THE MINISTER OF MISINFORMATION - AL-SAHAF (Baghdad Bob!) IS NEW TV STAR

The Mirror ^ | April 8, 2003 | Kevin O'Sullivan

[Timesink]

THE MINISTER OF MISINFORMATION

By Kevin O'Sullivan

IT'S all over bar the routing. So with all due deference to the tragedy and pain on the field of battle let's look at some of the less important aspects of what Bush and Blair like to call Operation Iraqi Freedom.

With brave coalition boys striding through both Basra and now Baghdad there seems little doubt that our troops will soon triumph as Saddam's sad army lurches inexorably towards abject defeat.

But war has many sides to it. Away from the field of conflict you can be on the losing side and still be a winner. And from the ashes and rubble of Iraq's beleaguered capital city a new star is rising.

Oblivious to the carnage of Saddam's destroyed edifices all around him, unbowed by the glaringly obvious fact that his beloved president is finished and (above all) not for a second perturbed by the truth, Saddam's incredible Information Minister carries on regardless.

Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf (crazy name - crazy guy!) spouts non-stop garbage. His brand of crazed propaganda makes Lord Haw Haw look like a paragon of honest appraisal.

But, boy, what delivery! What star quality!

Beret, military fatigues, minimalist glasses and a finger pointing technique to die for, this guy is eminently more watchable than the entire teams of Sky, ITV and the BBC put together.

Marvellous Mo's daily press briefings provide the kind of light relief that we all need in these dark times of bloodshed and terror.

"What?" he bellows in his resonant Disney bad-guy Arabic accent, "Don't ask stupid questions. PLEASE NO MORE STUPID QUESTIONS. I am here to tell you the truth...Saddam...still in power...Blair and Bush...cowboys...international criminal b******s...Al Capones...Iraqi people... great victory...Americans...NOT in Baghdad."

It's all utter propaganda rubbish. But, next to the coalition's monotone spokesmen on a mission to bore the world from Qatar, al-Sahaf is a laugh-a-minute sensation.

Marvellous Mo's greatest moment unfolded as millions watched US soldiers marching into the largely deserted Saddam Airport.

"NO", snapped Mr al-Sahaf, "We have retaken the airport. There are NO Americans there. I will take you there and show you. IN ONE HOUR!"" Strangely, his little outing failed to materialise. Yesterday our spin doctoring hero was back to his spellbinding best. Suddenly he was talking to the world's journalists al fresco. Gone was his microphone bedecked podium, gone was that weird looking map of the world, in front of which he used to pontificate, gone was the Ministry of Information.

This extraordinary man's office, had been blown to smithereens. But, naturally, to al-Sahaf such a trifling detail wasn't worth mentioning. He simply regrouped to the streets and continued his increasingly absurd wall of (un)sound. Never before has so much war been filmed by so few to be watched by so many from the comfort of their own armchairs.

And what a TV spectacle this David and Goliath clash has provided for a grateful viewing public.

And with the emergence of Iraq's delightful Disinformation Minister, there is already important news for the British television industry's obsessive talent spotters.

Constantly on the look-out for fresh faces these star searchers will surely be heading for the Middle East with cheque books in hand. For my money Mohammed is the man to replace Angus Deayton on Have I Got News For You. He'd soon shut that little jerk Ian Hisplop up. "PLEASE...NO MORE PATHETIC JOKES! DON'T BE STUPID!"

But for the time being on-screen performances must be limited to Baghdad. And thank God for him.

Blinking through my tears of boredom at Sky TV's knee-jerk military analysis by the vertically challenged "expert" Francis Tusa and the omnipresent Tim Marsh, I have been transfixed whenever Sky switched to al-Sahaf. I know he's an apologist for an evil despot and a violent, repressive regime. But, sod it, the guy makes great TV.

[Mo1]

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[Jeff Head]

Joined by none other than Benedict Arnett!

[Fred Mertz]

That's good and funny, Jeff Head!

[Brett66]

And with the emergence of Iraq's delightful Disinformation Minister, there is already important news for the British television industry's obsessive talent spotters.

The Brits can't have him, SNL gets him!

[Walkingfeather]

He's dead Jim....

[Tex_GOP_Cruz]

A "There is no presence of American infidels in the city of Baghdad at all" Baghdad Bob bump!

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

If we don't see or hear from Marvelous Mo by tomorrow, we'll know he was at the "leadership meeting" with Sadaam!

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

BTW, this thread DEFINITELY rates a FR bookmark!!!!! ;-)

[sheikdetailfeather]

"I DO Believe In Allah! I DO Believe In Allah! I do, I do I do!"

[Tex_GOP_Cruz]

Not much to it yet, but it appears that Baghdad Bob has an "official" website LOL:
http://www.baghdadbob.com

[Chirodoc]

Does anyone notice the resemblaance to W.C. Fields?
"..and no there are no US troops...(go away kid, go away)..
in Baghdad."

