And to further my point about what people believe of the Iraqi regime, this was in today's Trib.
He's got a special gem implanted in his arm that repels bullets. He has almost as many lives as a cat is reputed to have. His mother is a magician.
As U.S. troops occupied vast stretches of downtown Baghdad on Wednesday, Iraqis weaned for three decades on stories of Saddam Hussein's invincibility admit they're having trouble believing his end is near.
"I wouldn't believe he was dead even if I saw his body on television," said Aboud Muttar, 60, a shepherd. "I won't believe it unless I see it with my own eyes."
The news this week that the U.S. dropped 2,000-pound bombs on a building where Hussein was suspected to be, followed by reports he was killed, followed by other reports that he wasn't, have only added to Iraqi skepticism.
People here can be forgiven for taking rumors of the dictator's demise with a grain of salt. Despite dozens of coup and assassination attempts, and top-of-the-hit-list status at many overseas spy agencies, Hussein has endured.
"He has seven lives," said Ahmed Ali, 23. "You can't kill him."
As one tale would have it, that is because of the gem in his arm, which some say is red, some blue. It is said to have been tested on a chicken, which lost just a few feathers when shot at point-blank range.
"I first heard about it around the time he took power," said retiree Jasim Waay, 54. "Is it strong enough to work against the British and American military? Only God knows for sure."
A mother's love -- and her ability to weave powerful spells -- has protected Hussein with a magic aura, another legend goes. "He's in touch with the occult," said Saad Abdel Reda, 19, a farmer. "And he has fortunetellers tap into the spirit world and tell him when people are trying to kill him."
Other bits of folklore bolster his reputation for brutality and cunning. In one, a soldier standing five rows behind the president attempted to kill him, but his gun jammed. Hussein calmly walked over to the soldier, grabbed the weapon and said, "This is how you do it," before shooting him dead.
Then there was the citizen who spat on his television screen whenever the president's face appeared. This went on for years, until the man and his daughter saw the president in person, at a parade. "That's the man you always spit on," the little girl said, at which point soldiers within earshot took him away and executed him.
Mohamed Sadek, a 43-year-old teacher, believes the regime has fueled the fables to keep Iraqis in check. "That way he seems stronger and keeps people scared," he said.