SADDAM MADE ANOTHER SPEECH

[southerngale]

According to Iraqi TV...supposedly within the hour.

So, what do you think? Will it be pre-recorded or will it be one of his doubles?

[Amanzi]

I was just going to post that. I wonder if it is going to be him or a tape? The British were reporting he was alive and in one piece. So who knows we will just have to watch and see. The last speeches looked rather fake and staged IMO.

[Arizwx]

According to Iraqi TV...supposedly within the hour.

So, what do you think? Will it be pre-recorded or will it be one of his doubles?

It matters little if it is a Body Double or Pre Taped.The fact is,that Brit Intel believes Saddam survived the intial attack.Furthermore,the Iraqi Propoganda machine is at full throttle...and is very effective,as is illustrated by the intense resistance that we have encounterd the past 36 hrs.Moreover,it may seem absurd and humouros to us..as we have more refined ideas of Press Conferences and Presidential Speeches.However,in the Arab world..in particular one that has been under the thumb of one Dictator that the population knows no other,these Speeches..however ridiculous they seem to us..are very effective to the Iraqis.
Expect the 'non specific' in this speech.More Zealot filled nonsense about "The Great Forces of Iraq with Allah are repelling the Infidel Evil Invaders" and "God Willing and the Great People of Iraq we will be victorious..God Willin we shall with Allah,turn back into the Swamps the Mercineries of the Illegal Invaders",ad nauseum.It may make little sense to us and lack continuity or substance,but again I will stress..this is what they are accustom to.

[blizzard]

What does it matter if the Brit intel believes that Saddam survived the initial attack? I don't quite understand where that fits in here. The US also says that until proven otherwise, they also will assume that Saddam is alive and well. Still has no bearing on the effectiveness of his speach, whether it be taped, or live. JMHO

[Arizwx]

What does it matter if the Brit intel believes that Saddam survived the initial attack? I don't quite understand where that fits in here. The US also says that until proven otherwise, they also will assume that Saddam is alive and well. Still has no bearing on the effectiveness of his speach, whether it be taped, or live. JMHO

It has EVERYTHING to do with it.It's called Psychological Warfare.The very existance of a ruler of his importance of the Enemy is extremely important for several reasons.
Let's flip the disk for a moment.Suppose the Iraqis thought that our President was dead?Or not in control?
Moreover..it is imprtant to the moral of Iraqi forces and the resolve of the troops and the abilty to follow orders.Remeber,he is a ruthless Dicatator.
Furthermore IF he is in control,WE need to know,by trying to formulate information to a time line.He MAY have for instance made reference to the battle at the Seaport yesterday,albeit it was vague.
He may also be using these tapes to command orders ala Osama bin Laden,who is believed to possibly be giving hidden signaled orders.
We also need to understand how this effects the resolve of the Iraqis.
The fact that he made mention of (and I paraphrase)'Once the Invaders are wihin our Great Country,we will surround,and entrap them".To me,that is more telling of a possible tactic or game plan.One must listen carefully and cut through the nonsense...as he is possibly now viewed as a hero by the Iraqis.It also plays well to the Arab World & pacifist the left of Europe.
It is prudent as you mentioned,to assume that he is alive until proven otherwise.However,in the Media reports,the intimation was just the opposite.We need to take each of these 'statements' seriously.

[Aslkahuna]

Yes, the speech was filled with the usual rhetoric BUT if I'm understanding the translation correctly, he's also issuing a call to arms to guerilla units, Ba'ath Militias and hidden army units BEHIND our forces. The dated references make it clear that this is a very recent tape and it's beginning to look as though our Intel people were sucked in by the oldest ringer in the books-a Plant to lead us astray with the result that we started our war early without all of our forces on station and ready to go in. So now we charge forward like Custer at the Little Big Horn-let's just hope that a. the Iraqis aren't as deadly as the Cheyenne and b. that the American People don't get too upset about the casualties because this could end up to be very bloody for us. With our superior airpower-if we bring it totally to bear and quickly, we may still win but we could sustain 5-10% losses. Like I said earlier, we need far more shock and a little less awe because obviously, Saddam at least is not that awestruck right now-time for the Clusters, the Daisy Cutters, MOABs and all of that good dumb stuff that may not look so nice going off but is really effective at killing large numbers of the enemy as a famous General said, the object is not to die for your Country but to make the other poor SOB die for HIS Country.

Steve

[M2]

To diverge for a minute, here is a downed Apache helicopter only 50 miles outside of Baghdad with the 'infidels' themselves dancing around it and apparently interviewing the guy who reported it... again, the closer we get to the objective (Baghdad), the stakes will be raised - the conflict will spike upward...

