The CIA has never officially authenticated his voice. Show me a cite that says that. Every article of that trope that I've read cites "CIA sources" or "intelligence sources", which is NOT the CIA speaking -- it's the lib media pulling a "Gilligan".
As for govt officials, they are careful to be unspecific as to whether Saddam is alive, i.e., "if Saddam is behind these attacks", "whether or not Saddam is behind these attacks", etc.
The reason for speaking that way is that they don't have the corpus delecti, i.e., Saddam's body, and so prudence dictates that they err on the side of conservatism, that he 'might' be alive. That's understandable.
But the stready passage of time without Saddam 'proving' he is alive -- to his own supporters -- strengthens the notion that he is dead.
Every article of that trope that I've read cites "CIA sources" or "intelligence sources", which is NOT the CIA speaking -- it's the lib media pulling a "Gilligan".
What would prove Saddam's still alive?
From the Fox News website:
WASHINGTON — The CIA says an audio recording purportedly of Saddam Hussein denying involvement in last week's bombing in Najaf is probably authentic.
A CIA official said the poor quality of the audio message, aired Monday on the Arabic al-Jazeera television network, prevents technical analysts from being certain.
In the message, the voice urged the Iraqi people not to believe those who blamed the ousted dictator and his followers for Friday's attack on the Imam Ali Shrine (search) in Najaf that killed Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim (search) and scores of others.
I guess Fox News is making things up too.