[BaghdadBarney]

"The official Iraqi explanation of the AH-64 downing (mechanical no doubt) was crafted to jibe with the tape that Saddam made before his death..."

I think you're right on about that. Has the same sort of stench that the supposed "errant tomahawk" strikes on the eastern edges of Baghdad (Shiite neighborhoods) that killed some 20 civilians. It's like everything about this war - form the Iraqi side - was scripted and is playing out like a bad B-movie from the 1930s...

[longtermmemmory]

he is recovering from plastic surgery, saddam saw "die another day"

[smith288]

Why didnt they release this tape if this was prerecorded and use it when that chopper went down? I think he is dead myself, but it just seems dumb they would pull this tape out now after so long removed from that incident.