Arab television has broadcast footage it says shows Saddam Hussein on the streets of Baghdad the same day the city fell to coalition forces.
Abu Dhabi television, based in the United Arab Emirates, says the footage was shot on April 9, two days after a U.S. bombing raid on a Baghdad building where intelligence officers believed Saddam and his two sons, Uday and Qusay, were located. April 9 was also the day U.S. tanks rolled into central Baghdad and Iraqis toppled a statue of Saddam.
There was no way to independently confirm when the tape was shot, or whether it indeed shows the ousted Iraqi leader.
The Pentagon said Friday, that it is too early to make any judgment on the authenticity of the footage.
Abu Dhabi television says it acquired the tape from what it said was "an Iraqi source." The station says the tape was shot in the al-Azamiyah neighborhood of Baghdad, an area of the city known to be loyal to the Iraqi leader.
In the tape, a man who appears to be Saddam is seen greeting a large cheering crowd on the street. He is dressed in a military uniform and beret and a man who appears to be his son, Qusay, is by his side during parts of the video.
The television station also played an audiotape it says was recorded on April 9 by Saddam Hussein. In the tape, the former Iraqi leader urges Iraqis to fight the "invaders" and promises that the Iraqi leadership is committed to doing the same.