# How will they know if they get the "real" Saddam?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-they-know-if-they-get-the-real-saddam/162692>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 20, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-they-know-if-they-get-the-real-saddam/162692 "2003-03-20T01:34:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-they-know-if-they-get-the-real-saddam/162692/1 "2003-03-20T01:34:08Z")

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If they him at all.

I have read that there are as many as four surgically altered Saddam look alikes. Does he have any distinguising marks? Do they have a DNA sample?

How will they know?

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**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:** [March 20, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-they-know-if-they-get-the-real-saddam/162692/2 "2003-03-20T02:10:02Z")

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You might check other threads a but more carefully before starting another.

I started this thread about 12 houra ago:  
[How will the US know if they’ve captured Saddam?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=170893)

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**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:** [March 20, 2003, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-they-know-if-they-get-the-real-saddam/162692/3 "2003-03-20T02:23:07Z")

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I might also be checking for typos a bit more carefully.

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**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-they-know-if-they-get-the-real-saddam/162692/4 "2003-03-20T06:19:05Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Boyo Jim \*  
> \*\*  
> I started this thread about 12 houra ago:  
> \*\*

I started this reply 12 [houris](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/011214.html) ago and now I only have 60 to go ;j

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**Author:** ![LowerLip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/839c29/32.png) [@LowerLip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LowerLip)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-they-know-if-they-get-the-real-saddam/162692/5 "2003-03-20T08:52:48Z")

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Will the real Saddam please stand up

How will they know? He will be the only Iraqi saying “I’m telling you, we will be victorious”