[DWPittelli]

I of course hope that Saddam is incapable of roaming the streets of Baghdad today, because he's either dead, maimed, fled, or afraid to come out (in that order, naturally). (Debka thinks he's fled.)

But it sounds like Debka's letting hope get to its judgement. I can imagine it's a double, or that it's an old (March 24-25) tape, but not both. Debka is speculating that both are true.

Any considered opinions or facts that anyone can share?

Any feedback on whether we should even bother covering Debka?

[ChadGore]

Please don't quote debka as a reliable source.

[ricpic]

On FOX tonight Charles Krauthammer said that Saddam is notorious for being phobic about germs, being touched by strangers, that sort of thing. In the scenes of him in the streets of Baghdad he's being mobbed by the great unwashed. That alone made Krauthammer suspicious.

[Guillermo]

I hope he's alive...so we can capture him and put him on trial.

I can't wait to see the Lefties still defending him to the bitter end.

[finnman69]

Look at this pic.

Its almost 100 degrees in baghdad and this guy on the left is wearing a heavy leather jacket.

OLD TAPE

[harpo11]

Why is it these dictator scum thugs and goons never seem to have any desperate desire to meet Allah and the 72 virgins?

[Slyfox]

They just reported that Saddam is calling for suicide bombings.

His own?

[yooper]

Think back to the video of Saddam shown today and use some logic. This is a man who is ultra-paranoid, which is the fate of all dictator-murderers. He trusts nobody, not even his sons. Yet in this video you can clearly see persons in the crowd holding AK-47's aloft; these people are apparently part of a group of spontaneous supporters.

But, as I reiterate, Saddam trusts nobody. Six months ago I would have believed that Saddam would expose himself to these rifles. In the present climate, even if those persons with the rifles were Baathist plants, Saddam would not appear in the crowd as he did. Even Baathist's are under scrutiny by Saddam these days, what with our GI's knocking at the door and all.

The bottom line? Saddam would not present himself to the risk of these rifles, even his if own men were holding them. The tape is bullshit.

[tubebender]

I just heard on Brand X TV that Saddam has not been seen in public since a attempt on his life many years ago. (enter chicken sound here)

[UnklGene]

Mark Steyn would call him a "Saddoppelganger."

[Great Dane]

I saw the clip, it didn't look like Saddam, his body language was way off, this guy high 5 everyone, whereas Saddam is parnoid about germs, also this guy were almost dancing, never saw Saddam behave like that.

[American in Israel]

Because on wild reports on the edge, they have a better track record than CNN and BBC combined?