Nerf-Coated World

Saddam: Sa-dead? (Hyuk, hyuk!)

Via the indispensible Tim Blair (thank you Sir, may I have another!) an interesting report -- we might have just taken out Saddam.

American specialists were carrying out DNA tests last night on human remains believed by US military sources to be those of Saddam Hussein and one of his sons, The Observer can reveal.

The remains were retrieved from a convoy of vehicles struck last week by US forces following 'firm' information that the former Iraqi leader and members of his family were travelling in the Western Desert near Syria. [...]

The attack on the convoy came two days after US authorities captured Abid Hamad Mahmud, one of Saddam's top aides. The Washington Post reported yesterday that Mahmud, who was seized by American Special Forces near Saddam's home town of Tikrit, had provided information about Saddam's whereabouts.

The paper reported that Mahmud had told US authorities that the deposed Iraqi leader and his two sons survived the war and that the sons, along with the aide, escaped to Syria, only to be forced to return to Iraq.

No word from the Pentagon yet. But as for me, I'm looking to Ed Rooney for guidance on this one:
Ed: You just produce a corpse and I'll [believe Saddam is dead]. I want to see this dead [dictator] first hand.
Grace: Ed!
Ed: It's all right, Grace! It's Ferris Bueller... the little twerp. I'm going to set a trap and let him fall right into it.
Grace: Ooooh!
[The Pentagon]: Uh... uh... Ed? I'm... I'm sorry... did... did you say you wanted to see a body?
Ed: That's right. Just uh, roll [his] old bones on over here and I'll [believe you]. You know that's school policy.
Not that I'm a big fan of Jeffrey Jones anymore, what with the allegations of the, uh... indiscrete lust for small children... But we all wish Mr. Jones and Mr. Reubens well with their current legal entanglements, and hope for a satisfactory conclusion for all involved parties, neh?

Where was I? Oh right. Let's hope they got him. And score one more for the hellfire! Am I right? People?

UPDATE: Well, CNN has picked up the story, with some comments from the Senate Intelligence Committee. As has Fox.

"I will not be surprised at any military action that would lead to the possibility that we have now finally killed Saddam Hussein," Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., told Fox News Sunday.
If it's true, it'll make things a lot easier for our troops who have to face their own kind of intifada in Iraq right now. Fingers crossed.

UPDATE UPDATE: CNN has more details.

Posted by Matt at June 22, 2003 12:05 AM