"We find it interesting that Saddam Hussein, if he is alive, feels a need to walk in the streets to prove that," said Major General Stanley McChrystal, vice director of operations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"What we don't see is effective command and control at his level," he said.

In the first indication that Saddam survived a "decapitation" strike at the start of the war on March 20, Iraqi TV aired a speech by Saddam in which he alluded to the March 24 downing of an AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship.

That was followed by scenes of a smiling Saddam walking in the streets of Baghdad, surrounded by cheering supporters, some waving rifles and others rushing up to kiss his hand.

It was the first time Saddam has been shown in public since the war began.

The US Central Command, which is leading the military campaign in Iraq, dismissed the televised scenes as "a pretty bad performance" that would have no impact on the US campaign.

"If this film was to receive an Academy Award, it would be for the worst performance by a crowd under duress," said Jim Wilkinson, spokesman for the US Central Command in Qatar.

"It's a pretty bad performance, and our campaign is much larger than any one single personality," he told MSNBC television. "This is the kind of thing General (Tommy) Franks would pay no attention to," Wilkinson said. "This is a sideshow video."

McChrystal said there were still some signs of "regime command and control".

"But military comand and control which has traditionally emanated from the core of the regime has not been apparent on the battlefield," he said.

Television has been a key instrument used by the regime to control the populace, according to McChrystal.

"We intend to limit their ability to use those mechanisms to control the population," he said.

The use of mobile vans as well as fixed installations have made it difficult to take out, however.

"Sometimes its on, sometimes it is off," said Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke.

She said Saddam's TV appearance comes amid signs that with US forces on the outskirts of Baghdad, Iraqis in increasing numbers realize that the regime is on its way out.

"Whatever is left of their leadership, they got up today and realized they have very little control left of their country," she said.

SPACE.WIRE