[Salamander]

[spodefly]

I'll miss him ... hopefully soon.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

TOS episodes where Dr. McCoy says someone or something is dead:

Wolf In The Fold
The Changeling
I, Mudd
Obsession
Return To Tomorrow
The Lights Of Zetar
The Deadly Years
And The Children Shall Lead
The Enemy Within
The Apple
The Enterprise Incident
Catspaw
A Private Little War
A Piece Of The Action
Amok Time
The Man Trap
Dagger Of The Mind
Miri
Is There In Truth No Beauty?
For The World Is Hollow, And I Have Touched The Sky
Spectre Of The Gun

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

The Catskills, March 15, 2005:

"Ladies and germs, for the first time at Sam's Backwoods Hideaway, we present to you that Muslim mirthmaker, that wacky Iraqi, the Minister of Mockery...Moe Sahaf!"

"Thank you, Sam. Hey, how are ya, ladies and gentlemen? Anybody here Jewish? Yeah? A whole bunch of you, huh? Well, DIE AND ROT IN THE BOWELS OF HELL, YOU PIGS AND MONKEYS! Nah, I'm just kiddin'. I like filthy Zionist usurpers of the sacred Arab lands, I really do. Hey, hey, settle down...just not in the Occupied Territories! [Rimshot.]"

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Great site!

[daviddennis]

Has anyone archived the great man's presentations?

I don't have a TV and would like to check them out.

D

[Jeff Head]

There was a "caption this" thread earlier today, so I did, and added Arnett in there with his caption for good measure.

Click on the pic and tell me what you think.

[Jeff Head]

LOL!

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Big Bomb Blast in Central Baghdad references Baghdad Bob quite heavily!

(Courtesy CC: bump to FReeper Yankee)

[Hazzardgate]

I hope someone has the smarts to collect all his appearances on a "Best of Baghdad Bob" DVD. I would buy it in a heartbeat!

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Another related thread:

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Blinded by spin (BAGHDAD BOB ALERT!)

(Courtesy cc: bump to FReeper MadIvan)

[AF68]

Where is Baghdad Bob?

Surely he must have some explanation for A-10's flying low over the city, shooting up the place! What about the M1A1's sitting on the bridges across the Tigris?

Baghdad Bob, where are you?

[lambo]

Hey Gally, funny stuff.

Did you know there's a Mr. Mulliner on here, too?

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I would think it would be best shelved at places like Blockbuster next to "Jon Lovitz and the Best of the Liars Club"!!! ;-)

Voice work of Jon Lovitz

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Welcome to FR! You'll fit in quite well around here. FR is loaded with intelligent people with senses of humor! ;-)

[lewislynn]

For my money Mohammed is the man to replace Angus Deayton on Have I Got News For You. He'd soon shut that little jerk Ian Hisplop up. "PLEASE...NO MORE PATHETIC JOKES! DON'T BE STUPID!"

LOL! I don't know anything about TV in the UK but that's hilarious.

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

Thank you both

Actually, I have noted the "Mr. Mulliner" screen name here (I've been prowling around FR for some time, like the troops of Midian).

[rvoitier]

I smell a SNL skit coming.

[azGOPgal]

Would Baghdad Bob be journalistic propaganda and bias at it's best?

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Hey Gally, funny stuff.

Actually, I was contemplating calling him "Threep" for short. After all, it does rhyme with "FReep"! (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

[Aria]

I think he went to the Bill and Hillary Clinton School of Statemanship. Deny, Deny Deny.

It was absolutely priceless to watch him last night denying we were in Baghdad while our troops were on live TV storming the palace just a short distance away.

[azGOPgal]

I thought that was the greatest. I didn't see it last nite, but I saw it in the clips they played today. It is totally beyond me that he could deny our troops' presence in Baghdad when they are just across the street.

They interviewed one soldier, and he said that next time he see's the Disinformation minister outside again saying the troops aren't in Baghdad, he's going to go over to him and say "Here we are!"

[dfwgator]

Baghdad Bob is married to Morgan Fairchild.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Baghdad Bob must be conveniently deaf........ and probably dumb.

[demnomo]

I posted on an earlier thread that this baddie was straight out of central casting. Baghdad Bob. I wonder if he got smooshed in that restaurant bunker bombing? I really wanted our troops to go in and capture him live on the air. What a perp walk that would be. :)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[DBtoo]

I probably shouldn't admit this, but I look forward to seeing him on TV. I love the way he butchers (no pun intended) the English language and his hilarious choice of words. He is a bit of comic relief.

[DBtoo]

What a great idea! I would buy it too. He is too funny!

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Give him an orange jumpsuit! Put him in the OJ Suite!

[10mm]

I swear, Baghdad Bob must be working for us. He keeps all the fanatics whipped up so they'll come out to fight and get mowed down. Better to kill them all now as they'll just cause trouble later.

[Beck_isright]

I stand by my tagline.

V

[EaglesUpForever]

Some Baghdad Bob Background

[peteram]

LOL - The Minister of (mis)Information and the Minister of Funny Walks!

This guy has provided some much needed comic relief.
Looking forward to his "Best Of" DVD soon.

[Klatuu]

I look forward to seeing him too.
I wonder if they would let Greg Kelly, the FOX reporter embedded with the 3ID, bring him home as a war souvenir/mascot?

[DBtoo]

LOL!!

[nutmeg]

Hey, you beat me to this thread! :-)

[nutmeg]

ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ping list.

[Clemenza]

The scary thing is, he is a DEAD RINGER for the guy who was the head of Domestic Lending at the bank I worked at (I always wondered what happened to Felix!).