice. If God almighty wishes, it (my soul) will take me where he orders to be with the martyrs."

He added that he was writing the letter because his lawyers had told him that the court would give him an opportunity to say a final word.

On Tuesday, Iraqi appeals court announced that it had upheld the death sentence for Saddam and he would be executed within the next 30 days.

In a news conference held in Baghdad, Munir Hadad, chief of Iraqi Appellate Court, told reporters that the court confirmed the verdict to hang Saddam.

Under the Iraqi current law, the execution is required to be carried out within the next 30 days and the government has the right to choose the date, Munir said.

Saddam was sentenced to death on Nov. 5 on crimes against humanity for killing of 148 people in Dujail village following a failed assassination attempt on him in 1982.

Saddam's half-brother Barzan al-Tikriti and former judge Awadal-Bander also got the death penalty over the Dujail killings. Their appeals are also denied by the Appellate Court, which meant that they will face the same fate as Saddam.

Editor: Donald