Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf

"They US soldiers] started to commit suicide on the Baghdad walls. We will encourage them to double their suicide attempts."

"I now inform you that you are too far from reality."

"Lying is forbidden in Iraq. President Saddam Hussein will tolerate nothing but truthfulness as he is a man of great honour and integrity. Everyone is encouraged to speak freely of the truths evidenced in their eyes and hearts."

"The American press is all about lies! All they tell is lies, lies and more lies!"

"The information was correct but the interpretations were not. I did my duty up to the last minute."

"He's my man. He was great. Somebody accused us of hiring him and putting him there. He was a classic."

"In an age of spin, al-Sahaf offers feeling and authenticity. His message is consistent — unshakeable, in fact, no matter the evidence — but he commands daily attention by his on-the-spot, invective-rich variations on the theme. His lunatic counterfactual art is more appealing than the banal awfulness of the Reliable Sources. He is a Method actor in a production that will close in a couple of days. He stands superior to truth."