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The way to understand this campaign is to look at the dogs of war that didn't bark: no missile attacks on Israel and only a couple of perfunctory strikes at Kuwait; not a single Iraqi plane in the sky in defence of the homeland; the key river bridges mined with explosives but not a single one detonated; no significant land engagements, etc.

All these are big decisions which would have been taken at the top and, if there's no top, nobody takes the decision. If you choose to believe that was the real deal on Saddam's latest video, it doesn't alter the fact that the Iraqis are still acting headless: everything that has not happened this last fortnight is consistent with the leadership being embedded into the rubble with a last startled look on their moustaches.

Indeed, Steyn's observation comports with my own humble opinion. We could be wrong. But damn, it sure looks like we got him! I am convinced if Saddam had been alive and well, we would already have had the blown bridges and gas attacks. He would never have let us get this close without pulling out all the stops. Our next recon operation in force will likely stroll right up to the Television studios and the hotel where that passel of gullible fools pretending to be reporters reside...you know the ones who have 'seen no sign of coalition forces' in the airport or Baghdad....

Another way of looking at it aside from decapitation is that if Saddam is alive, he is still surrounded by yes men in a scene more surreal than Hitler's Berlin bunker in April 1945.

Orders are given to phantom non existent units to hold fast, and it is reported back that the Americans are being defeated everywhere.