Saddam Hussein Video Likely Authentic - 2003-03-21

A U.S. intelligence official says the video of Saddam Hussein, which was broadcast on Baghdad television following the initial U.S. missile attack on a gathering of Iraqi leadership, is likely authentic. According to this official, experts from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have concluded after audio and visual analysis of the video that it is highly probable that the person speaking in the video is Saddam Hussein. However, since the time of the video recording cannot be determined, the fate of the Iraqi president remains unclear. The U.S. intelligence official stated that it is still uncertain whether Saddam Hussein survived the Thursday attack on a complex in Baghdad. American officials believe that Saddam Hussein and his two sons were at the complex at the time of the attack. The Iraqi information minister stated today that one of Saddam Hussein's houses was targeted in the Thursday attack, but he claimed that the Iraqi president and his family members are safe. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported, citing an American official, that there is evidence suggesting Saddam Hussein was injured during the attack, as a request for emergency medical assistance was made immediately after the attack occurred. Nevertheless, other American officials say they still do not have enough information to definitively state whether Saddam Hussein and his sons were killed or injured in the attack.