[dogbyte12]

Saddam doesn't need to be obsessed about proving he is alive. The fact that he doesn't brag about propaganda victories proves this tape doesn't prove snot.

He would congradulate the Fedayeen for harassing the supply lines. He would encourage the folks in Basra to keep holding on to the city. That is just common blather, that would also have the benefit of confirming his pulse, but he hasn't done it.

Instead, he mentions an incident manufactured by Iraqi TV which is much less impressive than holding onto Basra.

[The Great Satan]

Don't kid yourself. He's alive. Aziz would have bolted long ago if his patron had been killed in that opening shot.