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Iraq
Sources indicate Saddam alive, hidden, and in command
2003-04-03
Long story from al-Bawaba, may be true, may be wishful thinking. It does fit with Saddams paranoid personality. Edited for length
A number of reliable sources inside Baghdad report that two days before the start of the war Saddam disappeared into a hidden command center, in a location unknown even to his ministers. Since then, sources say that Saddam has not met in person with his top ministers, and has not talked to them directly by telephone. His instruction are delivered to them by messengers in writing or in video and audio cassettes. Saddam does not use the telephone or fax, which he believes can be intercepted or tracked by the Americans.
Most likely true

Saddam's own appearances on television are all recordings that were made before the war started, and he has not made any new television appearances since he went into underground. Workers at the Iraqi Television spoke of a vault inside the Information Ministry with hundreds of recordings, each enscribed only with two letters and a number. It is said that Saddam decides which of the tapes to air on television by a short note indicating the code of the appropriate cassette. Three different taped recordings for when the Americans are about to enter Baghdad are already waiting at the television, they added, delivered on Tuesday this week.
Picking up clues from another man wanted dead by the Americans, Bin Ladin, Saddam has learned, according to experts, that Americans analyze the background and even the air clarity of the videos for clues to the location where it was taken, so he has pre-recorded his most important messages and instructions to the Iraqi people. He has also seen that they can identify where a phone call originated from by the background noise, and this has lead to his decision to avoid making live radio broadcasts to his people. Saddam assumes that if the Americans hear him broadcasting, a guided missile will be quick to arrive.
Interesting. We keep hearing that there is a photo of Sammy being carried out of the building on the night of the first attack. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Posted by:Steve

#8  I wonder whether Debka is funded by the salt industry?
Posted by: True German Ally   2003-04-03 22:23:26  

#7  Guess I wasn't the only curious individual... the reply:

Delivery failed 10 attempts: chamhotel@net.sy
Posted by: Rawsnacks   2003-04-03 13:07:30  

#6  debka says he's in a hotel in syria... i just emailed the hotel & asked if he is there, would they mind holding him until the USMC could arrrive.
Posted by: Rawsnacks   2003-04-03 10:49:22  

#5  We find Saddam. We pop Saddam. End of story.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2003-04-03 10:28:18  

#4  Question:
Good or bad to have Saddam alive at the end.
What the hell do you do with him ?
Imagine Jacques Itch Chirac saying "The WMD are all gone now, he's the elected leader, put him back in charge. Or send him to us to be glorified with all the other U.S. haters.
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-04-03 10:26:24  

#3  Not buying this at all. Concern about having a JDAM bust up a recording session is certainly prudent, but that's why you record it in a white room and release it two hours later.

Regimes like Saddaam's are totally dependent on fear of the big boss. When people think he's dead or ailing, the sharks smell blood in the water.

If Saddaam isn't already dead, he's on life support somewhere deep.
Posted by: Dreadnought   2003-04-03 09:29:44  

#2  Damn we're good.
Posted by: RW   2003-04-03 09:13:37  

#1  Meanwhile, Saddam is also said to be a regular watcher of CNN and other satellite stations.

Hope he's enjoying the show. Prefer FOX myself. Laurie Due! Hubba-hubba!
Posted by: tu3031   2003-04-03 09:11:40  

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