Dead like Osama was dead? Or really dead? Either way, the administration isn't being as foolish this time to brag about it without proof.

I kinda doubt he's dead already; he's very good at staying out of harm's way. But I can hope. Even though I oppose the naked beligerance of the US in this war for political and ethical reasons, if they have managed to take Saddam out before bombing Baghdad or the rest of the Iraqi cities, it would be the best of possible outcomes at this juncture. No one is likely to mourn Saddam's death or removal from power, and if we have eliminated him without US military losses or Iraqi civilian losses it would go a long way toward repairing the US's tattered credibility around the world right now. AND defusing any potential terrorist retaliation for the loss of Iraqi civilian lives; the neither set of fundamentalists will get their holy war.



P.S. - I suspect all those special forces troops near the oil fields in question who "failed to prevent" the fires actually set the fires themselves this time around. It has little military or economic strategic value to Iraq to set fire to so few, but a lot of PsyOps value for the US to claim he did it again. If that's the worst that happens, we'll be lucky.