# Do Americans know about the rumour that the current Saddam is a double? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 2, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375 "2003-02-02T22:48:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kip70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@kip70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kip70)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/1 "2003-02-02T22:48:36Z")
Theres a persistent rumour I come about regularly here in Europe, about how the Saddam we see on TV now is noit the same man as we saw a couple of years ago. The real Saddam would have died a couple of years ago and the Iraki’s replaced him with a double. Evidence is in the very different ears, hands and jaw when you compare old and new pictures. It’s almost stated as a matter of fact sometimes, kind of like ‘Well, everyone knows this of course, but it’s not in the interest of the Americans to say it out loud. They need a real bad guy to fight, not some duplicate.’ So my question is, is anything like this ever mentioned in the US press? ---
**Author:** ![Pucky\_Schumer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@Pucky\_Schumer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pucky_Schumer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/2 "2003-02-02T22:50:15Z")
I have read that he uses doubles. Can’t recall the source, but yes, that has been speculated on in the U.S. press. ---
**Author:** ![Jiminy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5fc32e/32.png) [@Jiminy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jiminy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/3 "2003-02-02T22:51:21Z")
yes, it’s everywhere here, we all know ---
**Author:** ![kip70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@kip70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kip70)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/4 "2003-02-02T22:56:16Z")
Yes, I’ve heard the mention of doubles on CNN too. But I don’t mean that he uses doubles, I mean the rumour is that he IS a double. That the original Saddam died a long time ago and that you’re fighting a man that doesn’t exist anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Bromley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Bromley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bromley)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/5 "2003-02-02T22:59:39Z")
What’s in it for them? All they (the “cabal” 🙂 ) have to do is declare Saddam dead and the pressure is off them. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/6 "2003-02-02T23:09:03Z")
I read an article on msn or cnn that had pictures of up to four doubles. They pointed out very subtle differences that I didn’t notice at first, but you can see incomparision after having it pointed out. Such things as in ear size, shape and placement, thickness of lips and so forth. ---
**Author:** ![Waenara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@Waenara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waenara)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/7 "2003-02-02T23:10:33Z")
The only rumors that I’ve heard were that he uses doubles occasionally - especially at public appearances - to cut down on the risk of assassination. I’ve never heard any stories that the “real” Saddam Hussein might have died and then been permanently “replaced.” However (hypothetically), even if this is the case, how does this change the political/military situation? Does it change it at all? It’s not like the Iraquis _really_ elected him anyways. He still has the reins of power and given the situation in the OP, he has had for some time. > [@](#): > > “They need a real bad guy to fight, not some duplicate.” Well, for all intents and purposes a long-standing duplicate would _be_ him. Especially if there’s no proof that he even was replaced. [/end of wild hypothesis] But basically, this is too much urban-legend material for me to take it seriously, and it reminds me way too much of Heinlein’s [“Double Star”](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0345330137/qid=1044227406/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/002-6425892-9603253) ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/8 "2003-02-02T23:11:02Z")
[Here is one such article on msn.](http://www.msnbc.com/news/813837.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/9 "2003-02-02T23:46:54Z")
Doesn’t affect the military situation. Whoever he is, he is doing what the Bush Administration deems worthy of an attack. In fact, they’d probably use it as evidence of a devious and lying regime. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/10 "2003-02-02T23:55:58Z")
So Ernst Blofeld is running Iraq then? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/11 "2003-02-03T01:19:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BobT \* > \*\*So Ernst Blofeld is running Iraq then? \*\* Either him, or the Dread Pirate Roberts. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/12 "2003-02-03T02:28:13Z")
How can it NOT affect the military situation. The reason he’s such a big threat (supposedly) is his personality. All kinds of countries have WMDs, but only Iraq has Saddam. In fact, the US has suggested that if Saddam quit and go into exile, there’ll be no need for a war. Yes, I’ve heard about doubles, but nothing about the “original” being dead. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/13 "2003-02-03T02:38:58Z")
Heck, last Halloween, Letterman had a bit of various kids dressed up as various celebrities and whatnot and coming into his “house”. One of the kids was a Saddam body-double. ---
**Author:** ![SLASH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@SLASH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SLASH)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/14 "2003-02-03T02:43:58Z")
I think you people have watched too many James Bond movies. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/15 "2003-02-03T06:06:00Z")
I just wondering if he used doubles, how much does he pay them… ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/16 "2003-02-03T06:15:17Z")
Yeah, there’s this one Mosque in Baghdad whose “Call to Prayer” actually says “Saddam is a dead man, miss him, miss him” when it’s played backwards. ---
**Author:** ![Teebone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teebone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teebone)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-about-the-rumour-that-the-current-saddam-is-a-double/152375/17 "2003-02-03T13:54:38Z")
I heard the real Saddam is in hell and is making Satan his bitch.