Speech indicates Saddam survived initial air strike: US intelligence

Yahoo ^ | AFP

[Smogger]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US intelligence believes that a speech by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) broadcast over Iraqi television, while not conclusive, indicates that he survived a March 20 air strike, a US official said.

Saddam Hussein's reference in the speech to the downing of an Apache helicopter appeared to be of a March 24 incident, the official said Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"What aired today is not conclusive" but suggests that it was done after the air strikes, because of the reference to a helicopter being down, the official said.

Saddam's fate has been a subject of intense speculation since the United States opened its war against Iraq (news - web sites) on March 19 with a "decapitation" strike on a compound in Baghdad where the Iraqi leader was believed to be gathered with other seniors members of the regime.

US officials have said that all Saddam's previous appearances on Iraqi television were videotapes that could have been made before the war.

But this was the first time one of his speeches contained an apparent reference to a specific event that occurred after the start of the war.

[Humbug]

Ugh, the media seem so gullible at times..esp when it leads to a spike in ratings i guess. But geez, haven't they learned by now they should be more dubious of anything coming out of the Iraqi regime? Not only this speech by Saddam, where they keep trumpeting up the helicopter evidence as proof-positive, but they've been showing footage of Saddam (or someone looking like Saddam) and wondering whether it was really Saddam or not, or whether it was recently shot or not, when it should be obvious to anyone with any intelligence that Saddam isn't stupid enough to go walking along the streets of Baghdad leaving himself wide open to either being taken out by one of our own forces or even by one of his own people.

[Grampa Dave]

Hey, if you think that this AFP story is an Arab Wet Dream posing as news. Go to this link below for some real fantasy from Reuters.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/885065/posts

[flutters]

I used to hope he was dead. Now I hope he is alive.

I do too. Then send him to Palestine, West Virginia....for a little rough justice.

[biblewonk]

I don't accept much info unless the guy saying it either has stars on his collar or is W, Cheney, Rummy, Powell, or Ari

[steve-b]

*YAWN* Wake me up when Saddam makes a statement about a recent event that was neither 1)easily predictable at the time of the decapitation strike nor 2)within Iraqi power to cause or fabricate.

[w_over_w]

[Petronski]

a) Saddam makes a tape in February referring to a farmer shooting down something.

b) After war starts, Iraqi gov't claims an Allied aircraft (any will do) was shot down by a farmer.

c) After suitable interval passes, Iraqi gov't releases tape.

d) Suckers fall for it.

[stanz]

I just cut and pasted and circulated it to everyone. They'll all appreciate it just as much as we do.

[Protagoras]

Sounds plausable to me.

[VRWC_minion]

I fully expect to see Arab TV carrying Saddam Hussien giving public speeches and conducting meetings with his sons and ministers years after we have taken full control of Iraq.

[McGavin999]

Actually, I'm hoping he IS still alive. I want to see him sitting in the prisoners box at an international war criminal tribunal. That would do more to quiet down the arab street then anything.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Saddam urges Iraqis to strike coalition
Residents leave Baghdad by the thousands as coalition forces ...

[Barney Gumble]

Here is a picture from the video.

Could it be any darker? Chances are they got one of the doubles and dimmed the lights, because they are afraid that people will start to believe Saddam is dead.

[calvin sun]

Agreed. What "Saddam" needs to recite are the baseball scores from yesterday (grin)

[Shermy]

I think he survived, at least initially. The first video, wearing glasses and reading invective seemed real to me.

[BruceS]

Why are we speculating and reading tea leaves to determine Saddam's current body temperature? If he is dead, he got off easy. If he is alive, our troops will find that out soon enough. If he is alive and in some other country, we will find that out soon enough. Focus on the goals, not just of the war, but of the aftermath. Saddam doesn't matter if he is out of power. Osama doesn't matter as long as he is no longer a threat to the United States. Fight the terrorist organizations, not individual terrorists.

[anymouse]

So when is someone going to Photoshop the tourist guy into one of these Saddam Memorex specials? :)

[sonofatpatcher2]

"In addition to showing that alleged video of Saddam walking about
Baghdad, here we have one of Saddam's Special Republican Guards
broadcasting to Iraqi men that if they do not go to the airport and
die fighting the Americans Infidels, she will personaly come to their house
and screw them to death."

[Ben Hecks]

"The first video, wearing glasses and reading invective seemed real to me."

I still say that was Phil Silvers.

[Dominic Harr]

Glasses.

Glasses?

Wait, am I remembering this new vid correctly -- he reads *without* glasses?

That's a double!!!

Saddam needs glasses to read, doesn't he?