President Saddam Hussein appeared o­n the Iraqi state-run television today to tell his nation that the United States and its allies were "trapped" as Iraq resisted their advances "heroically".

A CNN report said it was not immediately clear whether the presidential address, which made references to current battles and "setbacks to the enemies" was a live broadcast or taped.

Saddam read from a script while sitting in front of a national flag and a white sheet emblazoned with the national seal.

The report said he did not wear eyeglasses, as he did in a speech broadcast soon after the United States' initial strike o­n Baghdad last week.

"After they underestimated you, you Iraqis, now they've come o­n land; this attempt is our chance to incur losses o­n them," he said. "They are in a dilemma, they are in trouble now. Hate them and strike them."

Body double

Following the initial strikes o­n Baghdad - which the Pentagon termed a 'decapitating' exercise aimed at the president and other key leaders - there were rumours that Saddam may have been killed or wounded.

When the 66-year-old Iraqi leader appeared hours later o­n the national television sporting thick framed spectacles, there were speculation that it was a body double.

However, the CIA later confirmed after conducting a voice analysis that it was the president who made the address.

Meanwhile, a Gulf-News.com report today quoted an Iraqi opposition leader as saying that Saddam's eldest son Qusay may have been wounded in the initial strikes but this has yet to be confirmed.

Missing soldiers

Meanwhile, the British Ministry of Defence said two British soldiers are missing after an attack o­n their military vehicles in southern Iraq.

"Every effort is being made to find and recover them," the ministry said in a statement.

The attack occurred Sunday, the Ministry said o­n Monday, without giving details of where the attack occurred.