A Journalist Reports What He Saw



in viewing the bodies of Saddam's sons. From washingtonpost.com: Reuters Sees Touched Up Bodies of Saddam Sons:



"Uday still wore his beard. A hole in the top of his skull was left untouched. U.S. officials said they had no evidence to support suggestions that he had shot himself to avoid capture.



A faint smell of disinfectant hung in the air.



Journalists were shown a metal orthopedic plate that officials said they had removed from Uday's left leg and were told that its serial number matched that of a disc that was inserted in his limb after a failed 1996 assassination attempt.



U.S. officials have declined to reveal how they have had access to the former ruling family's medical records.



They said both men had died from multiple gunshot wounds and blast injuries in the northern city of Mosul. Two other people also died. Those bodies were not shown. U.S. officials say one of them was probably Qusay's teenage son, Mustapha.



DNA tests were also being carried out but because previous samples of Uday and Qusay's DNA were not available, U.S. officials said this test would not conclusively identify the bodies. Washington says it has Saddam's DNA.



The officials said the bodies would be refrigerated to slow decomposition but their fate thereafter remains unknown. Muslim tradition demands that they be buried as soon as possible.



A spokesman for the U.S.-led administration said no one had so far come forward to claim the bodies of the fugitives for burial. He said: 'If any of their family members want to come forward, we'd be delighted to speak to them.' "