Mr. Hussein, he dead

Judging by the behavior of Iraqi U.N. ambassador Al-Douri on “Meet the Press” this past Sunday, I’m getting some serious vibes that Saddam Hussein has assumed room temperature. [Emphasis added in parts.]

But first: Moments ago, I had an exclusive interview with Iraq’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mohammed al-Douri. Here it is.
Mr. Ambassador, is Saddam Hussein dead or alive?
AMB. MOHAMMED AL-DOURI: We start with that. I am here. I am in New York. I think that he is alive, of course, because we saw him several times on the TV.
MR. RUSSERT: But on the TV, it could be edited or outdated footage. Why doesn’t he appear holding a daily newspaper so people know for certain he is alive?
AMB. AL-DOURI: You know, anyway I think he is alive, but the question is not there because Iraq is Iraq and Saddam Hussein is the president of Iraq. Now we have to talk about the war against Iraq, against the people of Iraq, not against one person.
MR. RUSSERT: But were Saddam Hussein or his sons injured?
AMB. AL-DOURI: I told you it is not a question of one person or two persons. It’s a question of slaughtered—the whole people of a country.
MR. RUSSERT: No, how much longer will Saddam Hussein rule Iraq?
AMB. AL-DOURI: I told you, this is really not the most important thing on which we have our awareness. Our awareness is Iraq, is the civilization of Iraq, is the people of Iraq, is the present of Iraq and the future of Iraq and also the future of Arab nation.

That last one is the clincher. From what I can tell from Iraqi statements in the past, the fate of Saddam Hussein and Iraq are inseparable and immutable. To suggest that Hussein’s rule over Iraq is “not the most important thing” is striking, to say the least.