CBS: 'Senior Officials' Think Saddam May Not Have Survived

CBS c/o Drudge

[Bigfish_2002]

CBS: 'Senior Officials' Think Saddam May Not Have Survived Thu Mar 20 2003 10:33:00 ET

"I am being told by several senior officials not to take that taped speech Saddam gave last night as proof that he survived the attack," CBS NEWS reporter David Martin said on air.

"They say the evidence that put him in the bunker last night was very reliable, and they are confident that the cruise missiles and bunker-busting bombs that were fired at that bunker last night hit the target. So now, intelligence experts are studying the tape to determine if it is really Saddam, or a body double which he is known to use from time to time. And they are running a computerized voice analysis, comparing that speech with known recordings of Saddam's voice. But that's a process that takes awhile. So we may not have a quick answer."

CBS adds that there is "is considerable belief in this government that they may, in fact, have gotten Saddam."

Developing...

[mattdono]

Well, I think that when you accused me right off the bat of not respecting the military, but, of course, you did, you should expect me to have a bit of a chip on my shoulder toward you.

I might also point out that while the military conducted the strike (which seemed to have been conducted with an incredible amount of timing), it is the intelligence that I was commenting on; that we actually hit the POS given the provided intel.

I think that you would concede that military intelligence and military action are two distinct events or functions. As such, there can be some Garbage In, Garbage Out. My negativism, as you call it, is perhaps based more in the hopes that our intel is good. Needless to say, we have had intelligence failures, somethhing which I am sure even you would agree with.

Why don't we call a FRUCE on the issue...after all, we are ultimately on the same side.

[MayflowerMadam]

Exactly what I was thinking. Made a point to listen to the dude say something specific, but he never did. Totally generic. Tape could have been made months ago.

[jiggyboy]

Carefully planned, but also planned in an unprecedentedly short amount of time. A guy on TV last night who said that with GPS connected to all the U.S. weapons systems now, and an improvement in localized control, the time to plan and execute an "attack of opportunity" (i.e., "Hey I think I just saw Saddam go into the building in front of me!") is down from 8-9 hours during Gulf War I to 8-9 minutes today.

[rudy45]

Thanks for the information about the Cary Grant film "Crisis." Here is a link: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0042352

[chilepepper]

Also, Saddam seemed to have gained some weight in the last 24 hrs.

He must be eating a lot of French pastries and bon-bons sent by his lover Chiraq...

[the_doc]

I did not "accuse" you "right off the bat of not respecting the military."

I just said your negative language was unwarranted.

See also http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/870163/posts?page=10#10

CCWoody's post #15 on the same thread is also interesting.

[mattdono]

Those are actually very good points. Thanks for the reference. I stand (humbly) corrected. I am now leaning towards your theory about Saddam being worm food. We will have a positive outlook that he is. Better?

[RJayneJ]

Thanks for the nomination! };^D)

[ward_of_the_state]

We'll know for sure when the midgets come dancing out of the walls singing, "Ding Dong the wicked witch, the wicked witch, the wicked witch, ding dong the wicked witch is dead."

By the way, forgive me if this is already posted but there will be no court martial for Majs. Umbach and Schmidt. Whomever the official is that makes the decision in the Article 32(?) hearing is also recommending that all charges against them be dimissed.

[Republic]

OUCH! LOL! (Chirac must be spinning about now....imagine he sees those oil oversight contracts once sanctions were lifted going up in smoke...poor baby...but when you lie down with .....hehe)

For moi, if Saddam and a few of his creepy sidekicks were destroyed in the first missiles and bombs to hit Baghdad....then there IS no other greater SHOCK AND AWE that could happen.

That this is even a consideration...a possibility...is a testament to our agencies and military and decision making abilities of our President and his spectacular team.

God Bless all of our military, administration and our nation!

[CCWoody]

Hey, I'll add to my comment (from the other thread) that I don't think Bush would have ordered the strike on the bunker/ house/ complex (or whatever it was) prior to this "Shock and Awe" we are supposed to eventually witness unless he had a good degree of confidence that they would actually get Saddam. The Navy actually had to change the target programming enroute for the missiles and the 2 F-117A's flew with almost no instructions, but were guided to their target after they had left the ground. Anybody who is an ex, as I am, knows that this is not normal for a carefully planned attack.

