So far there's been three gas alerts in Kuwait City, and the TV reporters have been ducking for cover while wearing gas masks.

It looks like Saddam at least survived the attack last night - he gave a speech in which he gave today's date (not that it would take a genius to work out the war could start today). There have been suggestions that it was pre-recorded or a body double, but John Simpson, BBC international guy (single-handedly liberated Kabul, remember?) says it almost certainly wasn't. There's no way Saddam would let a double give a speech, and particularly not this one.

It also seemed to unprepared to have been a pre-recorded speech - Saddam was wearing his glasses, for a start, and reading from a notebook, rather than an autocue. John Simpson suggested that he'd written notes as the bombs came down. He rambled for some time about 'Iraqis taking up their swords' - you might tell a double to shut the fuck up and stop repeating himself, but you wouldn't say it to a guy who personally executes ministers who disagrees with him.

One of his sons also made a speech on the radio, although the news didn't say which one - Uday or Qusay. I think it's more likely to be Uday, who has control of much of the media (Qusay's got the military), including the popular Voice Of Iraq FM. Uday's the elder, more psychotic one, virtually crippled by an assassin a few years ago. He's the guy who murders the boyfriends of women he wants to screw.