As for Captain Insaneo himself, Saddam looked more composed than he did a few days ago, but since a portion of his communications to his troops in the field below a certain level has been cut, he may have to address them via television. Granted the disinformation campaign is in full swing, but he's also calling for his troops to hit us 'hard and often.' Now we all have opinions; mine is that he's also calling for his Iraqi troops to escalate - use whatever will hurt us more, and since we're finding the breadcrumbs of chem weapons along the path into Baghdad (plus the 'loaves' themselves in the factories), then there could be greater resistance and backlash the closer we get to the Mothercity - with WMD. OTOH, our Air Force may take out the serious weapons later today (tonight over there) when they arrive and eliminate the rest of the resistance once and for all. We still need to watch for Al Qaeda rearing its ugly head from behind some rock; remember that some AQ camps were found near the chem plants. And since they cannot pronounce "Geneva Convention', they'd rather use ancient techniques of execution to gross out the media since they cannot win via technology or sound military strategy. This is still serious as they are desperate and he's playing the bluff...will they or won't they....however, there will yet be rockin'-n-rollin' the next 48 hours.

[Arizwx]

Yes, the speech was filled with the usual rhetoric BUT if I'm understanding the translation correctly, he's also issuing a call to arms to guerilla units, Ba'ath Militias and hidden army units BEHIND our forces. The dated references make it clear that this is a very recent tape and it's beginning to look as though our Intel people were sucked in by the oldest ringer in the books-a Plant to lead us astray with the result that we started our war early without all of our forces on station and ready to go in. So now we charge forward like Custer at the Little Big Horn-let's just hope that a. the Iraqis aren't as deadly as the Cheyenne and b. that the American People don't get too upset about the casualties because this could end up to be very bloody for us. With our superior airpower-if we bring it totally to bear and quickly, we may still win but we could sustain 5-10% losses. Like I said earlier, we need far more shock and a little less awe because obviously, Saddam at least is not that awestruck right now-time for the Clusters, the Daisy Cutters, MOABs and all of that good dumb stuff that may not look so nice going off but is really effective at killing large numbers of the enemy as a famous General said, the object is not to die for your Country but to make the other poor SOB die for HIS Country.

Steve

Steve,
I agree.The very FACT that the Iraqi Information Officer is now,as I write,holding Press Conference IN ENGLISH!This is POINTED at the US and England.It is an 'In Your Face' statement.Making direct refereces to POWs..the Geneva Convention and Caualties.We are,per his remarks "Criminals...Bush,Rumsfeld and Blair".They are Martyrs per his statement.They are playing to the Anti-War faction in the US and Europe,as well as China and Russia.This is remarkable.Very remarkable.
We have to some extent, underestimated the Enemy,and if folks here get upset with me for making that statement...it wasn't mine.It was the remarks of several FoxNews Military analysts.I happen to agree.The amount of suicide resistance forces have been impressive...and this is NOTHING compared to what we can expect with the Republican Guard in Baghdad.Add the Kurdish/Turk conflict and it gets real messy.
Franks and the Pentagon must be having one hell of a conversation right about now...as Rumsfeld and Bush are understandably concerned.
You are correct Steve..I hope the American Public has the stomach for this sort of thing...which is exactly why I do not agree with having the SonyCams imbedded.We may very well see them shut down when the going gets tough.This is not going to be the cake walk some believed.

[streetsoldier]

I don't have much problem with the embedded reporting; I DO take umbrage at the fact that we have PERMITTED Iraq to retain any TV or radio for mass consumption. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED AT THE OUTSET.

As long as we PERMIT Baghdad to feed their people, and the Muslim world B.S., this war will go on, and on, and on...and maybe drag other "good, Islamic brethren" into it.

[chadtm80]

MSNBC

And when he cited several units and commanders, saluting them “for their heroic feats in the battlefield,” he named the commander of the 11th Iraqi Brigade in Basra, who surrendered along with many of his troops in the early hours of the war. That prompted officials at the allied Central Command in Qatar to conclude that the tape was likely recorded before the beginning of the hostilities.

[streetsoldier]

Yep, just another canned, pre-recorded soundbyte for the masses...whioch is why we SHOULD have knocked out ALL civil communications in the very first strike.

[Rainband]

I think this is just the beginning of a very hard battle that in the end we will win. I feel they did underestimate the resistance and the loyalty to Iraq if not Saddam..


Johnathan

[streetsoldier]

We made a mistake here; if you think of the 5-through 12 year olds who went through Desert Storm at home in Iraq, these are the 17-to-24 year olds we have across from us. Saddam has had 12 years to indoctrinate them...and whether, by tribe or whatever personal hatred they may have for the regime, they have NO reason to "love" US.

Remember, too, that Saddam has two cards to play...patriotism against "invaders", and the Islamic call to their own to kill infidels. Christianity has nothing to match that impulse today; we left our swords on the ground after the Thirty Year's War (1630-60's) insofar as religious fervor displayed in battle, while Islam itself still lays claim to the doctrine, 7th Century as it is, of "conversion by the sword" or annihilation.

Can we win? YES. Are we willling to take the "extreme" measures to do it? That remains to be seen.

[southerngale]

Just curious...

Who changed my title?

[southerngale]

Nobody will take credit? hmmm

[mf_dolphin]

What was the original title southerngale?

[southerngale]

SADDAM TO MAKE "HISTORIC SPEECH" SOON


I posted it shortly after it was announced on Fox News. That's how Iraqi TV described it (historic speech). Clearly, changing the title made sense, I was just wondering who did it. No big deal though.