Saddam dead, Injured..Trouble in Baghdad?

That's par for the course when it comes to Saddam speeches.

Way too much fluff and rhetoric, too little actual substance.

 

Yes, he learnt this technique from the master of it, Tony Blair,

 

I don't think he's dead yet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/24/international/worldspecial/24CND-MILI.html

 

Is it as obvious that Osama Bin Laden died in Tora Bora?

I know we want Saddam and OBL to both be dead. I really really do myself. Unfortunately, I think both of them are still alive, laughing at us.

 

Even if he did describe the false surrenders, that is irrelevant. He knew they would do that before the war even started -- he likely told them to do that.

The news outlets are reporting that if Saddam were dead right now, the regime would have fallen already. I don't agree with this analysis. Its not like Saddam was the only man that had any control, or any incentive to fight. All his cronies at the top are just as motivated to stave off defeat -- they are doomed in post-Saddam Iraq.

Based on what has happened, I think there are two explanations: 1) Saddam is dead, or injured to a degree that he can't address the Iraqi people; 2) Saddam wants us to think he is dead or injured. Personally, I don't think its the latter. If it were, he wouldn't have bothered with the bogus "address" yesterday. He (or his cronies) would have just done nothing.

 

I can't get to the Washington Post's web site because of the crappy proxy server we have at work. If I could, I'd post a link to the story headlined TV Appearance Convinces U.S. Hussein Is Alive by Walter Pincus and Dana Priest.

For those who can get to the Post's site, go to the story which appears on page A11 of today's print edition.

Here's the opening paragraph

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21448-2003Mar24.html

 

Thanks.

Anyone want to dismiss this one too?

 

I have difficulty picturing Saddam making a pre-war tape in the event of his death. He's a megalomaniac and what purpose would it serve him? The only purpose I could see is cover so he can make a run (flight) for exile to a safe haven, if one exists.

No - I think Carmen Sandiego is still alive ... wherever in the world he is.

 

Saddam i don't think is dead, rather i think he's seriously wounded. As for OBL, he died in December. The abscence of tapes of him has created a deafening silence.

 

Personally, I think it matters little, but if Saddam H. wants remove any doubt he should mention, by name, one of our POWs in his next tirade.

 

This article is just opinion without evidence. Credible opinion, no doubt, but unconvincing. He mentioned the commander that pulled the fake surrender, but, again, that surely was coordinated beforehand. I seriously doubt that was a spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment tactic.

Until he shows up holding today's paper, or reciting names of POWs, the world has reason for doubt. Again, it would be very, very easy to erase any doubts. There are two possible explanations for why he hasn't: (1) he can't, or (2) he doesn't want to. Until someone can explain why he would choose (2), I'm left to infer that it is (1).

 

I see. So the "Senior Bush administration officials" were lying when they said "they believe that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is alive because of his latest appearance on Iraqi television to rally his troops and citizens?"

How about the "official" who said "Hussein yesterday seemed assured and so much his old self that the CIA decided it did not have to analyze the voice to confirm his identity?" Was the official lying?

What of the "intellegence officials" who said "they believe it (Hussein's TV appearance) was taped after the Thusday attack?" Were they lying too?

And the "U.S. intelligence official" who "confirmed yesterday that in some recent battle areas, commanders from the well-trained Iraqi Republican Guard have been substituted at the last moment for regular army commanders who are views as less loyal to Hussein and less disciplined?" Another person lying?

How about you? Did you actually read the article before you decided that every source the Post used writing it was making stuff up?

I wish Saddam was dead too. But wishing that he is won't make it happen.

 

Peter Arnett mentioned Saddam tapes virtually all of his televised speeches. Just because there are splices here & there doesn't necessarily mean these speeches were in the can b4 the war started.

 

Dude. You must chill. (tell me what movie that's from and you get a kewpie doll).

Where did I accuse andybody of lying? Did you even read my post before you decided to spew vitriolic? I'm not allowed to doubt the media or "reports" from officials, who may have their own motives for leaking information?

You have not addressed the crux of my post -- which is that the article purports to report opinion and fails to provide any convincing reasoning or analysis that may support it. You can choose to shun critical thinking if you wish, but I'd rather not just accept as gospel everything the Pentagon says.

I'm not saying that Saddam is dead. Nor am I saying that I have particularly strong convictions about his well-being. What I am saying is this: right now, the burden is on Saddam to irrefutably show that he is not dead or injured. That really isn't very hard to do, yet he hasn't done it. Until he does that, or until somebody explains why he might have the ability but not the inclination to do that, the logical thing to do is to assume that he can't do that. And some conclusory article will do little to change that.

 

Say Anything

As John Cusack is walking away from the party the totally hyper dude is sprinting around and he grabs him and says that.

 

Excellent. Here's your prize:

 

interesting...

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...&e=3&u=/usatoday/20030325/ts_usatoday/4986194

But two intelligence gains have given U.S. officials more hope. Intelligence sources said Delta Force commandos in Baghdad have tapped Saddam's underground phone lines, and said the CIA has recruited an Iraqi official who knows where Saddam sleeps.

why do 'intelligence sources' have to divulge that information to the media? i mean jesus, can't those idiots keep their mouths shut? they are in intelligence, right?

 

Sorry. Didn't mean to go off on you like that.

I just think there are far too many people who wish Saddam to be dead. I think the US intentionally misled us and the world by pretending that they knew for a fact that US missiles killed him on Thursday night. Now they're backtracking, using semi-official high profile "leaks" to allow for the fact that they didn't kill him that first night.