[Lauratealeaf]

I think that our Defense Department and administration know much more than they are telling. The news is trickling out as they want it to. This tells me that they may be using this as some kind of psychological pressure against the remaining loyalists in Iraq. Of course, I could be wrong and maybe they just got the images. But, it really sounds like Hussein is dead. I hope so.

[bcoffey]

I think Laura's right.

They're keeping this under wraps as best they can until they have boots on the ground in Baghdad to keep order, etc.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Fox is playing it to the hilt, so there must be some serious "rumouring" going on in places.

A very plausible reason why they are handling it this way is that they may well have suspected right away that they got him, but could not be sure until the invasion played out and they saw how Iraqi forces reacted (were they being led or just flailing away on their own). They probably also would not want to announce it until we held the whole country -- including occupying Baghdad -- because the moment the military aspect ends the diplomacy picks back up again. And we need possession of the country before that happens -- possession is that 9/10ths...