So, I do agree with the_doc that you phrase of "wishful thinking" was negative and unwarranted for the exact reason I just made.

[mattdono]

I already apologized to "the_doc". I received my portion of humble pie from him and am sitting quietly reading posts. 8^|

Even gave him "props" on another thread.

So, can we give a fellow FREEPER a break for some momentary pessimism?

[the_doc]

If your argument is correct that the intelligence was bound to be pretty convincing to General Franks and the White House, and if the videotape of Saddam is profoundly suspicious as being pre-recorded when it really needed to be live, then the very fact that the Iraqis are circumstantially forced to admit that the military aides are dead tells us that it is rather unlikely that they are telling us the truth when they claim Saddam is alive.

Thirty-six cruise missiles and four 2000-pound bunker busters would utterly obliterate most of Saddam's bunkers.

[jerseygirl]

I agree. His eyes also looked different. His speech was generic.

[afraidfortherepublic]

OTOH if that is true, who then did Dan Rather interview???<p.I didn't see Rather's interview. Did Saddam (or whoever) look much different than the man on last night's tape?

[Jorge]

I agree. If he had died in that first attack, the entire regime structure would be imploding right now.

You forget that his sons are already in powerful positions ready to take over if Saddam is killed.

[calvin sun]

I saw the movie "State Secret" years ago. The one scene I remember takes place near the beginning, after the dictator dies. All the advisors are standing around the deceased ruler, while the Fairbanks character quietly backs out of the room to escape. However, his overcoat, which is set on a chair, then slides off. The advisors hear the sound, look around, see the Fairbanks character is missing, and start the search.

(SPOILER ALERT) I also liked the ending. As the Fairbanks character (the doctor) is about to be killed, the radio broadcast of the imposter's speech is interrupted by bullets from an assassin, which kills the IMPOSTER. At that point, the man (top aide to the dictator) puts down his gun, smiles at the doctor, and tells the doctor he can leave in freedom. When the doctor looks surprised, the aide says, "What can you say to anyone? Only that a dead man is a dead man."

[oldcomputerguy]

"Did Saddam (or whoever) look much different than the man on last night's tape? "

I sure thought he did although I didn't see the whole interview. Some analysis indicates it was Saddam while his ex mistress has said that it is not Saddam. I tend to go for the mistress. It is hard to fool someone who knows him than well. Like recognizing your spouse.

[Xenalyte]

I'm leaning toward the dude in the tape not being him, because I don't ever remember seeing Saddam in the glasses he lifted from the old chick who used to do the Old Navy commercials.

[UCANSEE2]

I thought I already stated this was based on observation, but...

Several months back , Saddam was very very sick.

Our intelligence knows he has at least 8 doubles. I have seen pictures of Saddam over the years, aging, and I know when it is him, and when it isn't.

U.S. Intelligence made a statement that Saddam (the real one) hasn't been seen for over two months. (that was about a month ago).

If it were known outside Saddam's inner circle, that he was dead, his regime would collapse, and his inner circle (including his sadistic, pyschotic sons) would lose their wealth and power (and stock of females to rape daily).

They have no choice.

Our President has information that:
Saddam was probably dead two months ago, but we have no physical proof.
Saddam may have been killed in the TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY strike, but we have no physical proof.
Saddam may be alive, but injured, but we have no physical proof.

IT DOESN"T MATTER. It doesn't matter that Saddam may be dead, or may have been dead. His regime will try to continue without him. He already picked his successor. Anyone that believes the moment Saddam 'dies' that the war is over, that terrorists will all disappear, that the WORLD is SAFE, is a fool.

MY PERSONAL OPINION, based on small, almost ignored pieces of information, based on experience, based on the fact that most times what is not said is more important than what is, is that Saddam died over two months ago. It still makes no difference in the overall plan, and should not be taken by our military or the BRITISH as anything but a good note!

Remember Saddam was on his death bed. Now we see him, he is in perfect health, and somehow has gone back in time, or had his body return to it's physical state of 10 years ago.

OUR GOAL is not just to kill Saddam. Matter of fact, that is not the goal. The goal is to remove his REGIME.

Remember, Saddam was not in charge of the MILITARY arm of his government. His son is. Why do you think they are still fighting?