Posted on 04/19/2003 4:04:43 AM PDT by hotpotato
BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro - An Iraqi envoy loyal to Saddam Hussein said Friday he believes the Iraqi leader was killed in the coalition bombing of Baghdad.
"I know his character," Iraq (news - web sites)'s ambassador to Belgrade, Sami Sadoun, told The Associated Press in an interview. "The defense of Baghdad would not have collapsed so quickly if he was not dead."
Sadoun, who headed the Iraqi Cabinet for 25 years, said he lost all contact with his superiors in Baghdad early this month after a U.S. warplane dropped four bunker-busting bombs near a restaurant where Saddam was believed to be meeting with his sons.
"Immediately after the bombing, I did not get any instructions. Not even a single fax," Sadoun told AP.
He said that since the April 7 bombing in the al-Mansour neighborhood of Baghdad, "suddenly, there is no more Republican Guard, no more police or defense of Baghdad.
"Saddam held all those things in his hands," Sadoun said. "He must have been killed, or everything would not have collapsed so quickly."
Sadoun, who said he met with Saddam several times, most recently in December, said the Iraqi president might have not been killed in the restaurant bombing but in another coalition attack in Baghdad soon afterward.
"He was a very careful man," Sadoun said. "He moved around often, eluding his enemies."
New videotaped footage of Saddam surfaced Friday, showing the leader on the streets of Baghdad being greeted by supporters. The footage was broadcast by Abu Dhabi television and immediately carried by CNN. Abu Dhabi TV said it was taken April 9 as U.S. forces moved into Baghdad.
On a related note, I can't believe that SNL has yet to do a bit about "Baghdad Bob". A skit involving him almost writes itself. Baghdad Bob is kinda like "Tiny Tim" was in the 60's ...funny to watch but in a pathetic way. Both were trying to be serious, or at least that's how they wanted to come off.
I also have the perfect actor to play Tom Daschle. The actor doesn't look anything like him or sound like him, but he matches him perfectly. The actor would be Super Dave Osborne. Every stunt he pulls ends up nearly killing him. He's like the real-life version of Wilie Coyote.
When is Daschle going to stop getting his advice from "Acme Political Consultants?
From now on it's going to be the Saddam and Elvis Show
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