# Looks like Saddam is alive **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 4, 2003, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473 "2003-04-04T15:39:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/21 "2003-04-05T00:24:01Z")
Is it possible that he had a “double” go public in the hopes he would be taken out by an airstrike, then the real Saddam wouldn’t be looked for anymore? If that was really him, things must be really bad in Baghdad if he can’t even find a beret which fits him. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/22 "2003-04-05T00:51:05Z")
It doesn’t matter whether he’s alive or dead. Nothing will change. It’s not like the U.S. is suddenly going to reteat, problem solved, because he died. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/23 "2003-04-05T01:18:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joachim Pieper \* > \*\*Shouldn’t we be proving that he’s dead, rather than him having to prove he’s alive? He’s been asked to prove a lot of negatives recently… > \*\* They just declare him dead like they did with Osama. It’s easier than actually going out and finding him. ---
**Author:** ![nogginhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5e9695/32.png) [@nogginhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nogginhead)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/24 "2003-04-06T03:13:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Apos \* > \*\*It doesn’t matter whether he’s alive or dead. Nothing will change. It’s not like the U.S. is suddenly going to reteat, problem solved, because he died. \*\* Funny you should say that… wasn’t that the implied course of action, if SH had caved to the US ultimatum to ‘git outta town’? ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/25 "2003-04-06T04:14:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nogginhead \* > \*\*Funny you should say that… wasn’t that the implied course of action, if SH had caved to the US ultimatum to ‘git outta town’? \*\* Of course, that was before the war started. Now it a choice between Saddam being dead or Saddam being Captured. He’s given up any other options. ---
**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/26 "2003-04-08T00:48:38Z")
Is it possible that he was snuck out by the Russians in their convoy? Well…plausible, then? ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/27 "2003-04-08T02:23:24Z")
Hmmmm…maybe not! ---
**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/28 "2003-04-08T02:28:51Z")
just hope they got it right this time ---
**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/29 "2003-04-08T02:30:41Z")
So, I guess the next question is: How do we verify (prove) it? ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/30 "2003-04-08T02:32:07Z")
I’m guessing DNA? ---
**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/31 "2003-04-08T03:12:59Z")
And who would provide the DNA sample to compare it to? ---
**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/32 "2003-04-08T03:17:16Z")
Does his cousin “Chemical Ali” count (if that was really him)? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/33 "2003-04-08T03:19:24Z")
Well, they’ve got the body of ‘Chemical Ali’, who is one of Saddam’s cousins. Saddam has three daughters who have apparently fled the country. He’s also got plenty of relatives in Tikrit. Plus, there are his two sons, who will probably both be pushing up the daisies about the same time he does. (which may be now - CNN is reporting a ‘leadership target’ thought to be Hussein and Sons was just hit with 4 2000lb bombs). If that’s the case, the hardest part may be scraping up pieces of him big enough to test. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/34 "2003-04-08T03:24:53Z")
Sure! Either Chemical Ali, or his brother Nuclear Ned, or his sister, Anthrax Annie… 😉 I’m guessing we have a sample of Saddam splooge somewhere! ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/35 "2003-04-08T03:28:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sam Stone \* > \*\*If that’s the case, the hardest part may be scraping up pieces of him big enough to test. \*\* I thought you could get DNA off something as small as a hair follicle. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/36 "2003-04-08T03:40:54Z")
I assume he’s only lives twice… ---
**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/37 "2003-04-08T04:13:01Z")
I find it unusual that the civilians are casually walking around the bombed building instead of the usual shots of them all in a frenzy and waving weapons. Surely those other scenes weren’t staged? ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/38 "2003-04-08T04:56:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HPL \* > \*\*I assume he’s only lives twice… \*\* stupid not being able to edit posts. I meant “I assume he only lives twice”. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/39 "2003-04-08T05:08:30Z")
I am quite pro-war, and have been from the start, but I’m not sure I’m at all sanguine about this (unless the residential area was known to be deserted.) I’m simply not convinced that it was worth the cost in either potential deaths or international PR (granted, in a lot of places it couldn’t be much worse, but we’ve tried hard to sell this as an exquisitely careful campaign) to bomb a residential complex to get a man who, after all, has become marginalized to the point of complete obsolescence. It may have been smarter to wait for him to crawl out from under a haystack like Milosevic. Course, if the residential complex was deserted, then why not? ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473/40 "2003-04-08T20:01:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ogre \* > \*\*I am quite pro-war, and have been from the start, but I’m not sure I’m at all sanguine about this (unless the residential area was known to be deserted.) I’m simply not convinced that it was worth the cost in either potential deaths or international PR (granted, in a lot of places it couldn’t be much worse, but we’ve tried hard to sell this as an exquisitely careful campaign) to bomb a residential complex to get a man who, after all, has become marginalized to the point of complete obsolescence. > \*\* I agree, to a point. I feel horrible for any innocents in the building above the bunker, and I’d feel worse if they died and we still didn’t get Saddam. I will say that whoever was in there when the bombs hit…they aren’t coming out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-saddam-is-alive/166473.md?page=1)