Through the whole "is bin Laden dead or alive?" controversy, I pointed out how utterly simple it would be for bin Laden to prove he was alive, just by doing something like holding up a current newspaper* or mentioning something highly specific on the screen. The downed helicopter, for example, or the POWs.

Given the questions on the authenticity of Saddam's tapes, it is very instructive that Saddam, if he is really making current tapes, has not done so simple a thing to settle the question in the minds of both the world and his people.

*Preferably one published outside Iraq. I could easily have prearranged a certain newspaper front page if I owned the publishers.