Comical Ali resurfaces

Linux is a lie!

By John Leyden • Get more from this author

Posted in Bootnotes, 29th April 2003 10:23 GMT

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You just can't keep a good man (or joke) down.

Contrary to unconfirmed reports of his suicide, former Iraqi information minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf has resurfaced as a Microsoft spokesman.

At least that's what the cheeky chaps behind TheInformationMinister.com would have us believe.

Fans of Comical Ali's inventive line of invective will be pleased to note he's handled the move from Baghdad to Redmond with aplomb.

Even though al-Sahaf was an apologist for a murderous regime, his star-quality shines through.

"Windows has no bugs. None! None I tell you! We will be shipping product soon," Comical Ali pronounces in the well-executed Flash animation.

"Linux is a lie. It is used by no one! It has no market penetration! None I tell you now," he continues in the mock-up Redmond via Baghdad broadcast.

"We are secure now. We have always been secure! Praise Allah!"

A role in Redmond has previously been touted for MSS (There are no bugs in our software! Never, I tell you.) at the original WeLoveTheIraqiInformationMinister.com site. However TheInformationMinister.com takes one things further by clever use of b3ta.com-style animation.

Nice work, fellas.

The latest Iraqi information minister homage site is a low bandwidth affair ("I now inform you that our bandwidth bill is too far from reality. Please visit our sponsors"). So by bringing the site the attention of a wider public we've probably flattened it.

We suggest you try again at the weekend when the owners might have sorted out some proper bandwidth.

Surely there's a university server somewhere that can host this fine piece of work? ®