“Iraq has now already achieved victory – apart from some technicalities.”

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! You know, I saw the Iraqi Information Minister Saeed al-Sahhaf today speaking to reporters, telling them not to be afraid of the Americans in Baghdad, and informing the reporters that the Americans will surrender or face certain destruction. When asked if he was afraid, he responed, “I am not afraid, and I don’t want you to be afraid either. Do not be afraid.”

To tell you quite honestly, you have to respect this guy. It is clearly obvious that the city’s defenses are falling around him, and he rather skillfully tells the reporters around him not to be afraid as a father would to his son. Of course, the “sons” in this instance are the Iraqis too scared to fight against Coalition forces and even more afraid to fight against Saddam. If it weren’t for al-Sahhaf, the story from Baghdad would be complete disaster for the Ba’athist regime.

In the Arab world, where he is seen as a hero by some, Sahaf escapes the mockery his utterances evoke in Western newspapers.

“I believe Sahaf exaggerates a little, but he needs to do that to reassure his people,” said Hazem, a 25-year-old security guard in Cairo. “Of course he knows that he is talking to the American soldiers as well, so his words are part of the psychological war that’s going on.”

Abdul-Aziz, a Saudi writer who would not give his last name, said: “Sahaf is vulgar but he is a brave liar … If the rest of the Iraqi government or army were this brave, they would inflict many more losses on U.S. and British forces.”