Comic relief
04.08.2003
Sometimes you need a little Baghdad Bob to make you smile. That's one popular name for Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, Iraq's Information Minister (another is Comical Ali).
I like to tune in every night around 3am to see what Bob's got in store for me. "We're winning the war," he casually smiles. In between vitriol about Jewish Zionist pigs and stupid American "losers" (what is he, thirteen?) I get his version of war news.
American troops in Baghdad? None whatsoever. It's all American propaganda lies. Brave Iraqi fighters have surrounded them and are slaughtering them, "the losers." In fact, they're slaughtering them so bad, that they fled - in panicked confusion - into Baghdad.
Last night, I saw a tiny M1 tank in the background behind Bob, who was standing on the front lawn of the Palestine Hotel. I got to see him simulcast. The Al Jazeera version: Bob smiling as he proclaimed another day of Iraqi victories. The FOX News version: Greg Kelly (embed reporter) and US infantrymen waving to Bob from across the river. I could make him out a few blocks away, a bobbing black beret surrounded by a slew of reporters.
Bob cancelled that press conference earlier than usual.
Posted by Miguel at 10:43 PM
Comments
There must be a Monty Python sketch that mirrors the situation.
Posted by: bil at April 9, 2003 11:38 AM
Yeah, there's got to be.
Posted by: Miguel at April 9, 2003 12:12 PM
LOL, I was thinking the same thing!
Posted by: Andres at April 9, 2003 01:04 PM
In case you didn't know, Baghdad Bob now has an internet fansite.
Posted by: Miguel at April 13, 2003 04:01 PM