BAGHDAD, September 1 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - A new tape purportedly recorded by deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein Monday, September 1, challenged the U.S. occupation forces to prove his involvement in the killing of a Shiite leader a few days ago, as Saudi Arabia denied any links to the deadly blasts.

"The followers of the invaders ... accused, without proof, the supporters of Saddam Hussein after the assassination of (Ayatollah Mohammad Baker al- Hakim)," said the voice attributed to the Iraqi leader, as shown on al-Jazeera Satellite Channel.

"They rushed to make accusations without any verification," the voice said, questioning if those accusing Saddam’s supporters of carrying out the attack were not really attempting to cover up for the perpetrators.

He said the Najaf blast was "an erroneous act” and the details of which “will be revealed in a just investigation carried out in the future by the national, legal authorities after the expulsion of the invaders and colonizers”.

Saddam said that the expulsion of the U.S.-British would come very soon.

The audiotape, the seventh attributed to Saddam since being deposed on April 9, has not yet been authenticated, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

U.S. intelligence has deemed previous tapes to be probably authentic at a time when the former leader continues to elude U.S. forces who have stepped up raids across Iraq in an attempt to capture him.

The tape was released one day after An-Najaf Mayyali said in a press conference that the suspects had links to the old power structure of ousted President.

"There are several suspects, none of whom has citizenship other than Iraqi," he said.

Asked about reports the attackers had links to al Qaeda, Mayyali said: "There is no exact information on this matter".

A spokesman for Hakim's Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) claimed Saturday that two men detained by police in connection with the bombing were Saudis affiliated to the al-Qaeda terror network.

Washington has blamed attacks on its troops and other targets mainly on Saddam loyalists, but has made increasing mention of al Qaeda and other foreign fighters.

However, a Saudi Foreign Ministry spokesman said the sources that have claimed Saudi citizens were involved in the attack gave no proof of their accusations.

"These sources did not present any proof for their claims, and the government of Saudi Arabia hopes these sources will reveal the information they have and pass it on to the government of the kingdom instead of making unsubstantiated allegations," a foreign ministry spokesman said, quoted by the official SPA news agency.

Earlier Sunday, the Najaf-based Hawza, the top Shiite religious authority in Iraq, issued a warning to Sunni Muslims following the arrest of the purported Wahhabi pair.

"We have learned of the arrest of a group of Saudis and others, including Sunni Salafi elements from the al-Qaeda network ... as well as a number of Fedayeen of the leader of the ousted regime (Saddam Hussein), who confessed to committing the crime," said a statement by the Hawza.

"The Hawza prays Allah that the motive for the crime was not sectarian, otherwise this loathsome attack will have dire consequences," it said.

Mayyali had told AFP on Saturday that four men who "confessed to the bombing" included two "Iraqis from Basra, who belonged to the former regime" and two "Arab Wahhabis".